Letter from the Editor #489

Oct 7, 2009

This week, Steve and I have put together a great summary of the top stories from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Conference in Salzburg, Austria. Although there was a lot of great news, the bottom line was not much new has occurred since the ADA Scientific Sessions in June.

Does that seem odd? Not when you think about it. With the current regulatory climate in our country it seems like every new drug and for that matter every old drug could come under scrutiny for side effects or interactions, and many patients as well as companies are looking for alternatives. In fact, according to an article in the September issue of Endocrine Today, the NIH reports that almost 34 billion dollars was spent for complementary medicine in 2007, about 11% of all out-of-pocket spending on healthcare. So when your patients come in and ask you about using an alternative product, they are not alone.

Sheri Colberg, Ph.D., FACSM, continues to address the problems of Injuries Related to Being Active with Diabetes; this week she helps us with Knee and Shin Injuries.

This Week’s New Study: The Effects of Exenatide on Energy Expenditure and Weight Loss in Nondiabetic Obese Subjects

Do you have overweight, non-diabetic patients who you thought would be good candidates for Byetta but who could not afford the cost? Go to http://clinicaltrials.gov/ to see if your patients qualify.

Announcements

dLife, October 3, 2009:

Pop superstar Nick Jonas of The Jonas Brothers gets up close and personal about his diabetes life in an exclusive interview with dLife. Plus, Chef Michel Nischan has a low-carb twist on a breakfast classic — the pancake. And, your vision questions answered by Dr. David Marks. Sundays on CNBC at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, and 4 PM PT.

TCOYD Diabetes Conference, October 10, 2009, in Santa Clara, CA
Join the “Taking Control of Your Diabetes” staff and enjoy a whole day of learning about your diabetes. TCOYD will be in Santa Clara, California on Oct. 10, 2009. Just go to www.TCOYD.com and register.

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We can make a difference!

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Check out this week’s “Test Your Diabetes Knowledge” question.

Dave Joffe, Editor-in-chief