Guideline Approach to Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Care: August 2013

Both the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes are increasing worldwide in conjunction with increased Westernization of the population’s lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is still a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), amputation, renal failure, and blindness. The risk for microvascular complications is related to overall glycemic burden over time as measured by A1C (1,2). The UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) 10-year follow-up demonstrated a possible effect on CVD as well (3).

A meta-analysis of cardiovascular outcome in patients with long disease duration including Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD), Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE), and Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT) suggested that in these populations the reduction of ~1% in A1C is associated with a 15% relative reduction in nonfatal myocardial infarction (4). Read More

Genetic Screening for the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Care: August 201

Worthless or valuable?

The prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes, representing >90% of all cases of diabetes, are increasing rapidly throughout the world. The International Diabetes Federation has estimated that the number of people with diabetes is expected to rise from 366 million in 2011 to 552 million by 2030 if no urgent action is taken. Furthermore, as many as 183 million people are unaware that they have diabetes (www.idf.org). Therefore, the identification of individuals at high risk of developing diabetes is of great importance and interest for investigators and health care providers. Read more

Mechanism of Metabolic Advantages After Bariatric Surgery

Diabetes Care: August 2013

It’s all gastrointestinal factors versus it’s all food restriction

The acute glucose-lowering effect of certain bariatric procedures—before any significant weight loss has occurred—has been known for decades (1). In a comprehensive meta-analysis by Buchwald et al. (2), type 2 diabetes remission rates after the most common bariatric procedure, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), were reported to be 80%. Applying the 2009 consensus criteria for the definition of diabetes remission has been reported to show complete remission of diabetes in “only” 41% of 160 RYGB-treated obese patients with type 2 diabetes (3). Importantly, bariatric surgery seems to improve several components of the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes–specific mortality rates have been demonstrated to be up to 90% lower in RYGB-treated subjects compared with nontreated control subjects (2,4). In comparison with medical therapy alone, recent clinical trials have shown that RYGB or biliopancreatic diversion resulted in better glucose control (5), RYGB achieved glycemic control in significantly more patients (6), and sleeve gastrectomy resolved the diabetic state more effectively (7).  Read more

‘Diabetesville’ a true-life horror film

Mysanantonio: JULY 26, 2013

“Diabetesville, USA” paints a frightening picture about diabetes at the southernmost tip of Texas — so frightening that the film was the only documentary to be screened at the Scarlet Waters horror film festival in Austin last fall.

“They sent me a note saying it was the scariest film they’d seen, so they were including it, even though they never really do documentaries unless it’s the making of a horror movie or something,” said filmmaker Michael Seringer, 39, who lives in San Antonio and shot parts of the film here.

The facts are undeniably bleak in Cameron County, an area in the Rio Grande Valley encompassing Brownsville and Harlingen: Nearly 30 percent of the population has diabetes, including a growing number of children. A majority of the population is overweight or obese. More than half have no medical insurance. Read more

The obesity epidemic

Themonitor: July 26, 2013

Diana Ramirez of McAllen was one of two in a family of six children who did not develop diabetes as adults. Three are dead and one is ailing from the disease, which is linked to obesity.

As executive director of the Rio Grande Valley Diabetes Association, Ramirez is on a mission to spread the word about better health, nutrition and exercise in the Valley. Her nonprofit organization offers kids summer camps, cooking classes, and fitness and nutrition seminars. On Sept. 14 in Mission, they’re even holding their first adult day camp.

Ramirez openly shares her personal tale. Sadly, however, she says it doesn’t impact many who are most at risk for obesity-related illnesses. Some sent to her organization for free help won’t even return for follow-ups, she said. Read more

Poverty and obesity directly correlated

Valleycentral: 07.25.2013

Michael Seifert of the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network said there is a direct correlation between hunger due to poverty and obesity.

Low-income people have less access to healthy, more expensive food and are becoming ill with deadly diseases like diabetes.

“Obesity and diabetes is extraordinarily expensive to the whole community, just as eating healthy is extraordinarily difficult for people to afford, that don’t have that kind of disposable income,” Seifert said.

A room full of spectators viewed the documentary “A Place at the Table” Thursday in Brownsville, which deals with hunger and obesity in the U.S. today.

Sister Phyllis of Projecto Juan Diego, said it’s going to take a systematic change to impact these problems.

She added it could start with stores lowering the price of healthy foods and increasing the price of unhealthy ones. Read more

FDA alerts companies to stop illegal sale of treatments for diabetes