Disability Law Blog

Two Drugs Better Than One in Diabetes Care

Via Reuters:  Danish researchers report that treatment with GLP-1 and Actos together lower blood sugar levels more than either drug alone:

"As reported in the medical journal Diabetes Care, Dr. Mette Zander, from Hvidovre Hospital and colleagues conducted a study in which eight patients with type 2 diabetes were alternately treated with GLP-1, Actos, both drugs, or a saline solution, and observed for 48 hours. Saline, which has no specific effects on blood sugar, served as a placebo treatment.

Treatment with either GLP-1 or Actos produced a greater drop in sugar levels than did treatment with saline. Combined treatment with the drugs caused a further decline in sugar levels. . . .

Based on these results, the team concludes, that combination therapy with GLP-1 and Actos could be a "valuable therapeutic approach" for type 2 diabetes."

Caffeine a No-No for Diabetics?

Via Reuters:

"Caffeine could interfere with the body's ability to handle blood sugar, thus worsening type 2 diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The team at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina found a strong correlation between caffeine intake at mealtime and increased glucose and insulin levels among people with type 2 diabetes.

The findings are significant enough that the researchers recommend people with diabetes consider reducing or eliminating caffeine from their diets.

"In a healthy person, glucose is metabolized within an hour or so after eating. Diabetics, however, do not metabolize glucose as efficiently," said James Lane, a psychiatry professor who led the study. "It appears that diabetics who consume caffeine are likely having a harder time regulating their insulin and glucose levels than those who don't take caffeine."

Gastric Bypass Surgery May Cure Type 2 Diabetes

A new study published in the January issue of the Annals of Surgery shows that gastric bypass surgery may cure Type 2 diabetes:

The antidiabetic effect of gastric bypass surgery in obese patients was first observed in 1982, and has since been affirmed by a more recent, large-scale study published in October of this year. However, it remained unclear if this effect was secondary to the treatment of the obesity and subsequent weight loss or if the surgery actually had a direct effect on controlling Type 2 diabetes.

The authors of the current study, Dr. Francesco Rubino and Professor Jacques Marescaux, have now demonstrated, for the first time, that surgery to bypass the duodenum and jejunum controls Type 2 diabetes even when obesity is not present. The doctors performed the study in non-obese rats with naturally-occurring diabetes. They found that glucose levels in rats undergoing bypass surgery returned to normal after surgery compared to the same type of rats who did not have bypass surgery and whose diabetes worsened. This finding generates new hope for millions of people suffering from the disease, and may revolutionize traditional scientific thinking about diabetes.

The study was conducted at IRCAD/The European Institute of Telesurgery.

Inhaled Insulin is Safe & Effective

Via Reuters:   Danish researchers conclude in a new study that inhaled insulin controls blood sugar levels just as well as the injectable form in people with type 2 diabetes:

To investigate, the research team treated 107 diabetic patients with either inhaled or injectable insulin. The inhaled form was given with [an inhaler devic called] AERx immediately before meals, whereas the injectable type was given 30 minutes before meals. In addition, doses of both types were given at bedtime.

At the end of the 12-week study, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of long-term sugar control. However, fasting blood sugar levels were significantly lower in the inhaled insulin group.

The study is available in the January issue of Diabetes Care.

Anodyne Therapy System Appears to Improve Sensation in Diabetics

Via Reuters:  First there was the vibrating insole, now there's an infrared light that may help diabetics (at least those without severe impairment of sensation):

Treatment with the device, marketed as the Anodyne Therapy System (ATS), appears to restore sensation, reduce pain, and improve balance in patients with nerve damage known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy. ATS is a non-invasive treatment that is thought to increase blood flow by dilating blood vessels.

New Study Suggests Vibrating Insole May Aid Diabetic Nerve Damage in Feet

Via Reuters:   A new study by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston finds that "exposing patients' bare feet to imperceptible vibration improved sensation in the sole of the foot."

The study results suggest that diabetic nerve damage can be treated with shoes outfitted with specially designed insoles:

However, the new study is just a "proof of concept," and more research is needed to see whether such foot stimulation provides long-term improvements in nerve function.

The study is reported in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care.

New Guidelines Warn of Diabetes Drug Risks

From Reuters:   In a joint release, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association warn that new diabetes drugs such as Avandia and Actos may worsen heart failure, a chronic condition that kills half of its victims within five years. An excerpt from Reuters:

The drugs are in a new class called thiazolidinediones or TZDs, and seem to work well to help patients with type-II or adult-onset diabetes keep blood sugar levels under control. But many doctors have reported that some patients with heart failure seem to have extra fluid buildup when they take the drugs, which could in turn worsen the heart failure. . . .

The new statement urges patients taking TZDs to report weight gain of more than 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds), sudden swelling of the feet, shortness of breath or fatigue.