Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Diabetes & Endocrinology for February 2009. 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.
Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence Increasing in United Kingdom
FRIDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- In the United Kingdom, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.8 percent in 1996 to 4.3 percent in 2005, according to a report published online Feb. 24 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
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Male Infertility Linked to Testicular Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Men with male factor infertility showed a markedly higher risk of testicular cancer than men in the general population, according to research published in the Feb. 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Various Diet Compositions Effective for Weight Loss
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Diets where calories come from a range of fat, protein and carbohydrate combinations are similarly effective in promoting weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk factors, researchers report in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Gene Mutations Linked to Premature Ovarian Failure
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Mutations in the NR5A1 gene may be a cause of ovarian insufficiency, according to research published online Feb. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Iodine Levels of Many Prenatal Multivitamins Inaccurate
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Although sufficient maternal iodine is important for normal thyroid and neurological function, many prenatal vitamins available in the United States that claim to contain iodine do not carry the amount indicated on the label, according to a letter published in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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More Rapid Communication of Breast Biopsy Results Needed
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Uncertainty while awaiting a final diagnosis following a large-core breast biopsy is associated with an abnormal salivary cortisol profile, indicative of biochemical distress, according to research published in the March issue of Radiology.
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Diabetes May Increase Risk for Perinatal Depression
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women who develop diabetes either prior to or during pregnancy are more likely to experience perinatal depression, including postpartum depression, researchers report in the Feb. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Insurance Essential for Good Health, Well-Being
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Having health insurance is vital for health and well-being, and when rates of uninsurance are high, even insured people are more likely to struggle to obtain necessary care, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine released online Feb. 24.
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Denosumab May Benefit Patients with Bone Metastases
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with bone metastases from prostate, breast or other cancers, who have elevated urinary N-telopeptide levels despite ongoing intravenous bisphosphonate therapy, treatment with denosumab may be more effective at normalizing levels and reducing skeletal-related events than continuation of bisphosphonate therapy, according to a report published in the Mar. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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US Health Spending May Have Hit $2.4 Trillion in 2008
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Health spending in the United States was estimated to be $2.4 trillion last year, and is expected to account for an unprecedented share of the economy this year, according to a report published online Feb. 24 in Health Affairs.
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Postnatal Glucocorticoids Affect Adaptation to Stress
MONDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Postnatal glucocorticoid excess due to deletion of pituitary glucocorticoid receptors affects the ability of adult mice to cope with stress, according to research published online Feb. 12 in Endocrinology.
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Hormone Reverses Asthma Changes in Mouse Model
MONDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The antifibrotic peptide hormone relaxin reverses lung fibrosis and airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model of asthma, according to the results of a study published online Feb. 12 in Endocrinology.
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Combo Blood Pressure-Lowering Regimen Good for Kidneys
THURSDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A blood pressure-lowering treatment strategy of perindopril-indapamide may prevent renal dysfunction in some patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of baseline blood pressure level, according to the results of a study published online Feb. 18 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Proposed Changes to Health Care Would Reduce Costs
THURSDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Simultaneous gains in universal health coverage, improved health outcomes and slowed spending growth would have a major impact on the development of public policy, according to a perspective published in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Transparency, Globalization Growing in Clinical Research
THURSDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- All clinical trial data and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration database should be publicly available, and global clinical research should be conducted in relevant populations for potential applications of the intervention, according to two articles published in the Feb. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Implementing a Quality Improvement Faculty Path
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A new career pathway in academic medicine, termed clinicians in quality improvement, is a justified concept to achieve and recognize excellence in patient safety, according to a commentary published in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Ads Featuring 'Drug Facts Box' Help Educate Consumers
TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Replacing the brief summary in direct-to-consumer ads with a "drug facts box" may result in improved consumer knowledge and judgment about medication benefits and side effects, according to study findings released online Feb. 17 in advance of publication in the Apr. 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Counseling by Phone or in Person Helps Weight Loss
TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent contact with a dietitian in person or by phone may be equally as effective in helping individuals lose weight, according to research published in the Feb. 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Avosentan Helps Cut Albumin Excretion in Some Diabetics
MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with diabetic nephropathy and macroalbuminuria, treatment with avosentan in combination with standard therapy significantly decreases the urinary albumin excretion rate, according to a study published ahead of print Jan. 14 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Metabolic Syndrome Raises Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Metabolic syndrome is significantly associated with salt sensitivity of blood pressure, according to a report published online Feb. 16 in The Lancet.
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Psychiatric Problems Common in Teen Transplant Recipients
FRIDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Adolescent renal transplant recipients are more likely to have learning disabilities, social competence problems and psychiatric problems than healthy adolescents, according to the results of a study published online Oct. 7 in advance of publication in Pediatric Transplantation.
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Genetic Variants Linked to Higher Risk of Thyroid Cancer
FRIDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Two common genetic variants appear to be associated with an increased risk of papillary and follicular thyroid cancer, according to research published online Feb. 6 in the journal Nature Genetics.
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Protein Critical for Action of Thyroid Cancer Drug
THURSDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- A cellular protein is a critical mediator in the signaling pathway of a drug that inhibits the growth of thyroid cancer cells, according to a report published online Feb. 10 in Cancer Research.
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Marijuana Use Linked to Common Testicular Malignancy
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana use may increase men's risk of non-seminoma testicular germ cell tumors, according to research published online Feb. 9 in the journal Cancer.
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Maternal Obesity Linked to Birth Defects
TUESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to children whose mothers are normal weight, those with obese mothers may be at higher risk of congenital anomalies, according to study findings published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Care Coordination Programs Don't Benefit Medicare Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses, most care coordination programs have little impact on reducing hospitalizations and costs or improving quality of care, according to a report published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Mediterranean Diet Benefits Cognitive Function in Elderly
MONDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In cognitively normal older adults, adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a modestly reduced risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, and in older adults who already have mild cognitive impairment, adherence to the diet is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report published in the February issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Energy Balance Better After Maternal Nutrient Restriction
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal nutrient restriction in sheep has little effect on appetite regulation early in life but the offspring are better able to adapt to maintain a neutral energy balance after juvenile obesity, according to a report in the February issue of Endocrinology.
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Growth Hormone May Benefit Bariatric Surgery Patients
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- In obese women who undergo laparoscopic-adjustable silicone gastric banding, treatment with growth hormone in combination with a standardized low-calorie diet and exercise program helps prevent the loss of lean body mass, according to a report published online Dec. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Vitamin D Status Affects Muscle Power in Teen Girls
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- In adolescent girls, vitamin D status is significantly associated with muscle power and force, according to study findings published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Natural Compounds Alleviate Insulin Resistance in Mice
THURSDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Two compounds isolated from herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine increase the production of an insulin-sensitizing hormone from fat cells and improve hyperglycemia, glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in obese mice, according to study findings published in the February issue of Endocrinology.
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High-Protein Diet Shifts Glucose Production to Kidney
THURSDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A high-protein diet is associated with glucose production shifting to the kidney from the liver in rats, which may explain observed improvements in glucose tolerance in diabetics after increasing their dietary protein, researchers report in the February issue of Endocrinology.
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Diabetes, Heart Disease Raise Coronary Event Risk in HIV
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Both diabetes mellitus and pre-existing coronary heart disease (CHD) are associated with an increased risk of a CHD event in individuals with HIV, indicating the need for diabetes screening in this population, according to research published online Feb. 2 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Osteoporotic Fractures Raise Mortality Risk in Elderly
TUESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who experience low-trauma fractures are at increased risk of mortality for the following five to 10 years, and the risk period is extended by subsequent fractures, according to a report published in the Feb. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Peptide Hormone Reduces Infarct Size After Heart Attack
TUESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A gastrointestinal peptide hormone originally derived from the saliva of a venomous lizard is effective in reducing infarct size and preventing cardiac function deterioration after a heart attack in pigs, according to the results of an animal study published in the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Perfluorinated Chemicals Linked to Reduced Fertility
TUESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- At exposures common in developed countries, the perfluorinated chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) may reduce a woman's ability to reproduce and increase the time needed to become pregnant, according to research published online Jan. 28 in Human Reproduction.
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High Television Viewing Predicts Poor Dietary Habits
MONDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Increased television viewing in middle and high school students predicts poor dietary habits in subsequent years, possibly due to increased advertising exposure, according to research published online Jan. 30 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
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US Sees Significant Rise in Diagnosed Diabetes
MONDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Although diagnosed diabetes in adults increased in the United States in recent decades, undiagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes remained fairly steady, according to research published in the February issue of Diabetes Care.
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