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The first Global Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes were issued by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and they call for a more aggressive treatment target than the American Diabetes Association guidelines’ goal.

For patients with type 2 diabetes and a history of heart disease, the oral thiazolidinedione Actos (pioglitazone) was associated in a major trial with a 16% reduction in risk of death or recurrent heart attack.

Two weeks of daily treatments normalize the blood-glucose levels for up to 10 weeks after treatment ends, in addition to increasing beta cell mass 3-fold.

The investigators concluded that, in patients with type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin, self-monitoring did not predict better glycemic control over 3 years.

The results from 2 Phase II studies show that sitagliptin a new class diabetes drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors, improved glycemic control with no significant weight gain and low risk of hypoglycemia.

Patients who present with idiopathic neuropathy may in fact be experiencing the first signs of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT or “prediabetes”).

A sub-set of analysis from a clinical trial demonstrates that adding daily supplementation with Diachrome to prescription treatment regimens can significantly improve glycemic control in poorly controlled blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Each 1-percentage-point increase in HbA1c level was associated with a 14% increase in heart disease risk.

High-dose vitamin B may do more harm than good for heart disease, and homocysteine, billed as a heart disease risk factor, isn’t one after all, researchers reported.

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have issued guidelines for the diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome.