Issue 461

Diabetes Cost Calculator for Employers

Calculates Savings to Employers for Better Diabetes Management. AHRQ has a new tool that is designed to help employers better estimate how to save money while still paying health care costs for employees who have diabetes.

Test Your Knowledge Issue 461

A 46-year-old woman in whom Type 2 diabetes was recently diagnosed wants to achieve the best glycemic control possible.

HOMA: Often Mentioned, Rarely Defined

I was reviewing some new studies on the use of insulin this past week and every study seemed to use HOMA values. Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) was first used in 1985 and was derived mathematically by looking at the interaction between beta-cell...

Two New Diabetes Drugs could be Approved by April 2nd

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel will review two proposed drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes this April. According to a meeting notice posted on the FDA's website Monday, the FDA's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee will...

Oral Insulin “Oral-lyn” Phase III Study Shows Positive Results

Generex Biotechnology Corporation, a leader in drug delivery for metabolic diseases through the inner lining of the mouth, announced positive results following the review of the Phase III data for the company’s flagship product, Generex...

Cat-Naps Increase Diabetes Risk By 26%

Taking regular naps could increase the risk of diabetes, experts say. People who enjoy siestas often are 26% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, research has found.

Rimonabant Reduces Liver Fat Content in Abdominally Obese Patients

The FDA still fails to approve Rimonabant even with the results of the ADAGIO-Lipids trial which showed that Rimonabant significantly improves cardiovascular and metabolic risk markers, and reduces both….Full Story

Depression Lowers Blood Pressure, but Antidepressants increase it and Tricyclics could be a Cause

Contrary to prevailing opinion, new research indicates it is not depression that raises blood pressure but the drugs used to treat depression

Study Contradicts Depression/Hypertension Theory

The study seems to contradict the theory that people with depression are more vulnerable to cardiovascular problems because their depression raises their risk for hypertension.

Does Low BP Cause Depression Increasing the Risk For Diabetes?

According to the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, patients with anxiety had a significantly higher …….Full Story

French Fries Linked to Stroke Rates

Neighborhoods where fast food joints abound appear to have higher stroke rates but whether the link is causal is under question, researchers said.

Neck Size a Measure of Heart Risk

It signals danger independently of stomach fat, researchers report. A too-tight shirt collar might be an indicator of future heart trouble, Framingham Heart Study researchers report. If your neck size is greater than 16 inches for men and 13 inches...

Diabetes Cost Calculator Tool Calculates Savings to Employers for Better Diabetes Management

AHRQ has a new tool that is designed to help employers better estimate how to save money while still paying health care costs for employees who have diabetes.

Bariatric Surgery Causes Most Cases of Type 2 to Remit Long-Term

In morbidly obese patients with Type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery leads to resolution or improvement of the disease in close to 90% of cases, with benefits…..Full Story .

FDA Announces New Recommendations on Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in Drugs Intended to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

The FDA recommended that manufacturers developing new drugs and biologics for Type 2 diabetes provide evidence that the therapy will not increase the risk of ….Full Story 

Elevated Resistin Linked with Increased Risk of Type 2

The adipose-secreted hormone resistin was "weakly associated" with an increased risk of .…Full Story .

Barley Reduces LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Barley may play a role in reducing cardiovascular risk, a meta-analysis showed. Patients who ate barley regularly had a statistically significant…. Full Story

New Diagnostic Test "Epinex” Provides Thirty Day Average Blood Glucose

The Epinex G1A™ Rapid Diabetes Monitoring Index Test is a new monthly rapid test that uses glycated albumin to measure how much damage has been done to….Full Story