Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Diabetes & Endocrinology for August 2007. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Death Risk Higher in Stroke Survivors Who Stop Statins
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke survivors who discontinue prescribed statin therapy have a nearly triple risk of dying within a year compared to those who remain adherent, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in Stroke.
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High Blood Sugar in Moms Linked to Overweight Kids
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to women with hyperglycemia during pregnancy face an increased risk of obesity around the age of 6, researchers report in the September issue of Diabetes Care.
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Dramatic Healing of Ulcers Achieved in Diabetic Mice
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Skin ulcers in diabetic mice demonstrated dramatic improvement with applications of antibodies aimed at neutralizing tumor necrosis factor (TNF), according to a German study published in the September issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy May Increase Skin Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who undergo biologic therapy may have an increased risk of skin cancer but not other tumor types, researchers report in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Hypogonadism Reversal After Halting Hormone Treatment
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Because hypogonadism can spontaneously reverse, patients undergoing hormonal therapy for the condition should periodically discontinue treatment to assess if their own gonadotropin secretion has normalized, according to two studies published in the Aug. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Intensive Behavioral Program Can Help with Weight Loss
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- An intensive behavioral program comprising meal replacements and low-energy diets can help some severely obese people lose over 100 pounds with few risks, according to study findings published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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Embryonic Stem Cells Treat Infarcted Rat Hearts
TUESDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Transplanted heart cells derived from human embryonic stem cells improve heart function in rats, suggesting that similar transplants could benefit humans after a heart attack, according to a report published online Aug. 26 in Nature Biotechnology.
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Optic Nerve Edema Rare in Patients with Dialysis Shunts
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Despite isolated reports of optic nerve edema in hemodialysis patients with peripheral arteriovenous shunts, this complication appears to be rare, and routine surveillance of asymptomatic patients is probably not warranted, researchers report in the August issue of Ophthalmology.
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Recent Myocardial Infarction Linked to Diabetes Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with recent myocardial infarction, one-third develop impaired fasting glucose or diabetes within 3.5 years, researchers report in the August issue of The Lancet. Lifestyle factors of smoking and higher body mass index appear to be independent risk factors for developing diabetes, whereas a Mediterranean-type diet appears to confer protection.
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Metabolic Syndrome Increases Death After Bypass Surgery
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with metabolic syndrome alone or with diabetes have a higher risk of death after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery than those who do not, according to the results of a study published in the Aug. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Altered Fat Metabolism Seen in Relatives of Diabetics
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with a family history of diabetes but normal insulin sensitivity have a limited ability to increase fatty acid oxidation in response to a high-fat meal, researchers report in the August issue of Diabetes.
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Bariatric Surgery Increases Longevity for Obese
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- In severely obese patients, bariatric surgery leads to sustained weight loss and reduces the risk of death, according to two studies published in the Aug. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Study Describes Pattern of Glucose Rise in Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients appear to have two distinct phases of plasma glucose levels on their path towards developing type 2 diabetes -- an initial gradual rise in their glucose values followed by a steep increase, researchers report in the August issue of Diabetes. The researchers were able to construct a combined linear and exponential mathematical model to characterize this pattern.
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Stem Cell Population Improves Healing in Diabetic Mice
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A population of bone marrow stem cells improves wound closure in diabetic mice, researchers report in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
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Oral Antibody Protects Mice from Developing Diabetes
TUESDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Mice that are treated with an anti-CD3 antibody, which has been previously shown to induce immune tolerance and is an effective treatment for diabetes in animals and humans, are protected from developing autoimmune diabetes in an animal model of the disease, researchers report in the August issue of Diabetes.
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Corneal Scan Can Detect Neuropathy in Diabetics
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) may offer a non-invasive way to assess small nerve fiber damage in diabetics, which may help prevent foot ulcerations and amputations, according to a report in the August issue of Diabetes.
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Skin Lesions Common in Type 1 Diabetics
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Cutaneous manifestations, including lesions, are common in younger people with type 1 diabetes and their timing and duration could help determine intervention strategies, according to the results of a study published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.
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Gestational Diabetes Raises Pancreatic Cancer Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Women who develop gestational diabetes are at increased risk of pancreatic cancer later in life, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
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Older Type 1 Diabetics Fare Better Than Thought
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who have lived with type 1 diabetes for 50 years or more demonstrate fewer microvascular complications than expected, according to a survey-based cross-sectional study published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.
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Hypoglycemia May Hamper Memory in Type 1 Diabetics
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Night-time hypoglycemic episodes during sleep may interfere with memory function in patients with type 1 diabetes, researchers report in the August issue of Diabetes Care.
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Thiazolidinediones to Carry Stronger Risk Warnings
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that thiazolidinediones must carry a "boxed" warning on the risk of heart failure. This represents an upgrade to the strongest form of warning required by the FDA and stems from a review of postmarketing adverse events associated with the diabetes drugs.
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Diabetics Fare Worse After Acute Coronary Syndrome
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with acute coronary syndrome, 30-day and one-year mortality rates are significantly higher among those who have diabetes compared to those who do not, researchers report in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Increasing Waist-to-Hip Ratio Linked to Atherosclerosis
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- An increasing waist-to-hip ratio is independently associated with atherosclerosis and may be a better indicator of coronary artery calcification than either waist circumference or body mass index, according to study findings published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Skeleton Regulates Glucose Metabolism in Mice
MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The bone hormone osteocalcin regulates beta-cell growth, insulin production and insulin sensitivity in mice, and protects them against obesity and diabetes, suggesting that the skeleton is an important regulator of glucose metabolism, according to a report in the Aug. 10 issue of Cell.
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Leptin Makes Food Seem Less Enticing, Boosts Satiety
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Leptin appears to modulate neural responses to visual food stimuli, leading to increased satiety and a diminished perception of how rewarding food will be, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in Science.
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Maternal Obesity Linked to Structural Birth Defects
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are obese before pregnancy may be more likely to give birth to children with structural defects such as spina bifida and heart defects, according to a report published in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Four Out of Five Obesity Cases Are Undocumented
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Only one in five obese patients is diagnosed as such by their primary care physician, and those who are given a formal diagnosis are more likely to have an obesity management plan, according to a study published in the August issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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High Triglyceride Levels Linked to Clearance of Hepatitis C
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) may demonstrate favorable lipid profiles despite the association to glucose intolerance. Furthermore, patients with elevations in triglycerides may have an increased ability to clear the virus, according to study findings published in the August issue of Gut.
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Diethylstilbestrol May Have Transgenerational Effect
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The mothers of some babies with esophageal atresia and associated tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) were exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol, indicating that the synthetic estrogen may have a transgenerational effect, according to study findings published in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Researchers Fault Recent Meta-Analysis on Rosiglitazone
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetic patients who take rosiglitazone (Avandia) have neither an increased nor decreased risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death, according to an article published online Aug. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Fast-Food Branding Affects Preschoolers' Taste Perception
MONDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Foods and drinks contained in McDonald's packaging appeal more to preschoolers than identical foods and drinks contained in unmarked packaging, suggesting that branding has a significant effect on young children, according to a study published in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Triple Therapy Reverses Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A triple therapy regimen that both induces immune tolerance and decreases inflammation restores euglycemia in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a report published online Aug. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Maternal Thyroid Disease May Increase Risk of Birth Defect
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal thyroid disease may increase the risk of an infant having craniosynostosis, a premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, researchers report in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Rapid Increase in Bone Density Seen After Weaning
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Mice show a rapid increase in bone density following weaning, according to a study in the August issue of Endocrinology, which may offer clues for recovering bone mass in older, postmenopausal women.
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