The US diabetes epidemic
There's little evidence that newer, more expensive drugs work any better than older, cheaper medications. Diabetes, which came 7th in the list of the USA's top mortality causes in 2006, has hit a new high.
Diabetes
Revisions to the diabetes treatment algorithm
A panel of experts, convened by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, has issued updated treatment recommendations for type 2 diabetes, in a consensus statement published online in two journals: Diabetes Care and Diabetologia*.
MEDICA 2008 opens its doors
When from 19 to 22 November the world's largest medical fair takes place in Dusseldorf, the entire city is in a kind of emergency state: hotels are bustin' out of their seams, traffic periodically comes to a standstill and at night exhibitors and visitors alike crowd the narrow streets of the Altstadt and the fancy hotel bars and enjoy whatever entertainment North Rhine-Westphalia's capital has…
Growing up with diabetes
Diabetes presents a special challenge for the young. Here we see how a young Swiss girl has successfully come to terms with her metabolic disorder. A true life story from Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care (BayNews)
Insulin-Produktion dank transplantierter Zellen
Die erste am Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus vorgenommene Transplantation von Inselzellen aus einer Bauchspeicheldrüse verlief erfolgreich: Zwei Wochen nach dem Eingriff bildet die seit 51 Jahren an Diabetes Typ 1 erkrankte Patientin wieder körpereigenes Insulin. Die Transplantation ist Ergebnis einer über zwei Jahre dauernden, aufwendigen Aufbauarbeit an Uniklinikum und Medizinischer…
NICE renewed flu guidance
The next flu season will come. To prevent high-risk people from infections, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently published a final guidance on the use of the drugs oseltamivir, amantadine and zanamivir for the prophylaxis of influenza. "But vaccination is the main way to prevent flu", says Gillian Leng, NICE Deputy Chief Executive.
Education for the best disease management
At the opening of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute in Paris experts took the opportunity to warn against the growing incidence of diabetes. They reinforced the believe that improved education measures as a key enabler for patients to better manage the condition. They predicted that in 2025 the number of people with diabetes wil have increased by 20 percent in Europe.
Typ 2 Diabetes: Is low cholesterol associated with cancer?
Yes, it is, according to a prospective cohort study published in CMAJ. The study was conducted by researchers from the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Their result: A V-shaped risk relation between LDL cholesterol and cancer in patients not receiving statin therapy.
Better diabetes care for the UK
Good news for diabetes patients in the UK: According to a report published recently by the Department of Health, diabetes care in the NHS is improving and focusing more on prevention. The result: More patients have been identified, and in more people at risk development of the condition could be prevented.
Want to take part in clinical trials?
People with diabetes are often interested to be involved in research trials, according to the patient organization UK Diabetes. Therefore, the Diabetes Research Network (DRN) announced an initiative which shall help diabetics to play a greater role in research.
Hopes for new treatment
Researchers have discovered a potential new treatment for diabetes by isolating and killing defective cells which prevent the natural production of insulin. The investigation opens the door to a potential therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes.
Be careful with your heart
New research claims that nearly four million people in the UK may be unaware they are at high risk of heart disease. An University of Oxford team screened more than 71,000 people aged over 18 across England, Wales and Scotland.
Germany creates Diabetes Competence Network
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research recently agreed funding for a diabetes competence network — the first diabetes mellitus project to be funded by the ministry's new “Health Research — Research for People” programme.
Gastrin analogue against diabetes
Transition Therapeutics Inc. announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 clinical study of gastrin analogue, TT-223, in patients with type 2 diabetes. Gastrin based therapies are an emerging class of potential disease-modifying treatments for patients with diabetes.
Is a once a month injection against diabetes II around the corner?
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich and the Zurich University Hospital the answer is: Yes. They demonstrated that one injection per month sufficed to improve blood sugar levels significantly. Even more: The insulin production of the patients improved.
Computer-assisted diabetes risk management
Optimal treatment of diabetes is very difficult to achieve since many obstacles have to be overcome such as expensive treatments, poor patient compliance or insufficient datac. With these challenges in mind, a new research project titled "Computerassisted Diabetes Risk Management (CDRM)" was put in place to examine how eHealth solutions can improve diabetes care.
Diabetes: an increasing threat to people and society
Approximately 31 million people in the European Union are suffering from diabetes, a devastating disease with severe consequences for patients and their families, but also for the society at large and the economic prosperity of Europe. This week EH Online will focus on innovative strategies in diabetes care and on new management systems to support physicians and patients alike. Moreover, we will…
Diabetes and the heart
ESC speaker John Cleland from the University of Hull, UK, sumed up the latest treatment available for patients with diabetes mellitus and expressed his worries about side-effects and efficacy of available anti-diabetic drugs. If you want to read his ESC abstract, just click the “read more” button.
Products redesigned to help patients simplify life with diabetes
Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care unveiled the new CONTOUR® blood glucose meter with enhanced testing features at the 44th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Rome, Italy.
Stop transplanted insulin cells from dying
Researchers at Linköping University and Uppsala University in Sweden can show that accumulation of protein aggregatess, amyloid, in the transplanted cells may be causing their death. With the aid of their results, physicians can enhance survival of islets transplants and improve treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Tablets for the people?
Last week the English government closed its consultation on the effectiveness of vascular checks for high-risk people aged 40-74. Would this help? Experts from New Zealand and the WHO say "yes". Others argue that public health approaches targeting the whole population are both: cheaper and more effective than tablets.
Gastric bypass undoes diabetes symptoms
French findings support the notion that gastric bypass can rapidly reverse diabetes symptoms' a side-effect that lap-band surgery does not show. The benefit results from a new-found element of glucose production by the intestine which also increases insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar.
Hypertension worldwide
Countries vary widely in their capacity to manage hypertension, but globally the majority of diagnosed hypertensives is inadequately controlled. Not treated it can cause cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction and stroke. According to the WHO, hypertension is estimated to cause 4.5% of the current global disease burden and is as prevalent in many developing countries as in the…
Integration of POCT into the clinical laboratory
Unlike regular laboratory analyses, which is performed by clinical pathologists and technicians in the clinical laboratory, Point of Care Testing (POCT) are devices to perform laboratory analyses in the vicinity of the patient by the attending physician or nurses.
