Type 2 Diabetes Treatment: What Is MondoA?

Type 2 diabetes affects about 8% of Americans and another 25% of the population is at risk because of obesity. The condition accounts for as much as 20% of all healthcare costs in the U.S.

Photo Credit: Drug Watch

A protein called MondoA has been identified by researchers at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) as a new potential target for drugs to prevent Type 2 Diabetes. The chronic condition accounts for between 85 and 95% of all people with diabetes.

Insulin resistance, in which insulin no longer causes the body's cells to take up the glucose from a meal and use it for energy, leads to Type 2 Diabetes. Following this, glucose continues to circulate in the blood, stimulating the pancreas to make more and more insulin, which eventually becomes so stressful that the insulin-producing cells die. This results in diabetes as the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to control blood glucose.

Read full article at Medical Daily and view video

Ethnic Origin Factor in Medication Adherence For Type 2 Diabetes

African Americans are less likely to adhere to medication for type 2 diabetes

It is widely known that African Americans have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes and the accompanying complications. 

Researchers at Ohio State University reveal that this group is less likely to adhere to their medication schedule. They looked at almost 2,700 individuals with type 2 diabetes and learned that medication adherence was 12% down among African Americans.

Data was gathered from people on one of three medications for Type 2 diabetes – thiazolidinedione, sulfonylurea or metformin. They looked at whether a person had refilled their prescription as a guide to medication adherence. 

The African American participants took their medication as prescribed 54% of the time, compared to the white participants who took it 59% of the time. Of the drugs, metformin was the one with the poorest medication adherence. 

Clearly more needs to be done to explain the importance of taking medication to all people who have type 2 diabetes, so they can avoid complications of the disease.

Source: News Fix

A former blockbuster diabetes pill that was subjected to major safety restrictions in 2010 may be less risky than once thought, according to the latest analysis of the much-debated GlaxoSmithKline drug Avandia.

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a new interpretation of the key study of Avandia's heart attack risks, which suggests the drug is as safe as older diabetes drugs. 

At a highly unusual meeting this week, the FDA will ask a panel of experts to vote on a range of options for the drug, including lifting restrictions on its use.

The positive safety review from Duke University researchers is the latest twist in a yearslong debate over Avandia, which has divided medical experts, cost Glaxo billions of dollars and possibly resulted in an unknown number of patient heart attacks.

First approved in 1999, Avandia became the top-selling diabetes pill in the world by 2006 with sales of $3.4 billion. But prescriptions plummeted the following year after an analysis of dozens of studies suggested Avandia could raise the risk of heart attack.

For three years the FDA struggled to answer a seemingly simple question: Does Avandia increase the risk of heart attacks? A definitive answer has never been reached, in part because patients with diabetes are already predisposed to heart problems. That makes it extremely difficult to tell which heart attacks are drug-related and which are simply a result of the underlying disease.

Finally in 2010 the FDA decided to restrict the drug's use to all but the rarest of cases. Regulators in Europe banned the drug outright.

FDA critics have speculated that the real purpose of this week's meeting is to vindicate FDA officials who have kept Avandia on the market for so many years. They say regulators appear poised to roll back safety limits on the drug.

"It's the wrong reason to take a regulatory action," said Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who authored the 2007 analysis that first raised public safety concerns about Avandia.

"You want to take a regulatory action because it's going to benefit patients. I don't see how patients could possibly benefit from lifting these regulatory restrictions."

Nissen says he requested time to make a formal presentation during the meeting but was turned down by FDA officials.

The FDA says Wednesday and Thursday's meeting was prompted by a new analysis of the lone study of Avandia's heart risks. Known as RECORD, the study followed 4,400 patients and tracked rates of heart attack, hospitalization and death for six years.

The results were first reported in 2009 and medical experts have been debating their legitimacy ever since.

At the last Avandia panel meeting in 2010, FDA leadership generally backed RECORD's findings that Avandia appeared as safe as other standard diabetes drugs. But FDA staff scientists said the study was unreliable because of underreported heart attacks and other design flaws. Because of that disagreement the FDA asked Glaxo to obtain an independent analysis by an outside party.

The new analysis by the Duke Clinical Research Institute generally supports Glaxo's original findings. In a review memo posted Monday, three senior FDA drug officials state: "After re-adjudication, we do not find a cardiovascular signal of concern in RECORD. The mortality data are, in fact, reassuring."

Despite that assessment, the agency says it "has not reached any final updated conclusions" on the heart safety of Avandia.

The FDA will seek advice from two panels comprised of outside experts in the fields of diabetes and drug safety. 

The panelists will be asked to vote on four options for Avandia:

• Removing the drug's safety restrictions
• Leaving the safety restrictions in place
• Modifying the safety restrictions
• Withdrawing the drug from the market entirely

Finish reading rest of article at Fox News

Dealing With Unexplained Blood Sugar Spikes

Even if you do everything right and are managing your diabetes well, you can still wake up with unexplained blood sugar spikes. Learn the causes and how to take control.

You can do everything right to keep your diabetes under control – eat a smart diet, exercise, take medications as prescribed, and follow your doctor’s instructions for blood sugar monitoring – and still wake up in the morning with unexplained blood sugar spikes.

Continue Reading Article - Dealing With Unexplained Blood Sugar Spikes

Saving Money on Type 2 Diabetes Care

I have personally saved quite a bit on my Diabetic mediation after Anthem dropped my coverage at the beginning of 2013. I signed up with United Health Care through AARP, and my costs are drastically lower - Charles


From medical co-pays to the cost of supplies, type 2 diabetes can be expensive to treat and manage. 

When you add up the costs of diabetic supplies, medications, and insurance co-pays, living with type 2 diabetes can be an expensive proposition for both patients and the health system. 






The latest figures from the National Institutes of Health estimates that diabetes costs the United States $245 billion each year.

One study found that a person newly diagnosed with diabetes spends over 4K more in medical expenses each year than his peers without diabetes. 

Medical costs increase per year after diagnosis. Most of these costs come from diabetes complications such as kidney disease. And these increases in annual medical costs are in addition to those associated with simply aging. 

Also, a recent study found that even among families with employer-sponsored health care plans, those dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes spent more out of pocket, primarily because of prescription co-payments.

Cutting Costs in Diabetes Care

Here are some strategies for reducing diabetes care expenses:

• Understand disease management goals. Use the valuable time you have with your doctor to make sure you know what your goals are. 
• Go generic. If you need medications, ask about using generics. Most diabetes medications are available in generic form. 
• Schedule testing. Regularly checking your blood sugar helps keep it under better control, but testing strips can add considerable costs to your diabetes care. The frequency of monitoring, he says, depends on whether the patient is using oral medications or insulin, and whether the patient has poor control over blood sugar levels.
• Ask about discount programs. Ask your pharmacist or the manufacturer of the diabetic supplies and medications you use if a discount program exists, and find out if you're eligible. 

Long-term vs. Short-term Costs

Managing your diabetes today may seem to be stretching your budget to the breaking point. There are some hard choices to make, acknowledge experts. 

Achieving consistent control of your blood sugar may lead to greater costs in the short-term: Frequent testing can keep blood sugar under control, but it requires buying more testing strips. But if you don’t manage your blood sugar levels now, your health becomes harder to control as time goes by.

Living with diabetes means you have some difficult choices to make — but you can find a way to be healthy, keep your blood sugar under control, and stay on top of your budget.

Full article by By Madeline Vann, MPH available at Every Day Health

Diabetes Patients May Not Receive Best Treatment to Lower Heart Disease Risk

For some people with diabetes, there may be such a thing as too much care.

Photo Credit Medline Plus

Traditional treatment to reduce risks of heart disease among patients with diabetes has focused on lowering all patients’ blood cholesterol to a specific, standard level. 

But this practice may prompt the over-use of high-dose medications for patients who don’t need them, according to new research from the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS) and the University of Michigan Health System.

The study encourages a more individualized approach to treatment that adjusts treatment according to the patient in order to improve the quality of care. The findings appear in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Authors also suggest that blanket goals routinely used to lower heart attack risks may unnecessarily expose some patients to potential adverse side effects of high-dose medications. 

Researchers also note that when these standard goals are used to assess whether a health provider delivered high quality care, they may encourage overly aggressive treatment.

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Lessons from the History of Insulin

You would have to be a centenarian to remember what diabetes was like before the discovery of insulin in 1922. 

Type I diabetes in children was a death sentence. They wasted away, grew weak, and suffered indescribably before their inevitable death. They had insatiable thirst and hunger, but trying to satisfy their hunger only made things worse, and they continued to lose weight.

The only treatment available was a rigorous diet (on the order of 400 calories a day with minimal carbohydrates), and all that did was prolong life by a few months.  Patients usually had to be hospitalized to control their intake with carefully measured quantities of unpalatable food.

Intake was adjusted by testing the urine, which was a complicated procedure at the time. Instead of a convenient dipstick, testing involved Benedict’s solution, test tubes, eyedroppers, teaspoons, a bottle for urine, and an aluminum cup. (Much later, urine testing was discarded in favor of the much more accurate blood testing.)

Read Full article at Science Based Medicine

Elliott Yamin Jammin' for Diabetes and Big Blue Test

Whether you have diabetes or not, this year you can join those who do and be part of the "Big Blue Test." In 14 minutes you can get life-saving diabetes medicine and supplies to people around the world - many of whom will die without them.

By doing any activity of your choice, for 14 minutes, and recording your activity, Roche Diabetes Care (makers of ACCU-CHECK® products and services) will make a $5 donation to the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF), who will then award the monies to seven global humanitarian diabetes organizations.

There's also a second benefit to doing the Big Blue Test: You actually see the amazing power of exercise to lower your blood sugar. I've done this test twice before and just 14 minutes of walking lowers my blood sugar on average 18 points!

This year the Big Blue Test's video call to action features one of the most popular talents from TV's American Idol, Elliott Yamin. Yamin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 16 years old.




Source: HUFFINGTON POST

New Drug Restores Diabetic Vision Loss

Diabetes affects 26 million people in the United States and is the leading cause of new blindness in adults. Now for the first time in a long time, the FDA has approved a drug to help save diabetics' vision.  

See Video and Read more about this New Drug

The New Face of Diabetes Forecast

The June issue of Diabetes Forecast is all new -- with a modern, fresh look and a sharp focus on diabetes. 

Diabetes Forecast, a publication of the American Diabetes Association, is the country's premier magazine about diabetes. 


The new Diabetes Forecast will place a spotlight on the diabetes self-care behaviors: Healthy eating, Physical activity, Medication, Monitoring, Problem solving, Coping and risk reduction. 


From food tips to fitness recommendations to the latest developments in research, Diabetes Forecast provides people living with diabetes, and their families, the information and encouragement needed to lead healthier lives.

Read More The New Face of Diabetes Forecast

French Trial Opens in Diabetes Diet Drug Scandal

Lawyers for a French pharmaceutical group suspected in the deaths of at least 500 people argued Monday that a trial against their client should be halted as two separate cases should be rolled into one before the court can proceed.

The trial of Servier on charges of "aggravated deception" opened in Nanterre, west of Paris just as a similar case is being investigated in the French capital over the diabetes drug Mediator.

The company is accused of hiding that Mediator - also used for weight loss - contained an amphetamine called benfluorex, which was taken off the market in 2009 after being found to thicken heart valves.

Read more - French trial opens in diabetes-diet drug scandal - seattlepi.com

New NIH Fact Sheet Explains Test For Diabetes, Prediabetes

A new fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health explains the A1C test, a widely used and important test to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, and to monitor blood glucose levels of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The A1C blood test provides information about average blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar, over the past three months. The test is sometimes referred to as the hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, or glycohemoglobin test. The test result is reported as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher a person's average blood glucose levels, which can cause complications in people with diabetes. A normal A1C level is below 5.7%.

The A1C Test and Diabetes covers a wide range of information, including

• How the test works
• Other blood tests for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes
• Accuracy of blood tests
• Where to learn more about A1C tests in people with hemoglobin variants
• A1C targets

Full article here

Protica Introduces Products for Diabetes

Protica has announced that their recently launched product, Profect® protein shot, can be of benefit to those suffering from diabetes.

Profect’s formulation was designed to meet the needs of medical patients including those suffering from diabetes who are on special diets. Every serving contains 25 grams of protein, zero sugars, zero carbohydrates, and only 100 calories. These nutritional attributes are ideal for diabetes patients who are following a specialized diet, especially those concerned with the glycemic index of their foods. Many diabetes patients follow a diet that calls for a strict caloric intake to be maintained on a daily basis, and Profect’s 100 calories per serving fits into such diets. Along with its low caloric content, Profect also contains zero sugars, which is a critical feature to diabetes patients.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/563303#ixzz1kd4UrEqB

New Medication Treats Type 2 Diabetes and Cholesterol in One Package

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with Type 2 diabetes over 40 or those who have heart disease should also take a statin, such as Zocor, in addition to diabetes medication. However, many of those patients do not take a statin as reported by DiabeticLive.com.

Set to be available for sale within weeks, Juvisync is a combination of Januvia, a medication for Type 2 diabetes, and Zocor, which treats high cholesterol.

Juvisync will retail for about the same price as Januvia ($215 a month). Zocor, meanwhile, sells for about $30 a month for generic versions; Juvisync will eliminate the need to take Januvia and Zocor separately and will reduce costs for patients, especially those who are not taking statins.

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Diabetic Monitoring Systems

As a Diabetic the first thing you learn is the daily tracking of the level of glucose in the blood for proper diabetes management. 

Back in the 70's when the self-test systems were developed, they used a sample of blood which was chemically analyzed by the device. We've come a long way since then, the devices are smaller, more accurate and require less blood.

Currently Diabetics have a Choice of Monitoring Devices:

1. Until recently the most common monitor was a small test strip coated with chemicals to perform the test.  You pricked your finger with a lancet, and the blood drop is put on the strip, then fed into a hand held device. Seconds later there is a readout of the glucose level.

2. The best current devices allow drawing blood from areas other than the finger - Continual pricking can lead to scarring and loss of sensitivity. Another problem with pricking is running out of fingers to use, which leads to more difficulty drawing blood, and yet more discomfort. Talk to your physician about these new patient-friendly monitoring devices.

3. Other monitoring devices use a laser to make a small, painless hole in the skin. A droplet of blood oozes out for smearing onto a test strip, and you feel only a slight tingling sensation in the finger during the test. Needles are eliminated which is more sanitary and safe.

4. Devices that work while you sleep. No one wants to wake up in the middle of the night to prick a finger.  Diabetics can buy a watch that monitors glucose level and alerts the wearer by an alarm if blood sugar levels rise.

5. And still more advanced devices require drawing no blood at all. It senses the glucose level through the skin by use of an infrared beam.

6. Diabetics with hard to manage diabetes have insulin pumps that give a continual drip of insulin 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. - which is a life saver to many whose levels are hard to control. 

7. And just recently the Mayo Clinic has been working on a way to make blood-sugar monitoring easier by using fluid from the eye. I have no more details on this - my doctor mentioned this to me on my last visit.

Pros and Cons of Current Devices:

One of the pros of these new devices is the ability to store results over time which helps compare glucose levels on an ongoing basis.

You can also download results to a PC and graph the data which makes the tracking process even more valuable to you and your physician. When looking for a new monitoring device, shop around and get one that will give what you need for the best monitoring. 

On the con side, most require a blood sample drawn from the body. The discomfort and sometime inconvenience that many experience cause diabetics to only use them once per day, rather than the recommended three times daily.

Sometimes you can get inaccurate readings if they're not calibrated and maintained properly. They need to be cleaned from time to time, in order to prevent old blood and chemicals from contaminating the device and throwing off the readings.

Cheers to technology helping those with Diabetes monitor this disease

C. Thompkins
Diabetic, Senior & Black
http://diabeticseniorandblack.blogspot.com/

Medicaid Vital to Protecting Health for Millions of Americans

Many Americans battle such medical conditions as cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart disease, and stroke, but those individuals who rely on Medicaid for their drugs and treatment will face extraordinary health challenges if Congress cuts funding for that program.

"Diabetes has a disproportionate impact on the Medicaid population because Medicaid provides important health coverage to people facing elevated health risks. Children and adults eligible for this valuable program are more likely to be in poor health and thus require the services Medicaid provides to a greater extent than individuals with private insurance," said Gina Gavlak, RN, BSN, Vice Chair of the National Advocacy Committee, American Diabetes Association. "Cuts to Medicaid funding would be harmful to the millions of children, pregnant women, and adults with diabetes who rely on the program to manage their disease and avoid dangerous and costly diabetes complications such as blindness, amputations and kidney dialysis."

Read Full Article at - Medicaid Vital to Protecting Health for Millions of Americans

Lilly Invests $30 Million For Non-Communicable Diseases

Eli Lilly and Company has announced a $30 million commitment over five years to fight the rising burden of non-communicable diseases in developing nations including India.

The first phase of The Lilly NCD partnership will focus on improving diabetes care in targeted communities in Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa. The partnership will focus on diabetes and, over time, cancer – two core business areas in which Lilly has deep expertise.

Pharmabiz :: Lilly to invest $30 mn to address non-communicable diseases in countries including India:

Blood Sugar 101: What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes

Based on the award winning Bloodsugar101.com web site, this book explains what peer-reviewed research published in top medical journals has to say about:

• What is a normal blood sugar?

• How does diabetes develop?

• What really causes diabetes?

• What blood sugar levels cause complications?

• Must you deteriorate?

• What diet is right for you?

• How can you make that diet work?

• What medications are safe?

• What supplements lower blood sugar?

Written in clear and understandable language, this book provides all the tools needed to understand how blood sugar works and achieve blood sugar health.

Blood Sugar 101: What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes:

Diabetics Monitor Blood Sugar Through Sweat

Norwegian researchers have developed a new test that checks a person's sweat to monitor blood sugar levels!

The sweat meter can be attached to a smartphone. The phone can then alert patients when their blood sugar is getting low.

Find out more . . . 

Hacker finds flaw in insulin device - Health - ReviewJournal.com

Hacker finds flaw in insulin device - Health - ReviewJournal.com