Diabetes News March 25th 2011

NICE publishes guideline on diabetic foot problems
Up to 20 per cent (£600m) of the £3bn the NHS spends on diabetes each year goes on treating diabetic foot problems, and at least £252m of this is spent on amputation (NICE)

Comparative cardiovascular effects of thiazolidinediones
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (BMJ)

Pioglitazone for Diabetes Prevention in Impaired Glucose Tolerance
As compared with placebo, pioglitazone reduced the risk of conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes mellitus by 72% but was associated with significant weight gain and edema (New England Journal of Medicine)

New clinical trial data support the use of Levemir® in children aged two to five years
New clinical trial data just published in Pediatric Diabetes show that Levemir® (insulin detemir), Novo Nordisk’s basal insulin analogue, is an equally efficacious treatment option for two to five year-old children with type 1 diabetes, compared with human basal insulin, but is associated with lower hypoglycaemic risk (Novo Nordisk)

Understanding Physicians’ Challenges When Treating Type 2 Diabetic Patients’ Social and Emotional Difficulties
Recognition and understanding of physicians’ challenges when treating diabetes patients’ social and emotional difficulties are important for developing programmatic interventions (Diabetes Care)

Diabetes Research Strategic Plan
The promise of prevention, treatment, and cure for diabetes can only be realized through the vigorous support of scientific research (NIDDK, USA)

Glucose Homeostasis Abnormalities Assessed by an OGTT in Coronary Artery Disease Patients During Admission and Follow-up at Ambulation
In this pilot study we found that impaired post-prandial glucose control in patients with ACS improves when retested at ambulation. Therefore, it is probably better to perform the OGTT as an ambulatory test and not during the acute admission for defining abnormalities in glucose homeostasis of patients with ACS (Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes)

Redox Regulation of Insulin Degradation by Insulin-Degrading Enzyme
The results presented here indicate that insulin degradation by IDE can be regulated in both positive and negative ways (PLoS ONE)

Novartis gains positive CHMP opinion for Lucentis
Novartis has received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for Lucentis® (ranibizumab) to treat patients with visual impairment due to macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (Novartis)

Peer-to-peer Healthcare
Many Americans turn to friends and family for support and advice when they have a health problem. This report shows how people’s networks are expanding to include online peers (Pew Internet, USA)