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Diabetes Rates Leveling Off in U.S.

Posted 23 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 – Overall adult diabetes rates appear to have leveled off during the past four years in the United States, in stark contrast to the two decades prior, which saw a doubling of the chronic disease, according to a new federal study. The total number of people living with diabetes increased an average 0.6 percent annually between 2008 and 2012 while the number of new cases actually fell an average 5.4 percent, researchers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. That compared with an average 4.5 percent annual increase between 1990 and 2008, they said. Not all groups in the United States have benefited, however. Diabetes rates continue to rise for blacks, Hispanics, the aging and the poorly educated, according to the report published in the Sept. 24 Journal of the American Medical Association. "We are beginning to see a slowing of the ... Read more

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Diabetes Drug Metformin May Affect Thyroid in Some Patients

Posted 22 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 – Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, may raise the risk of low levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) among patients with an underactive thyroid, a new study suggests. The researchers cautioned that low TSH levels may be associated with heart problems and broken bones, although a cause-and-effect link was not established in this study. Among those in the study with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), there were 495 incidences of low levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone per year compared with 322 in the normal thyroid group, the report published Sept. 22 in the CMAJ concluded. Among patients treated for an underactive thyroid, metformin was linked with a 55 percent higher risk for low TSH levels, compared to those who were taking sulfonylurea for their diabetes. "The results of this longitudinal study confirmed that the use of metformin ... Read more

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Trulicity Approved for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 22 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 – Trulicity (dulaglutide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of diabetes cases in the United States. The drug contains a hormone that helps stabilize blood sugar at normal levels, the agency said in a news release. Trulicity's safety and effectiveness were evaluated in clinical trials involving 3,342 people with type 2 diabetes. The drug has been studied as a standalone treatment and in combination with other therapies, the agency said. Trulicity's label has a boxed warning that some lab rodents given the drug developed a certain type of thyroid tumor called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). While it's not known if the drug could cause the same problem in people, those at risk of developing MTC shouldn't be given the drug, the FDA said. The drug also should not be given to people ... Read more

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Tight Blood Sugar Control Doesn't Prevent Strokes in Diabetics: Study

Posted 19 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 – A six-year study of people with type 2 diabetes found that intensively lowering blood pressure had a long-lasting effect in preventing heart attacks, strokes and deaths. But intensive blood sugar control didn't produce those benefits, the researchers found. For the study, investigators followed nearly 8,500 participants of a completed diabetes trial. Some participants had had their blood pressure and blood sugar levels strictly controlled, while others had received standard care. The researchers wanted to assess the long-term effects of the intensive control, which ended when the trial concluded. "One of the points of doing this study was to see if lowering blood sugar for five years might, down the track, translate into protection against stroke and heart attack – it didn't," said researcher Dr. Bruce Neal, a professor of medicine at the University of Sydney ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis

FDA Approves Trulicity - Another Weekly Injectable Drug for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 19 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new type 2 diabetes drug, Trulicity, on Thursday. Trulicity is part of a class of once-a-week injectable drugs that help manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. "Trulicity is a new treatment option, which can be used alone or added to existing treatment regimens to control blood sugar levels in the overall management of type 2 diabetes," Dr. Mary Parks, deputy director of the FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation II, said in an agency news release. About 26 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. More than 90 percent of all diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, according to the FDA. The disease causes high blood sugar levels, which can lead to serious complications including heart disease, vision problems and nerve and kidney damage. Trulicity (generic name dulaglutide) is a type of drug called a ... Read more

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FDA Approves Trulicity (dulaglutide) for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted 18 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

September 18, 2014 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Trulicity (dulaglutide), a once-weekly subcutaneous injection to improve glycemic control (blood sugar levels), along with diet and exercise, in adults with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes affects about 26 million people and accounts for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases diagnosed in the United States. Over time, high blood sugar levels can increase the risk for serious complications, including heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage. "Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic condition that causes blood glucose levels to rise higher than normal,” said Mary Parks, M.D., deputy director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Trulicity is a new treatment option, which can be used alone or added to existing treatment regimens to control blood sugar ... Read more

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Artificial Sweeteners May Raise Blood Sugar Levels: Study

Posted 17 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 – Diabetics and dieters who turn to artificial sweeteners to soothe their sweet tooth may not be doing themselves any favors, a new Israeli study suggests. Artificial sweeteners can potentially make blood sugar levels rise despite containing no calories, researchers found in human and mouse studies. That's because saccharine and its counterparts appear to alter the bacteria residing in the intestines in ways that can impair some people's ability to process glucose, the researchers report in the Sept. 17 issue of Nature. That means rather than helping the current epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States, artificial sweeteners could potentially be contributing to the problem, according to the study. The researchers found that mice fed artificial sweeteners developed higher blood sugar levels compared to mice drinking plain water or even ... Read more

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Combo Diabetes Therapy Outperforms Other Treatments, Study Finds

Posted 12 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 – Combining insulin with a relatively new hormone-like drug appears to be a safer and more effective way to treat type 2 diabetes than current methods, a new review suggests. The drug belongs to a new class of injectable medications called "glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists" (GLP-1), which mimic the behavior of a gut hormone. It's already available as a treatment for diabetes, either used alone or in combination with basal insulin. But researchers say the current analysis is the first to confirm its superiority as part of a combined intervention. "The cornerstone of type 2 diabetes management is to try to get blood sugar levels as normal as possible," explained study author Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. "Unfortunately, we have a lot of trouble getting there in most patients, because of the limitations and side effects ... Read more

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Diabetics Face Much Greater Risk of Heart Damage, Study Says

Posted 11 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 – Using a new ultra-sensitive test, Johns Hopkins researchers found that people with diabetes may have a sixfold higher risk of heart failure even if their cholesterol is low and they appear otherwise healthy. Results of the new study suggest that people with diabetes and pre-diabetes may be suffering undetectable – but potentially dangerous – heart muscle damage, the researchers concluded. This heart damage is occurring regardless of a diabetic's cholesterol levels, which had no effect on test results, said lead author Elizabeth Selvin. She co-director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Training Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Even if we treat people with diabetes with statins, we may not be able to fully address the increased risk of death and heart failure in that population," Selvin said. "This underscores the need for ... Read more

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Statins May Help Prevent Diabetes-Related Nerve Damage, Study Finds

Posted 10 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 – Cholesterol-busting statins may also help prevent common and serious diabetes complications, a new study indicates. Although the drugs are known to lower the risk for heart attack and stroke among those with type 2 diabetes, Danish researchers report statins may also help protect against diabetes-related damage to small blood vessels in the body that can lead to blindness and amputations. The scientists noted that the results in the new research were unexpected. "Since high levels of blood glucose, the hallmark of diabetes, are linked with microvascular disease, and since statins are suspected of raising glucose levels, we tested the hypothesis that individuals taking a statin before a diagnosis of diabetes might be at increased risk of developing microvascular complications," study author Borge Nordestgaard, chief physician in clinical biochemistry at ... Read more

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Obesity Fueling Rise in Diabetes Rates, Study Finds

Posted 2 Sep 2014 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2014 – The U.S. obesity epidemic is a driving force behind the rising rates of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Researchers looked at data from five national surveys spanning from 1976 through 2010 to determine how much the increase in diabetes over time could be explained by factors such as changing distribution of race, age and obesity in U.S. adults. The investigators found that the prevalence of diabetes in men rose from about 5 percent to more than 11 percent. In women, it rose from under 6 percent to nearly 9 percent. When the researchers looked at factors that might contribute to rising diabetes rates, obesity stood out. Although for men, it only explained about half the increase, according to the researchers. "Overweight and obesity explained most of the increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. during this time period," said study ... Read more

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Health Tip: Manage Stress to Keep Diabetes in Check

Posted 25 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

-- Physical and emotional stress can be problematic for diabetics, as it tends to cause blood sugar to rise. The American Diabetes Association suggests how to keep stress under control: Find ways to reduce stress, such as by taking an alternate route to avoid traffic, mending problems with a friend or changing to a less stressful job. Engage in regular physical activity. Do something fun, such as taking dance lessons, picking up a new hobby or practicing a craft. Volunteer in your community. Practice relaxation exercises. Read more

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Low Birth Weights May Put Black Women at Risk for Diabetes

Posted 22 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2014 – Being born at a low birth weight puts black women at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The findings may partly explain high diabetes rates among black Americans, a population that has a high prevalence of low birth weight, the researchers added. Their study of more than 21,000 black women found that those with a low birth weight were 13 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with a normal birth weight. The risk of diabetes was 40 percent higher in those with a very low birth weight. Low birth weight was defined as less than 5.5 pounds and very low birth weight as less than 3.3 pounds. A woman's body weight did not appear to affect the link between low birth weight and increased diabetes risk. Those who weren't obese still had a higher risk of diabetes if they had a low or very low birth weight. While the study found ... Read more

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Getting Healthier a Big Money-Saver for People With Diabetes

Posted 21 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2014 – Not only is eating better and exercising healthy for people with diabetes, it can save them hundreds of health-care dollars a year, a new study finds. The study, led by Mark Espeland, a professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., included more than 5,100 overweight and obese type 2 diabetes patients. Participants ranged in age from 45 to 76, and were randomly assigned to either an intensive "lifestyle change program" focused on diet and exercise, or to a standard diabetes support and education program. The patients in the lifestyle group had higher levels of physical activity and maintained a lower body weight, resulting in better diabetes control, blood pressure, sleep, physical function and fewer symptoms of depression, the team reported. There were financial savings, too. Over 10 years of follow-up, the ... Read more

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Health Tip: Reducing Your Chances of Heart Disease if You Have Diabetes

Posted 18 Aug 2014 by Drugs.com

-- Diabetics are at increased risk of developing heart disease, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to help lower the risk. The National Heart Lung and Blood Association explains how you can reduce the risk of diabetic heart disease: Maintain healthy cholesterol. Keep high blood pressure in check (under 130/80 mm/Hg). Don't smoke Lose any excess weight. Eat a diet low in sodium, sugar and saturated and trans fats. Get plenty of regular exercise. Find ways to manage stress. Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Heart Disease

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

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