Diabetes News

Here we discuss the therapeutic efficacy and the potential mechanisms underlying the action of HSCT and other prospectives in the clinical management of type 1 diabetes (Journal of Diabetes)

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and multiple daily injections have similar effects on glycemic control and hypoglycemia, except continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has a favorable effect on glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (Annals of Internal Medicine)

This meta-analysis found that intensive glucose control in critically ill adults did not reduce mortality but is associated with a significantly increased risk of hypoglycemia (European Journal of Internal Medicine)

Insulin pump use in Australia explores the number, characteristics and experiences of insulin pump users, using information from the National Diabetes Services Scheme and the first national survey of insulin pump users, conducted by the (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare)

Final Report (Centre for Public Health, UK)

The new strategy, commissioned by Diabetes UK, End of Life Diabetes Care aims to summarise a consistent but high-quality approach towards end of life care for people with diabetes by providing a series of clinical care recommendations. (NHS Diabetes)

Primary care practices have organisational structures in place and are, as judged by routine quality indicators, delivering high quality care. There remain evidence-practice gaps in the care provided and in the self confidence that patients have for key aspects of self management and further research is needed to address these issues (PLoS ONE)

When used to target normal fasting plasma glucose levels for more than 6 years, insulin glargine had a neutral effect on cardiovascular outcomes and cancers. Although it reduced new-onset diabetes, insulin glargine also increased hypoglycemia and modestly increased weight (New England Journal of Medicine)

GPs will be forced to conduct nine separate checks in each patient with diabetes under Department of Health plans to create a single diabetes QOF indicator worth over £5,000 (Pulse)

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)