A new study found that the earlier the onset of natural menopause, the greater the risk of a woman developing type 2 diabetes. The risk was independent of other risk factors such as BMI, glucose levels, genetic factors and hormone levels. Read more
Diabetes is increasing in young people aged 18-34, and this age group is also showing the greatest growth in obesity rates, according to a new national study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Diabetes is more prevalent in the Southeast and Central South United States. Read more
New research raises the possibility that type 2 diabetes could be transmissible, similar to prion disorders like “mad cow disease.” The research suggests that type 2 diabetes has similarities to transmissible neurodegenerative diseases known as “prion diseases,” a group that includes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (a.k.a. “mad cow disease”) and the human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Read more
With prediabetes and type 2 on the rise in the U.S., are pharma companies doing enough to develop new treatments? Harvard researchers argue that companies are doing less R&D into diabetes drugs than would be expected given the prevalence of the disease, and suggest FDA requirements to determine the cardiovascular safety of new drugs may […]
Previous studies have suggested that sleep deprivation is linked to type 2. A new study from South Korea provides more evidence for this, finding that adults with prediabetes who report sleeping 5 hours or less per night were nearly 70% more likely to progress to type 2 diabetes over 2 years compared with those who reported sleeping […]
Studies have found that Muslims with type 2 diabetes who observe fasting for Ramadan can experience problems with their blood sugar control. The fast is observed from sunrise to sunset for 30 days during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. While patients with type 2 are exempt from fasting during Ramadan, many individuals still choose […]
A new study casts doubt on whether regular home blood sugar monitoring is really helpful for many patients. The study divided patients with type 2 into two groups, one of which monitored blood sugar closely; the other did not. After one year the researchers found that the patients who self-monitored did not have improved blood […]
A new study found that gestational diabetes (GDM) increases the risk of depression in women both during and after pregnancy. While the study did not investigate the role a woman’s social support system and other factors might have in increasing her depression risk, it suggests doctors and their patients with GDM should be extra vigilant for signs […]
A Dutch study found that women who went through menopause before age 40 were almost four times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as women whose menopause was at 55 or older. (The average age for menopause in the U.S. is 51.) While the study doesn’t show a cause-and-effect relationship, it is grounds for […]
A recent study of elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes found swings in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a marker of long-term blood sugar levels, are associated with a higher number of symptoms of depression. People with type 2 are twice as likely as people without diabetes to develop depression, which affects as many as one-third of […]
People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, than those without diabetes. One of the main reasons is the damage diabetes causes to small blood vessels. Exercise, in addition to being good for physical health, can help brain health. Read more
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there is a “diabetes belt” in the U.S., ranging across 644 counties in 15 states, in largely rural areas of the Southeast and Midwest, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. People in this “belt” are more likely to develop diabetes than those in the rest of the U.S. […]
Type 1 diabetes used to be called “juvenile diabetes” and is often associated with children, while type 2 is more commonly associated with those middle-aged or older. But children with type 1 grow to be adults, and now type 2 is growing more common among the young. What are the differences and similarities in how type 1 […]
Treating diabetes may not be quite as simple as eating your vegetables, but a compound found in broccoli called sulforaphane shows promise in helping patients with type 2, according to a new study. The researchers, who in part were looking for an alternative to metformin for those patients with reduced kidney function, found that giving study […]
A new study from Australia reports that the diabetes drug canagliflozen may have benefits beyond lowering blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. It also may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease significantly. Read more
A new clinical trial has found people with diabetes who received health-related text messages every day for six months showed improvement in their blood glucose levels. The improvement was comparable to that achieved with some diabetes drugs. The trial focused on low-income Hispanics with type 2, and assessed texting as a low-cost intervention that could […]
High alcohol consumption and binge drinking starting in the teens is associated with raising women’s blood glucose levels, putting them at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Men are not similarly affected. Read more
Biomedical engineers have created a technology that might mean current daily or weekly insulin shots for type 2 diabetics might one day be administered just once or twice a month. In primate tests, the drugs last for weeks rather than days. Read more
People with type 2 diabetes are often at increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Researchers have announced that measuring a blood marker called copeptin can successfully predict which patients are at risk, and may be used to prevent heart disease in patients with diabetes. Read more
Gene therapy, in which lab-designed genes are inserted into patients to treat their health conditions, often is focused on type 1 diabetes. However, researchers are now reporting an experiment in using gene therapy to treat type 2 diabetes is showing some success. Read more
