Diabetes Mellitus Blog

Older Diabetics Should Avoid Dementia Meds

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 28 – Older diabetics who take antipsychotic medications have an increased risk of ending up in the hospital with elevated blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, researchers say.

More and more seniors are being prescribed these medications for dementia and other conditions, the study authors noted in their report in the July 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

In the study, Dr. Lorraine L. Lipscombe of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences at the University of Toronto and Women's College Research Institute at Women's College Hospital in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues looked at 13,817 diabetic patients who were 66 and older. These patients started taking antipsychotics between April 2002 and March 2006. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

Electronic System Helps Track Diabetes Care

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, July 8 – A personalized electronic health tracking system can improve diabetes patients' care and clinical outcomes, Canadian researchers say.

Their study included 511 diabetes patients and 46 family physicians and nurse-practitioners in Canada. Half the participants used Internet-based tools integrated with five types of electronic health records, an automated telephone reminder system and mailings of color-coded materials. The other participants were assigned to a control group that received usual care. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

New Diabetes Drug Shows Promise in Trial

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 8 – An experimental diabetes drug called liraglutide appears to outperform exenatide (Byetta), the only currently approved drug in its class, a study funded by liraglutide's maker, Novo Nordisk, shows.

Liraglutide is a laboratory-made version of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone produced by the body that stimulates insulin production. Several members of the GLP-1 family are in clinical trials. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

Glucose Control Pays Long-Term Benefits for Diabetics

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 20 – For diabetics, the key to managing their disease is keeping their blood glucose levels at a normal, low level.

But new studies show just how important this is when it comes to avoiding the complications of the disease, which can include eye, kidney and nerve damage.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. The studies are based on the analysis of patient records at diabetes clinics in Sweden and also include a large American study.

New statistical methods and the large amount of data made it possible to study the treatments' effectiveness over long periods of time. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

Heart Screening Not Effective for Type 2 Diabetics

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 14 – Routine screening for coronary artery disease is of no value for adults with diabetes who have no symptoms of heart problems, a new study finds.

Screening is expensive, at $1,000 per test. But the study of 1,123 people with type 2 diabetes who had no symptoms of heart disease did not identify those at high risk of developing cardiac problems.

The findings were published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association – an issue devoted to diabetes.

"It was a surprise," Dr. Lawrence H. Young, professor of medicine at Yale University and a leader of the study, said of the results. "There is no question that coronary artery disease is still a major concern in patients with type 2 diabetes." Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

Pancreatic Islets in Forefront of Diabetes Research

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 14 – Pancreatic islets, which are hormone-producing cells, are becoming more prominent in diabetes research and could play a major role in future treatments, according to U.S. experts.

"The primary objective of islet-based research is to cure diabetes," John S. Kaddis, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, in Duarte, Calif., and his colleagues wrote in the April 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a themed issue on diabetes. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

For Diabetics, On-Demand Care May Not Help

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 31 – Diabetic adults using same-day medical scheduling to manage their care fared no better and, in some aspects, saw their condition worsen, compared with those who made their doctor's appointments in advance as usual, a new study finds.

With on-demand, or open-access, scheduling, doctors' offices give patients a general time period when they should come in for a follow-up, and the patients can then book their appointment on the day they want it or the day before. Some studies have linked open-access scheduling to more satisfied patients. Read more...

Related support groups: Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2

Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 12 – In people with diabetes, there's a strong association between abnormal heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, and increased risk of other heart-related problems and death, according to a study that included 11,140 people.

Researchers found that participants who had atrial fibrillation (AF) at the start of the study were 61 percent more likely to die from any cause, 77 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular causes such as a heart attack or stroke, and 68 percent more likely to develop heart failure or other problems such as stroke. Read more...

Related support groups: Aceon, Lozol, Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes, Type 1, Diabetes, Type 2