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Two-Drug Therapy Helped Kids With Type 2 Diabetes
Posted 29 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, April 29 – Children with type 2 diabetes may achieve better blood sugar control with a combination of two drugs, metformin and Avandia, than with metformin alone, a new study suggests. However, Avandia (rosiglitazone) was recently linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, so it may not be the best drug for these young patients, experts say. "Many kids with type 2 have a rapidly progressive disease requiring early onset of insulin therapy, and current approaches to oral therapy may be inadequate," said lead researcher Dr. Philip Zeitler, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. Zeitler noted that the choice of Avandia as a companion medication was made in 2002, before the cardiac problems with the drug were known. "Given the problems with rosiglitazone, we are not recommending it at this time," he said. "However, no problems with rosiglitazone ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Avandia, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet, Fortamet, Rosiglitazone
Value of Metformin, Insulin Combo for Type 2 Diabetes Questioned
Posted 19 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 19 – It's not clear whether patients with type 2 diabetes gain any long-term benefit from taking the blood sugar-lowering drug metformin and insulin together rather than insulin alone. That's the conclusion of Danish researchers who reviewed data from 23 clinical trials involving more than 2,200 patients over the age of 18. Reporting online April 19 in the BMJ, they found that taking metformin plus insulin leads to better blood sugar control, less weight gain and less need for insulin. However, the researchers also noted that the clinical trials provided little information about long-term patient outcomes, such as the total numbers of deaths and deaths from cardiovascular disease. This means that more clinical trials are needed to determine the long-term benefits and harms of the combination, specifically the risks of premature death. The researchers, led by Bianca ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Insulin, Lantus, Glucophage, Humalog, Novolog, Lantus Solostar, Levemir, Novolin R, Lantus Solostar Pen, Humulin R, Novolin N, Humulin N, Glucophage XR
Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Also Help Fight Cancer
Posted 1 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, March 31 – A diabetes medication used by millions is now showing promise against a variety of different cancers. Two new clinical studies to be presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Chicago, found that metformin (also known by the brand name Glucophage, among others), appeared linked to a slowing in the rate of prostate cancer growth in certain patients, and in prolonging life for early-stage pancreatic cancer patients. Other studies, done either in the lab or in animals, also hint that the drug might have an effect against liver or oral tumors, as well as certain forms of melanoma. The findings have sparked interest in the cancer field and do seem promising, but much more research needs to be done before the drug can be recommended as a cancer treatment, experts said. "There are very exciting clues from laboratory ... Read more
Related support groups: Metformin, Breast Cancer, Glucophage, Colorectal Cancer, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
Prescription Meds Can Put on Unwanted Pounds
Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 2 – Medications taken by millions of Americans for mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions can have an unhealthy side effect: weight gain. While other choices exist for some types of drugs, adjusting medications is not simply a matter of switching, said Ryan Roux, chief pharmacy officer with the Harris County Hospital District, in Houston. In the late 1990s, Dr. Lawrence Cheskin conducted early research on prescription medicines and obesity. "Some medicines make an early, noticeable difference, causing patients to become ravenously hungry, while changes are subtle for others. A few months taking them and you've gained 10 pounds," said Cheskin, now director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore. To help increase awareness, Roux and his pharmacist group have compiled a list of "weight-promoting" and "weight-neutral or ... Read more
Related support groups: Bipolar Disorder, High Blood Pressure, Zoloft, Diabetes, Type 2, Wellbutrin, Seroquel, Prednisone, Prozac, Hypertension, Metformin, Paxil, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Sprintec, Mirena
Metformin Preferred Drug for Type 2 Diabetes, Experts Say
Posted 6 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 6 – When it comes to the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the first line of defense is lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising more often. But, if those lifestyle changes don't get blood sugar levels under control, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends the drug metformin as the first oral treatment that should be given. If metformin alone can't control blood sugar levels, the ACP advises combining metformin with another blood-sugar lowering medication. But, the evidence isn't yet strong enough for the doctor's group to recommend one medication over another for combination therapy. "Most diabetes medications do lower [blood sugar], but metformin is more effective with fewer side effects. And, the cost is less," said Dr. Amir Qaseem, director of clinical policy at the American College of Physicians, and the lead author of the new guidelines. ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
FDA Approves Janumet XR (sitagliptin and metformin HCl extended-release) for Type 2 Diabetes, Offering the Powerful Efficacy of Janumet (sitagliptin/metformin HCl) Now Available with Once-Daily Convenience
Posted 2 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 2, 2012 - Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Janumet XR (sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release) tablets, a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines sitagliptin, which is the active component of Januvia (sitagliptin), with extended-release metformin. Janumet XR provides a convenient once-daily treatment option for healthcare providers and patients who need help to control their blood sugar. Janumet XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both sitagliptin and extended-release metformin is appropriate. Janumet XR should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Janumet ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Janumet, Sitagliptin, Metformin/Sitagliptin
FDA Approves Jentadueto (linagliptin/metformin hydrochloride) for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Posted 1 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
RIDGEFIELD, Conn., and INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Jentadueto (linagliptin/metformin hydrochloride) tablets, a new tablet combining the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, linagliptin, and metformin. Jentadueto provides a new, single-tablet treatment option, taken twice-daily, for patients who need to control their blood sugar. Linagliptin (5 mg, once-daily) is marketed in the U.S. as Tradjenta (linagliptin) tablets. Jentadueto is a prescription medication used along with diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes when treatment with both linagliptin and metformin is appropriate. At the maximum dose, Jentadueto demonstrated placebo-corrected reductions in hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c) or A1C) ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Linagliptin
Popular Diabetes Drug Might Cut Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Study
Posted 31 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 31 – A new Swiss-American study indicates that long-term use of the popular diabetes medication metformin may lower the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, at least among women. The researchers also found that the long-term use of another class of diabetes medications known as sulfonylureas was associated with a "substantial" bump in pancreatic risk and long-term insulin use was linked to a bump in pancreatic cancer risk in men. "This result is somewhat unexpected," the team wrote in its paper, which is published in the Jan. 31 online issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most deadly cancer in the United States, with an overall survival rate of less than 5 percent, even though it is fairly rare, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The researchers noted that previous research has suggested that metformin may ... Read more
Related support groups: Metformin, Glucophage, Pancreatic Cancer, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
Four Common Meds Send Thousands of Seniors to Hospital: CDC
Posted 23 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 – An estimated 100,000 older Americans are hospitalized for adverse drug reactions yearly, and most of those emergencies stem from four common medications, a new study finds. The four types of medication – two for diabetes and two blood-thinning agents – account for two-thirds of those drug-related emergency hospitalizations. "Of the thousands of medications available to older patients, a small group of blood thinners and diabetes medications caused a high proportion of emergency hospitalizations for adverse drug events among elderly Americans," said lead study author Dr. Daniel Budnitz, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's medication safety program. Medications previously designated "high-risk" were implicated in only 1.2 percent of hospitalizations, the study found. Working with a nationally representative database, CDC researchers ... Read more
Related support groups: Metformin, Aspirin, Coumadin, Plavix, Warfarin, Insulin, Lantus, Januvia, Glucophage, Actos, Glyburide, Glipizide, Humalog, Janumet, Novolog
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes Saves Money: Study
Posted 28 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, June 28 – Preventing type 2 diabetes not only improves an individual's quality of life, it also saves quite a bit of money. By treating people who were at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, researchers reduced medical costs by $2,600 for each person enrolled in a lifestyle changes group, and by $1,500 for each of those taking the diabetes drug metformin over the course of 10 years. But when the savings in medical care were balanced against the costs of the interventions, metformin saved $30 over 10 years, while the lifestyle intervention cost $1,700 over the same time span. "Compared to doing nothing to prevent type 2 diabetes, metformin is cost-saving as an intervention. Lifestyle intervention, though not cost-saving, is cost-effective," Dr. William Herman, a study author and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, told an American ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
Class of Drugs Linked to Higher Heart Risk in Older Diabetics
Posted 26 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, June 25 – New research shows that older people with type 2 diabetes who take drugs known as sulfonylureas to lower their blood sugar levels may face a higher risk for heart problems than their counterparts who take metformin. Of the more than 8,500 people aged 65 or older with type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the trial, 12.4 percent of those given a sulfonylurea drug experienced a heart attack or other cardiovascular event, compared with 10.4 percent of those who were started on metformin. In addition, these heart problems occurred earlier in the course of treatment among those people taking the sulfonylurea drugs, the study showed. The head-to-head comparison trial is slated to be presented Saturday at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in San Diego. Because the findings are being reported at a medical meeting, they should be considered preliminary until ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Glyburide, Glipizide, Amaryl, Glimepiride, Glucophage XR, GlipiZIDE XL, Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL, Glumetza, Riomet, Fortamet, Glynase
Vitamin E, Diabetes Drug May Not Ease Obesity-Linked Liver Trouble in Kids
Posted 27 Apr 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, April 26 – Neither vitamin E nor the diabetes medication metformin worked any better than a placebo in treating fatty liver disease in children, according to new research. Fatty liver disease is an increasingly common, yet not well-known, disorder that can lead to very serious complications, such as cirrhosis of the liver. In the United States, as many as 20 percent of adults and 5 percent of children have the disorder, which is strongly tied to obesity, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. It had been hoped that vitamin E or metformin might help kids battle fatty liver disease. But when the researchers compared the two treatments to placebo on their ability to improve the results of a blood test that measures liver health, they found no statistically significant difference. However, when the researchers compared the results of a liver biopsy done at the ... Read more
Related support groups: Metformin, Glucophage, Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Vitamin E, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet, Fortamet, Aquasol E, Alpha E, Nutr-E-Sol, Centrum Singles-Vitamin E, Vita-Plus E Natural, E-400 Clear, Aqua-E
Certain Diabetes Drugs Better for Heart Health, Study Finds
Posted 10 Apr 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 7 – The commonly used oral diabetes drug metformin not only helps stabilize blood sugar levels, it also may offer protection against heart disease, researchers say. In a study that included more than 100,000 residents of Denmark taking metformin or another group of oral diabetes medications called insulin secretagogues (ISs), researchers found that metformin and the IS drugs gliclazide and repaglinide had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and death. "Some medications, such as metformin, gliclazide and repaglinide, are more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk than the other medications," said Dr. Tina Ken Schramm, a senior resident at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. Dr. Darren McGuire, co-author of an editorial accompanying the study, agreed and said the study's findings are likely an indication that metformin, gliclazide and repaglinide are ... Read more
Related support groups: Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
Metformin Still Best First-Line Type 2 Diabetes Drug
Posted 15 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, March 14 – Although there are numerous options in oral medications for type 2 diabetes, an older drug – metformin – may be the best first-line option, according to a new analysis of research on diabetes medications. The analysis included six classes of oral diabetes medications, and found that all of them lower blood sugar levels by a similar amount. The authors suggest that metformin is probably the best first-line choice because it has fewer side effects than other drugs and, because it's an older medication and available in a generic form, it also costs less. "Metformin continues to be an inexpensive medication and it's very efficacious," said the study's lead author, Dr. Wendy Bennett, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet
Kombiglyze XR (Saxagliptin and Metformin HCl Extended-Release) Tablets Approved in the U.S. for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults
Posted 7 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
PRINCETON, N.J. & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 5, 2010 - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Kombiglyze XR for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. Kombiglyze XR is the first and only once-a-day metformin extended-release (XR) plus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor combination tablet offering strong glycemic control across glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and post-prandial glucose (PPG). Kombiglyze XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both saxagliptin and metformin is appropriate. Kombiglyze XR should not be used for patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis and has not been studied in combination with insulin. Consistent with the Prescribing ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Metformin, Saxagliptin
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