Diabetes News

This meta-analysis of 8859 patients with diabetes mellitus shows favourable effects on lipids with the three statins studied, in line with results for the overall VOYAGER population. The importance of using an effective statin at an effective dose to reach treatment goals for such high-risk patients is evident (Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases)

Position statement of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)

GPs are being urged to ramp up diabetes treatment within just three months if they do not reach their glycaemic goals on metformin alone, under a radical update of guidelines issued by European and American diabetes societies (Pulse)

The association between plasma glucose levels and CVD risk is mainly explained by insulin resistance, which raises the question of whether glucose lowering per se without changes in the processes that underlie hyperglycemia should be the sole clinical paradigm in the treatment of type 2 diabetes or its prevention (PLoS ONE)

Monotherapy with metformin was associated with durable glycemic control in approximately half of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes. The addition of rosiglitazone, but not an intensive lifestyle intervention, was superior to metformin alone (NEJM)

We conclude that prediabetes is a high-risk state for diabetes, especially in patients who remain with prediabetes despite intensive lifestyle intervention. Reversion to normal glucose regulation, even if transient, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of future diabetes independent of previous treatment group (The Lancet)

Metformin treatment was associated with significant decrease in AI during one year treatment in NAFLD patients. These beneficial vascular effects was associated with exposure to metformin per se as well as change in adiponectin levels suggesting that metformin may mediate its vascular effects via glicemic control-independent mechanisms (Cardiovascular Diabetology)

Diabetes-related comorbidity induced better risk factor treatment only for incident cases, implying that appropriate care is provided more often when complications occur. Diabetes-unrelated comorbidity did not affect hypertension or hyperglycemia management, even when it was incident or life-interfering. Thus, the observed “undertreatment” in diabetes care cannot be explained by constraints caused by such comorbidity(PLoS ONE)

The present study suggests that glycaemic targets should be individualised on the basis of the characteristics of each patient, considering age, co-morbidity and duration of diabetes (Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases)

In many parts of the world, people with type 1 diabetes (whether or not the condition is diagnosed) still die for want of insulin, and those with type 2 diabetes go without treatments that prolong life at minimal cost: metformin, antihypertensives, and statins (BMJ)

Patients with type 2 diabetes misperceive their lifestyle behaviors, which hinders lifestyle changes. The variations in misperception and readiness to change show that diversity should be considered in lifestyle counseling for patients with type 2 diabetes (Journal of Diabetes)