Genetic Screening for Diabetes No More Useful than Traditional Methods

Genetic testing to see someone’s predisposition to type 2 diabetes is not significantly better than an assessment based on traditional risk factors for the disease, such as weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, two new studies show.

One of them, published in the Nov. 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, was led by diabetes researcher James B. Meigs, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 66 Views
• 0 Comments

Genetic testing no better predictor for diabetes

Want to know your diabetes risk? No need to visit a genetic testing laboratory! A new study published in the Nov 20 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that use of a set of 16 genetic variants is not significantly better than use of common clinical risk factors when it comes to predicting the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study was conducted by researchers from Lund... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 59 Views
• 1 Comment

Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics

Arthritis strikes more than half of the 20.6 million American adults who have diabetes, and the painful joint condition may be a barrier to exercise among these patients, a new government report shows.

Being physically active helps people manage both diseases better by controlling blood sugar levels and reducing joint pain, according to the report in the May 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 135 Views
• 2 Comments

Diabetes Boosts Liver Cancer Risk in Hepatitis, Cirrhosis Cases

Diabetes doubles the risk of liver cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis C with advanced fibrosis, or cirrhosis, a Dutch study reports.

Researchers at the Erasmus MC University Medical Center in Rotterdam analyzed data on 541 European and Canadian patients with chronic hepatitis C with advanced cirrhosis. Of those patients, 85 had diabetes. Patients with more severe fibrosis were more likely to have diabetes.

"The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 10.5 percent for patients... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 120 Views
• 2 Comments

Fitness a Key Element in Determining Male Diabetic's Longevity

SUNDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- If you're a man with type 2 diabetes, how long you live may be determined more by how physically fit you are than by how much you weigh.

A new study expected to be presented in San Francisco this weekend at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society found that physical fitness appeared to be more important than weight in estimating a male diabetic's longevity.

"Death rates were the... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 74 Views
• 0 Comments

Diabetes Drug May Prevent Early Puberty in Young Girls

The diabetes drug metformin slows the onset of early puberty and reduces the risk of insulin resistance in girls at risk for both conditions, a Spanish study concludes.

"The findings indicate that we can slow down puberty. This is important, because when puberty is faster in girls, the appearance of menses occurs earlier, and this sequence of events may ultimately result in a shorter adult height," senior author Dr. Lourdes Ibanez, of the... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 73 Views
• 0 Comments

Newer Blood Pressure Drug Better for Some Heart Patients, Diabetics

A new study offers a possible alternative to heart patients and diabetics who need to keep their blood pressure under control but who cannot tolerate the standard treatment of ACE inhibitors.

Reporting at the European Society of Cardiology in Munich on Sunday, Canadian researchers said they found that the angiogenesis-receptor blocker (ARB) known as telmisartan worked well for the 20 percent of patients with vascular disease and high-risk diabetes who can't take ACE inhibitors. The... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 65 Views
• 0 Comments

Greener Neighborhoods Mean Slimmer Children

FRIDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) - Greener neighborhoods, with lots of trees, help inner city kids keep excess pounds at bay, according to a U.S. study.

"Previous work, including our own, has provided snapshots in time, and shown that for children in densely population cities, the greener the neighborhood, the lower the risk of obesity. Our new study of over 3,800 inner-city children revealed that living in areas with green space has a long-term positive... read more

Submitted by Avera

• 55 Views
• 0 Comments

Cancer Drugs May Treat Type 1 Diabetes

TUESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Gleevec, a wonder drug that effectively treats leukemia and other cancers, may also reverse type 1 diabetes, University of California San Francisco, researchers report.

In experiments with mice, they found that Gleevec and a similar cancer drug, Sutent, could prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and is caused by the inability of the body to make insulin.

Submitted by Avera

• 63 Views
• 0 Comments

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Presents Results Of Oral Administration Of Exenatide-4; Proof Of Concept Pharmacodynamic Study In Dogs

Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: ORMP.OB) (http://www.oramed.com), a developer of proprietary drug delivery systems, presented the results of its exploratory study entitled "Enteral Administration of Exenatide-4; Proof of Concept Pharmacodynamic Study in Dogs" at the Diabetes Technology Society's Conference in Bethesda, Maryland.

Oramed's drug delivery technology is being utilized for the oral delivery of polypeptides and proteins. The Company previously demonstrated that using its proprietary technology enables the delivery of insulin when administered orally.

Submitted by Avera

• 78 Views
• 1 Comment