“Nonadherence” is what doctors call it when patients don’t take their prescription medications as prescribed — or at all. This is such a widespread problem that some experts consider it an “epidemic” in itself, in that the failure to take medication as prescribed can cause serious health problems, or make illnesses like diabetes worse. Some […]
A new study found that hospice patients with type 2 diabetes may be treated too aggressively for blood sugar control, leading to a high number of hypoglycemia cases among them. The researchers urge that avoiding hypoglycemia may be more important than strict blood sugar contorl. When it comes to hospice patients with type 2 diabetes, […]
You may trust your doctor to keep up to date with the latest treatments for diabetes, but a new poll shows that many doctors struggle to stay informed on all the new drugs and devices entering the market. In a recent survey, 149 endocrinologists about a new drug ertugliflozin. (At the time of the survey, […]
The FDA recently approved three new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, all featuring the new SGLT-2 inhibitor, ertugliflozin. The first, Steglatro, is ertugliflozin available in 5-mg and 15-mg tablets, approved for adults with type 2 as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control. The second, Steglujan, is a tablet […]
People with diabetes or prediabetes can be at much greater risk of frostbite during the cold winter months, due to complications like neuropathy and poor circulation.The risk was dramatically illustrated a few years ago by the experience of British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who had to pull out of a grueling expedition to cross Antarctica […]
A new study has found that mothers with obesity are more likely to have children who develop type 1 diabetes. While the risk is highest in children whose mothers also had diabetes themselves, maternal obesity alone increased the risk to children. Children of obese mothers also tended to be diagnosed with type 1 at earlier […]
The links between menopause and diabetes aren’t fully understood, but there are some definite ways in which they can interact. It’s possible that the hormonal shifts of menopause may increase the risk of developing type 2. For women who already have diabetes, blood sugar highs and lows can be related to fluctuations in estrogen and […]
GLP-1 agonists are a class of drugs that are widely used to treat type 2 diabetes. Drugs of this type have been shown to improve glycemic control and also to decrease systolic blood pressure, decrease triglycerides, increase sodium excretion, and promote weight loss. Exenatide is a popular GLP-1 agonist that has been used for over […]
Researchers have found that a protein associated with anxiety and depression may also contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. The protein, FKBP51, plays a part in the regulation of the stress system. A mutation in the gene that controls the production of FKBP51 can lead to a dysregulation of the stress system. This […]
The link between diabetes and cardiovascular issues is well known. Previous studies have suggested that myocardial infarction — heart attacks — are the most frequent cause of death for patients with both diabetes and cardiovascular issues. A new study suggests that heart failure is also a significant factor. While a heart attack is usually sudden […]
A new study found that socially isolated people were more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than people with larger social networks. The risk is highest for men living alone. The researchers suggest that people at risk of type 2 should take steps to increase their social networks, such as joining clubs or […]
New recommendations in the 2018 edition of the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes include advances in cardiovascular disease risk management, including hypertension; an updated care algorithm that is patient-focused; the integration of new technology into diabetes management; and routine screening for type 2 diabetes in high-risk youth. They also provide […]
Taking a 7.5 mg dose of oral insulin every day doesn’t seem to be effective in delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes. A recent study followed a group of people who all tested positive for microinsulin antibodies and had a relative who’d been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Half the study participants took the […]
People with diabetes need to pay special attention to their feet. This is especially true when traveling, when as a tourist you may be walking long distances over unfamiliar terrain. A diabetes education shares her personal experience with dealing with cobblestone streets and new shoes while on vacation, and offers tips on how to respond […]
It’s been well established that people with diabetes are at greater risk of developing kidney disease. Now, new research suggests the reverse is also true, and that people who already have kidney dysfunction have a higher risk of developing diabetes. The researchers say that the likely cause is urea — a compound in human urine […]
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) can affect patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It often affects the legs and feet, causing pain, numbness, and tingling. It can also affect the digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart. It affects over a quarter of adults newly diagnosed with diabetes, but it has not […]
Type 2 diabetes is caused by the failure of beta cells in the pancreatic islets to deliver enough insulin to maintain blood glucose levels in normal ranges. Researchers recently identified a novel cluster of dysregulated genes in the pancreatic islets of patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers sought to identify which genes are abnormally […]
Vitamin D deficiency is common in children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes. Researchers have found that supplementation with cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) to bring Vitamin D to normal levels in children who were deficient also benefited their blood glucose control. The children with the highest blood glucose levels before the supplementation showed the greatest improvement. Read […]
A new study published in the journal Cancer links type 2 diabetes to a greater risk of breast cancer in African-American women. The study looked at whether diabetes may be linked to certain breast cancer subtypes. The study followed nearly 55,000 women participating in the Black Women’s Health study, for eighteen years. The researchers found […]
The results of a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score can better predict heart attack and stroke risk in patients with type 2 than traditional tests, according to new research. The researchers found that people with coronary calcium scores of 100 or higher were at two to three times greater risk than those with no calcium […]