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Diabetes Tied to Higher Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Study

Posted 4 Apr 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 4, 2014 – People with diabetes have double the risk of pancreatic cancer compared to people who don't have diabetes, according to a new analysis of 88 previous studies. Diabetes has been considered a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but what's not clear is which condition comes first. This new analysis suggests that at least for some people, pancreatic cancer might be responsible for diabetes. Experts note, however, that the overall risk for pancreatic cancer remains low among people with diabetes. "Our study demonstrated that there is an overall two-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus," said Dr. Mehrdad Nikfarjam, a senior lecturer and transplant surgeon at the University of Melbourne, in Australia. Diabetes mellitus includes type 1 and type 2 diabetes. "The study also demonstrates that diabetes mellitus itself may be an early ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Diabetes, Type 1, Pancreatic Cancer

Diabetes Treatment Falls Short as Heart Failure Drug in Study

Posted 31 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 31, 2014 – A drug commonly used to treat diabetes does not help prevent heart failure in non-diabetics who've had a heart attack, according to a new study. Researchers said results from the rigorous clinical trial dispute previous findings that showed the drug, metformin, could have a protective effect on the heart. "While this glucose-lowering drug is very effective in patients with diabetes and can be safely used in patients with a heart attack, [our data show] it is not of additional benefit in protecting the heart from damage resulting in decreased pump function of the heart," said the study's lead investigator, Dr. Chris Lexis, of University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. Heart attacks often damage heart muscle, which leads to reduced functioning of the left ventricle. This affects the ability of the heart to pump blood. Several animal studies have ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, Glucophage, Myocardial Infarction, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

More Evidence Weight-Loss Surgery Helps People With Diabetes

Posted 31 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 31, 2014 – Weight-loss surgery might do more than help people shed pounds. For some who have the surgery, it may also put type 2 diabetes into remission for several years, a new study suggests. The success rate in controlling diabetes depended on the type of weight-loss surgery, the researchers said. Patients who had the more involved gastric-bypass surgery were more likely to achieve control of their type 2 diabetes without the use of medications, compared to those who had a procedure known as sleeve gastrectomy, according to the new research. "This study is a three-year follow-up. Initially, we showed that people lost a lot of weight after surgery, and for some people, that caused their type 2 diabetes to come to an end," said study co-author Dr. Sangeeta Kashyap, an endocrinologist at the Cleveland Clinic's Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute. "But no one knew how ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Gastric Bypass Surgery

Depressed Diabetics May Face Higher Risk of Kidney Disease

Posted 27 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 – When people with diabetes are depressed, their odds of developing chronic kidney disease nearly double, a new study suggests. Chronic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure, is a progressive loss of kidney function over months or years. Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, according to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Working with diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease, study author Dr. Margaret Yu, a nephrology fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle, found that many also suffered from depression. She wondered whether the kidney problems were causing depression, or if depression somehow contributed to kidney disease. For the study to be published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the researchers looked at almost 4,000 adults with diabetes who were ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, Diabetes, Type 2, Chronic Kidney Disease

Take Heart: Mediterranean Diet Combats Diabetes, Study Says

Posted 27 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 – Adhering to a so-called Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of diabetes, especially if you're at high risk for heart disease. That's the finding of researchers who reviewed 19 studies that included more than 162,000 people in different countries for an average of 5.5 years. The analysis revealed that a Mediterranean diet – which is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables and fruits – was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of diabetes compared with other eating patterns. A Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of diabetes even more – by 27 percent – among people at high risk for heart disease. Diabetes prevention is especially important for people at risk of heart disease, according to the authors of the study, which is to be presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. "Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2

Diabetes in Middle Age May Cause Memory Problems Later

Posted 19 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2014 – People who develop type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure in middle age appear more likely to suffer brain damage that can contribute to dementia as they grow older, a new study finds. Diabetes might actually shrink the brain over a long period of time, reducing the size of crucial areas like the hippocampus, which plays an important role in short- and long-term memory, according to the study. Additionally, diabetes and high blood pressure both seem to increase a person's risk of micro-strokes and other damage to the blood vessels that feed the brain, the study authors said. "People who had diabetes earlier in life had much worse brain [structure] than those who had it later in life," said lead author Dr. Rosebud Roberts, a Mayo Clinic researcher. "These scans are showing us that cognitive impairment happens over a long period of time. The earlier you ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Dementia

Diabetes Linked With Lower Cancer Survival: Study

Posted 13 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 13, 2014 – Cancer patients with diabetes are more likely to die than those without diabetes, and the risk is especially high for those taking insulin, a new study finds. The findings were published March 13 in the journal Diabetologia. The risk of death "of cancer patients with pre-existing diabetes is higher relative to non-diabetic patients for all cancers combined and for most individual cancer sites," study author Kristina Ranc, of the University of Copenhagen and the Steno Diabetes Center in Denmark, said in a journal news release. In their study, Ranc's team examined data from all patients diagnosed with cancer in Denmark from 1995 to 2009. The patients were divided into four groups based on their diabetes status at the time of cancer diagnosis: diabetes-free; diabetes without medication; diabetes and taking only diabetes drugs in pill form; and diabetes and ... Read more

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

Are All Home-Based Blood Sugar Tests Equal?

Posted 7 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 – Every day, millions of people with diabetes – both type 1 and type 2 – rely on the results they get from their blood glucose meters to guide their treatment decisions. But, what if those test results were wrong? Recent research has found that even though a blood glucose monitor meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's standards for accuracy to gain device approval, the meter or test strips used in the meter may not perform as well as expected in the real world. And, those errors can have potentially life-threatening consequences. "The availability of accurate blood glucose meters and test strips is critical to the success of diabetes self-management," according to a statement from the American Diabetes Association. "Faulty or inaccurate equipment can not only lead to just poor diabetes self-management, but to an acute medical crisis if a patient makes ... Read more

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

Some Helpful Hints When Monitoring Blood Sugar

Posted 7 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 7, 2014 – Anyone who needs to monitor their blood sugar can take some simple steps to improve their test results. These include: Wash your hands before you test. It sounds simple enough, but it's a step many people skip or skimp on. "Tests strips are essentially little labs on a piece of plastic," explained Dr. David Simmons, chief medical officer at Bayer HealthCare's Diabetes Care in Tarrytown, N.Y. "If you have sugar on your hands, it will get into the blood sample. This is one of the predominant causes of a high blood sugar. So, wash your hands with soapy water, rinse well and dry thoroughly. If there's extra fluid on your finger, it will dilute the sample and give you a lower reading." Skip the alcohol swab or hand-sanitizing gel. Like having extra sugar on your hand, alcohol can affect your blood sugar reading, too. "If you use alcohol swabs, it's only OK if you ... Read more

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

FDA Approves Bydureon Pen for Once-Weekly Treatment of Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 6 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

Monday March 3, 2014 – AstraZeneca today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Bydureon Pen (exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension) 2 mg as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Bydureon should not be used for treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Bydureon is not recommended as first-line therapy for patients who have inadequate glycemic control on diet and exercise. Bydureon is not a substitute for insulin. The concurrent use of Bydureon with insulin has not been studied and is not recommended. Bydureon is the first and only once-weekly medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes. The Bydureon Pen is a pre-filled, single-use pen injector, eliminating the need for the patient to transfer the medication between a vial and syringe during the ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Bydureon, Exenatide

Health Tip: Moisturize Your Diabetic Feet

Posted 25 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

-- Diabetics, often plagued by poor circulation, must pay careful attention to the feet. Moisturizing your feet regularly can help keep the skin from cracking and drying. The American Diabetes Association offers these moisturizing suggestions: Gently dry your feet after your bath or shower, then coat feet with a small amount of hand cream or petroleum jelly. Avoid rubbing creams or oils between the toes. This increases a person's risk of fungal infection. Avoid soaking your feet, which ultimately can dry the skin. Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Diabetes, Type 1, Foot Care

Diabetes Boosts Stroke Risk for Women, But Not Men: Study

Posted 24 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 24, 2014 – A new study adds to the evidence that diabetes may boost the risk of a stroke in women but not in men. "All women, especially those over 55 years old, [should] get their risk factors for heart disease screened and aggressively treated," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She said prior studies have found that women with diabetes are at higher stroke risk compared to men with the disease. "As women go through menopause, the loss of protective estrogen allows for the risk factors of cardiovascular disease – such as diabetes – to wreak havoc on the arteries," explained Steinbaum, who was not involved in the new study. According to background information in the study, women living in developed countries are more likely to die from a stroke than their male peers. In the United States, women ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Ischemic Stroke

Obesity's Link to Type 2 Diabetes Not So Clear-Cut: Study

Posted 12 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2014 – Although it's a common belief that a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes often follows a large weight gain, a new study challenges that notion. Researchers found that the majority of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes didn't get the disease until they'd been overweight or obese for a number of years. What's more, participants who maintained stable levels of overweight and eventually developed type 2 diabetes didn't have a significant rise in their level of insulin resistance – a traditional risk factor – before getting the disease. "In general, the majority of individuals developing type 2 diabetes were rather weight stable during follow-up with a slightly higher average BMI [body mass index] than the diabetes-free population," wrote study author Dorte Vistisen, at the Steno Diabetes Center in Denmark, and colleagues. BMI is an estimate of a person's body fat ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Diabetes, Type 2

FDA Medwatch Alert: Saxagliptin (marketed as Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR): Drug Safety Communication - FDA to Review Heart Failure Risk

Posted 11 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

ISSUE: FDA has requested clinical trial data from the manufacturer of saxagliptin to investigate a possible association between use of the type 2 diabetes drug and heart failure. FDAs request resulted from a study  published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), which reported an increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure, when the heart does not pump blood well enough, with use of saxagliptin (marketed as Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR) compared to an inactive treatment. The study did not find increased rates of death or other major cardiovascular risks, including heart attack or stroke, in patients who received saxagliptin. The manufacturer is expected to submit the trial data to FDA by early March 2014, after which FDA will conduct a thorough analysis and report findings publicly. At this time, FDA considers information from the NEJM study to be preliminary. Analysis of ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Onglyza, Saxagliptin, Kombiglyze XR, Metformin/saxagliptin

FDA to Investigate Diabetes Drug Saxagliptin for Possible Heart Failure Risk

Posted 11 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2014 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will investigate possible links between the diabetes drug saxagliptin and a heightened risk for heart failure among users. In a statement, the agency said that the probe was spurred by "a study published [last September] in the New England Journal of Medicine, which reported an increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure, when the heart does not pump blood well enough." Saxagliptin, which is marketed under the brand names Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR, is a relatively new diabetes medication that works by boosting the amount of insulin the body produces after each meal, when blood sugar levels are typically high. The NEJM study did not find that saxagliptin had any effect on a patient's risk for heart attack or stroke. However, "our data also show an increase in hospitalization for heart ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Onglyza, Saxagliptin, Kombiglyze XR, Metformin/saxagliptin

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Diabetic Ketoacidosis (in DM Type II), Diabetic Coma (in DM Type II), Diabetes Mellitus

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