A genetic link between gum disease (periodontitis) and heart disease has been discovered by German scientists. This could be an important finding for those with diabetes because of the increased risk of heart disease to gum disease The association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for …

This is the first major departure from the way we’ve been diagnosing diabetes for more than 30 years,” David M. Nathan, M.D., of Harvard Medical School who chaired the expert committee, told the press at the start of the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. … Full Story

The diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos) significantly improved psoriasis control when added to oral acitretin (Soriatane), data from a small clinical trial demonstrated. This could be an important finding due to the fact that many people with diabetes also have psoriasis.

Scores comparable to standard therapy on heart attacks, strokes and CV death but doubled incidence of heart failure warrants monitoring by physician.

ADA confirms that the A1c test will be used for the diagnosis of diabetes. Fasting blood sugar tests will no longer be necessary to diagnosis diabetes. The A1c test can be done anytime without regard to meals. ADA – International Expert Committee Recommends A1c Test to Diagnose Diabetes

Intravenous clot-busting therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) should be administered up to 4.5 hours from stroke onset in eligible patients, according to a science advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

A1c of less than 7% is not a predictor of mortality risk in Type 2 diabetes and the converse is true in that higher A1cs do increase the risk of mortality. For every 1% higher A1c level above 6%, the risk of death increases by 20%.

Far fewer Americans are engaging in healthy lifestyles than there were just two decades ago, researchers say. So it is not hard to see why a diabetes epidemic is at our doorstep.

No difference is found in mortality risk between drugs that reduce insulin resistance compared to drugs that provide insulin and, “Prompt coronary artery bypass surgery, compared to intensive medical therapy alone, had significantly better outcomes when cardiovascular events were considered in addition to death.

An examination of the neck arteries of today’s obese or diabetic young people bodes ill for their future health, researchers report.