March 19, 2016 : Issue #825

• Does Niacin Cause Diabetes?
• Effectiveness of Insulin Regimens For Patients With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes
• Diabetes Said to Combat Prostate Cancer
• Nutrition and Lifestyle Modifications for Diabetes Patients
• Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Intensifies
• Action to Control CV Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) — A New Look at an Old Trial

If you have read my last two editor’s desks (Issue 824 and DCMS 284) you know that one of my good friends has a nephew diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and all the consternation this has caused the family. Because they live in Raleigh, NC, Joy Pape, our medical editor, and I were able to get the aunt a chance to speak to Dr. John Buse, and she persuaded him to take the young man on as a patient.

If any of you have not heard of Dr. Buse, take it from me he is a legend in diabetes and he is always on the cutting edge of diabetes research. This week, we have the results of a study that his team did comparing long-acting insulin alone to the combination of long-acting insulin with a GLP-1 analog (Item 2). If you take the time to review the results, you will see why this combination is the right choice for many of our patients, and when there is a daily combo shot available, it will have us all thinking in a different direction.

Announcements:

Diabetes Summit 2016

DIC Publisher Steve Freed will be attending the GTCbio 2016 Diabetes Summit, to be held April 25-27, 2016 in Boston, MA.  This unique event encompasses the drug discovery and partnering aspects of diabetes in two individual conferences that take place concurrently. Click here for more information.

Free CME Courses
Our web site CME resource is back online! Be sure to check out the new CME courses posted there. Courses are currently available on topics including: Advances in the Medical & Surgical Management of Obesity; Diabetic Retinopathy; Strategies to Improve Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes; and more!

dLifeTV.com: Sunday, March 20, 7PM ET

From dLife.com: “An American Idol shares her diabetes challenges on the road to fame, and Jim Turner hits the streets to talk about diabetes fears. Plus, a low carb salad with a sweet and sour twist in the dLife kitchen.” Sundays live online at dLifeTV.com at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, and 4 PM PT. Keep up on the latest dLife news at dLifeTV.com.

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We can make a difference!

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Dave Joffe, Editor-in-chief

Will you consider switching to a biosimilar insulin for lantus for reasons of cost savings when it becomes available this year? Follow the link to share your opinion and see what others think!

LifeScan, Inc. has introduced the new OneTouch Verio Flex™ blood glucose monitoring system, with ColorSure™ technology – a simple, accurate and easy-to-use meter that takes the guesswork out of understanding blood glucose test results for people with diabetes.  Its simple color range indicator uses color to instantly tell patients when their blood glucose readings are “low,” “in range,” or “high” so they can quickly get on with their lives. Nine out of 10 people with diabetes agreed that the meter’s color range indicator helped them easily interpret their blood sugar readings. While it has broad appeal as a simple, intuitive meter on its own, patients can also use the meter’s built-in Bluetooth® Smart Technology to wirelessly connect with the companion OneTouch Reveal® mobile app available on compatible iOS and Android mobile devices.  The app provides key insights and information sharing if patients interested in learning more”  www.OneTouch.com.

She jokes that she “just can’t seem to lose that extra baby weight” after giving birth 3 years ago. However, her daughter recently started preschool, so she has been able to go to her new gym several times per week. In fact, one of the added bonuses of her membership is the free, weekly nutrition and exercise support groups. In addition to her routine labs, you order an A1C, which comes back elevated at 7.1%. This measurement is confirmed several days later. Based on Mrs. Hunter’s profile, you encourage lifestyle modifications and start metformin with an A1c target of less than 7%.

After four years of good glycemic control with metformin 1500 mg q day, Mrs. Hunter returns for her 6-month follow-up visit. At this time, her office A1C is 8.2% and she has gained 7 pounds. She is very concerned about her weight gain. If weight is a concern, what would be the best antiglycemic drug to add to her regimen?

Select one answer:
A. A sulfonylurea
B. A DPP-4 inhibitor
C. A thiazolidinedione
D. A GLP-1 receptor agonist

Follow the link to see if you’re right!

Along with souvenirs, there’s a good chance you’ll return from your vacation with some extra weight, new research suggests. A study in the journal Physiology & Behavior showed that 61% of US adults gained weight while on vacation, ranging from an average of 0.7 pounds to as much as 7 pounds, which tended to stay on after returning home. Researchers evaluated 122 adults, ages 18 to 65 who went on vacations ranging from one to three weeks between March and August, and found that vacation weight gain was attributed to an increased intake of calories, especially from alcohol. The average number of drinks went from eight a week before vacation to 16 a week while on vacation, the researchers said. If you’re only gaining a pound or two a year and you gained three-quarters of that on a one- to three-week vacation, that’s a pretty substantial weight gain during a short period of time. The results support the theory of “creeping obesity,” in which adults gain small amounts of weight over a long period, increasing their risk of future health problems.  The study was released online in advance of print publication in the journal Physiology and Behavior. Feb, 2016.

Studies focus on whether niacin therapy and new-onset diabetes link is coincidence or something more.

Use of degludec/liraglutide vs glargine injections focus of study.

New research shows that patients with type 2 diabetes have a lower risk of having prostate cancer.

Lifestyle change is the new trend for managing a patient’s diabetes, according to research.

Patients with greater disease burden more likely to receive therapy increase.

Quote of the Week!

“It’s challenging, but you have to at least try to eat right and exercise.”

…Joely Fisher

Diabetes in Control gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following pharmacy doctoral candidates in the preparation of this week’s newsletter:

Javeria Fayyaz,  LECOM College of Pharmacy

Devon Brooks,  LECOM College of Pharmacy

Jimmy Tran,  LECOM College of Pharmacy

Your Friends in Diabetes Care
Steve and Dave
Diabetes In Control
810 Bear Tavern Road Suite 102
Ewing, NJ, 08628
USA
www.diabetesincontrol.com