June 25, 2016 : Issue #839

In Depth — ADA 76th Scientific Sessions:

• FREEDOM-2 Trial Results for ITCA 650: Breakthrough New Product Announced
• More Good News for Empagliflozin
• The Wonders of GLP-1 Agonist — the LEADER Trial
• Alogliptin Effects on Cardiovascular Diseases — the EXAMINE Trial
• Semaglutide vs Sitagliptin and Exenatide

Exclusive Interview from AACE:

• Dr. Lois Jovanovic. The Woman Who Changed The Way We Treat Diabetes Today

Normally when I sit down to prepare the editor’s desk, I read through the articles we are featuring and think about what happened in the past week in the world of diabetes and healthcare; then I fashion my comments to encourage you to read our entire newsletter. This week I don’t have to do any of these things, because I am turning my pen over to our Associate Medical Editor, Joy Pape.

According to Joy, “Dr. Lois Jovanovic has always been an inspiration to me. I don’t like to take no for an answer, and neither does she. Lois is known for her work in diabetes in pregnancy, and continues to change lives! Not only has she changed lives, but also brought so many children into this world to people who had pre-existing diabetes, gestational diabetes…or as she calls it now, women who have hyperglycemia in pregnancy. This week we have a special interview with my mentor that I am very very proud to share with you.”

Announcements:

dLifeTV.com: Sunday, June 26, 7PM ET

From dLife.com: “Dr. Stuart Weiss delves into the technology behind the latest diabetes meter devices; Jim Turner acts out one viewer’s balcony mishap in Jim Turner’s Diabetes Theatre and Lorena Drago takes us shopping for Hispanic food specialties that can help with blood glucose management.” 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

Do you look to Diabetes in Control to keep you updated with new treatments? Follow the link to share your opinion.

An FDA panel hearing next week will convene to discuss whether Jardiance (Empagliflozin), an SGLT-2 class of drugs, will get a new indication describing a reduction in cardiovascular death. The EMPA-REG outcome study showed a 14% reduction in the risk of cardiac events, the primary endpoint of the trial. This included cardiovascular death, which showed an impressive 38% risk reduction. This should also help drive demand for the drug, and possibly the whole SGLT-2 class.

A new weight loss device, AspireAssist, offers a novel approach to cutting calories: draining them from the stomach before they are fully digested. The AspireAssist® system consists of a thin tube implanted in the stomach, connecting to an outside port on the skin of the belly.

During the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), patients with type 2 diabetes were assigned to the intensive treatment arm (received a sulfonylurea or insulin, or metformin if overweight) or a conventional treatment arm (dietary interventions only). In the intensive treatment arm, which one of the following benefits became apparent only when a 10-year follow-up study was conducted?

A. Reduced risk of microvascular complications
B. Clinically lower overall BMI
C. Reduced risk of myocardial infarction
D. Lower overall mean A1C

Did you get it right? Follow the link to find out!

Pioglitazone greatly decreases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50%, especially for those who already have prediabetes and/or who have had strokes, according to a study. The Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke trial (IRIS) recently found that the thiazolidinedione (TZD) drug, pioglitazone, reduced the risk of fatal and non-fatal stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack) by 24 percent in people with cerebrovascular disease—a group of conditions that affects the flow of blood to the brain. This secondary analysis of the data collected in the IRIS trial examined pioglitazone’s effect on diabetes prevention in a large group of non-diabetic stroke patients with insulin resistance, including many people who had prediabetes. The analysis found that pioglitazone reduced progression to diabetes by 52 percent. “While previous studies have shown that TZD medications can reduce diabetes risk, this is the first to show they can do so in a group of patients with established cardiovascular disease. It’s also the first time a glucose-lowering drug has been shown to both reduce diabetes and also reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications in the same study,” said lead investigator Silvio E. Inzucchi, MD, Director of the Yale Diabetes Center. “Insulin resistance is very common after stroke,” he said. “Treating insulin resistance with pioglitazone cuts the risk of diabetes in half, while also reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack by one-quarter. This is a potentially powerful dual effect to combat metabolic and cardiovascular disease.” — Presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 76th Scientific Sessions 2016

First a little explanation about the new unique product with its own delivery system. This is not only a medication but also a matchstick-sized osmotic mini pump that is the size of a match and is placed just beneath the skin to deliver a continuous and consistent flow of medication for a year.

Study announces a new benefit in addition to reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events.

Does liraglutide help in the reduction of cardiovascular diseases?

Alogliptin is efficient and safe in the management of type 2 diabetes even in patients who have cardiovascular disease as a comorbidity.

Is semaglutide a better way to manage type 2 diabetes?

Exclusive interview with introduction by Joy Pape, MSN, FNP-C, CDE, WOCN, CFCN, FAADE, Associate Medical Editor.

I remember when I was young, I had family members and friends (both women
and men) who had type 1 diabetes. They told me their medical team informed
them they couldn’t or shouldn’t have children. Not Dr. Lois Jovanovic. Dr. Lois Jovanovic is not a woman who takes no for an answer; neither has she taught her patients they should not have children.

Quote of the Week!

“For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.”

…Walter Scott

Your Friends in Diabetes Care
Steve and Dave
Diabetes In Control
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