Doctors blame soaring obesity levels as jump in diabetes prescriptions puts strain on NHS
In the year to September 2008, 20 million oral drug items were prescribed at a cost to the NHS of £161 million (Daily Mail, UK)
A Randomized Trial of Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease
Overall, there was no significant difference in the rates of death and major cardiovascular events between patients undergoing prompt revascularization and those undergoing medical therapy or between strategies of insulin sensitization and insulin provision (NEJM)
ADA: New Screening Modes Work for Diabetic Retinopathy
For diabetic retinopathy screening, telemedicine and photographing fewer fields allow for faster detection for more patients, researchers said (Medpage Today)
International Diabetes Federation to host clinical and educational workshops on diabetes for health and government officials in Latin America
The workshops in Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 11-14, will focus on clinical diabetes guideline implementation and diabetes education for health ministries, diabetes associations and healthcare professionals throughout its South and Central American Region (IDF)
A randomised controlled trial to compare minimally invasive glucose monitoring devices with conventional monitoring in the management of insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (MITRE)
Conclusions: Continuous glucose monitors do not lead to improved clinical outcomes and are not costeffective for improving HbA1c in unselected individuals with poorly controlled insulin-requiring diabetes 232-page PDF (Health Technology Assessment, UK)
Taking the stress out of insulin initiation in type 2 diabetes mellitus
For many family physicians, initiating insulin therapy in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) can be anxiety-provoking and time-consuming. Often it is physicians’ lack of confidence in starting insulin, not patients’ fear of insulin injections, that delays optimizing glycemic control (Canadian Family Physician)
Study to assess benefit of using telemedicine in schools to monitor children’s diabetes
Early results from the study show the telemedicine monitoring to be working (Upstate Medical University, USA)
Precious Life, Excellent Care
2008 Annual Report (Joslin Diabetes Center)
New artificial pancreas study presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions
Scientists working on JDRF’s artificial pancreas project based at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Sansum Diabetes Research Institute have demonstrated for the first time that an automated artificial pancreas system (APS) can safely and effectively maintain desired blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 diabetes. (JDRF)
Diabetes warning signs detected
Body chemistry changes that lead to type 2 diabetes begin several years before symptoms become apparent, research has shown (BBC, UK)
Amylin CEO sees once-weekly sales surpassing Byetta
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc’s chief executive said he expects eventual sales of the company’s experimental once-weekly diabetes medicine to be significantly higher than those of Byetta, a version of the drug that must be injected twice a day (Guardian UK)
Victoza more effective at lowering blood sugar
Data presented at the 69th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) showed that once-daily Victoza, taken as monotherapy, leads to statistically significant and sustained reductions in blood sugar and weight after two years of treatment (Pharmacy Europe)
New viral video tackles diabetes bullies
A short, gritty video called ‘Setting the record straight’, to show schoolchildren and young people about Type 1 diabetes (Diabetes, UK)
Novo diabetes drug tops older medicine at two years
Novo Nordisk A/S’s experimental diabetes drug liraglutide was significantly better at helping patients control blood sugar than an older common medicine after two years of treatment, according to data from a clinical trial (Reuters)
Two-year data reveal sustained glycemic improvements with liraglutide
Liraglutide monotherapy for two years was associated with significant, sustained improvements in glycemic control and body weight compared with glimepiride monotherapy, according to new results of the LEAD-3 trial (Endocrine Today)
PAD prevalent among patients with diabetes, metabolic syndrome
Researchers are trying to find better PAD diagnostic tests, imaging techniques and therapeutic approache (Endocrine Today)
Diamy Phase III study approved for younger patients in the US
Diamyd Medical reported today that the company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, to include children with type 1 diabetes from 10 years of age in the company’s Phase III study with the diabetes vaccine (Diamyd Medical)
A Randomized Trial of Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease
Overall, there was no significant difference in the rates of death and major cardiovascular events between patients undergoing prompt revascularization and those undergoing medical therapy or between strategies of insulin sensitization and insulin provision (NEJM, USA)
Diabetes with Coronary Disease
A Moving Target amid Evolving Therapies? (NEJM, USA)
Prevention of type 2 diabetes: preventing pre-diabetes – draft scope consultation
All registered stakeholders for the above public health programme guidance are invited to comment on the draft scope (NICE)
Video aims to stop diabetes bullying
The Diabetes UK video hopes to help put the record straight about Type 1 diabetes (BBC, UK)
Is the Child with Diabetes Safe at School?
Christian Stokes, 18, the ADA’s National Youth Advocate, is here at the meeting and his first blog post reports on a symposium Saturday morning that focused on keeping students with diabetes safe at school (American Diabetes Association)
Boehringer Ingelheim ongoing linagliptin trial shows promising results
Study results presented for the first time in the scientific sessions of this year’s American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting (ADA), show clinically relevant and statistically significant reductions in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels when linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, is given as add-on therapy in Type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled with metformin (Pharmacy Europe)
A1C Test Recommended as Tool to Diagnose Diabetes
International Expert Committee Recommends New Way to Diagnose Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
Diabetes Dispatch
Share the excitement of the 69th Scientific Sessions. Diabetes Dispatch New Orleans, the official daily newspaper of the 69th Scientific Sessions, is available online (Diabetes Dispatch)
Some Doctors Question Safety Study on Glaxo’s Avandia
A large clinical study designed to test whether GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s diabetes drug Avandia can be harmful to the heart appears to have raised more questions than it has answered, with some physicians calling the study flawed (Wall Street Journal)
New Diabetes Drugs Flooding Into Pharmacies
In 2008 alone, diabetes drugs racked up more than $27 billion in sales worldwide, earning them fourth place on the list of all classes of drugs (Attorneyatlaw, USA)
Insulin pumps: getting smaller, more convenient, easier to use
Several start-up companies are pursuing the growing market for an interest in patch pumps, with development focusing on size of the device, ease of use, download and monitoring capabilities, size of the reservoir, type of filling mechanism and other features (Endocrine Today)
Medtronic Highlights New Advances in Development of Closed-Loop System for Diabetes Management
Medtronic, Inc. announced new developments in its long-standing goal to create a “closed-loop” diabetes management system designed to closely mimic the insulin delivery of a normal pancreas (Busnesswire)
Human brain glycogen metabolism during hypoglycemia and following hypoglycemia
These data indicate that brain glycogen supports energy metabolism when glucose supply from the blood is inadequate and that its levels rebound to levels higher than normal following a single episode of moderate hypoglycemia in humans (Diabetes)
mdBriefCase Diabetes Modules a Colossal Success
In only five months, more than 5,500 Canadian healthcare professionals have benefited from the new mdBriefCase on-line continuing health education modules based on the Canadian Diabetes Association 2008 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada (Canadian Diabetes Association)
Can a Low–Glycemic Index Diet Reduce the Need for Insulin in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?
Using a low–glycemic index diet for women with GDM effectively halved the number needing to use insulin, with no compromise of obstetric or fetal outcomes (Diabetes Care)
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