Endocrinology News and Research Articles

Endoscopic Surgery Shows Promise in Lowering Glucose Levels

10/07/2015 - A new experimental endoscopic procedure significantly improved blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results of the pilot study were presented at the 3rd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes.

Taking Blood Pressure Meds at Nighttime May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

10/06/2015 - A pair of studies published last week in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, concluded that taking blood pressure medications at night reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 57%.

NPH Insulin: Mixing Is Critical for Best Results

09/29/2015 - Surprising results from a new study involving patients on insulin known as NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N) compared the effects of mixing or not mixing the insulin to the insulin concentrations in the blood following an injection.

Marijuana Use Linked to Prediabetes

09/25/2015 - A recent University of Minnesota study has uncovered 49-65% higher odds for prediabetes in current marijuana smokers and former “heavy” users. The study was published in the September issue of the journal Diabetologia.

Common Environmental Chemicals Increase Your Risk of Diabetes

09/24/2015 - Mounting evidence is building a strong case linking the role of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to a signficant increase in the risk of devleoping type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Drug Jardiance Reduces Heart Disease Death

09/21/2015 - A new glucose-lowering drug, empagliflozin (Jardiance), can not only help treat diabetes, but can protect against cardiovascular-related deaths, new research suggests.

Partial Fasting a Treatment for Diabetes?

09/18/2015 - New research has found that following a diet that mimics fasting, but is less difficult, may slow aging and reduce the incidence of chronic diseases including diabetes.

Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Boost Diabetes Risk

09/17/2015 - Smokers and anyone exposed regularly to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who have never smoked, new research has confirmed.

Brief, High-Intensity Exercise May Reverse Diabetes-Related Heart Problems

09/16/2015 - Exercising intensely for just a few minutes at a time may help those with diabetes reverse diabetes-related heart problems and also improve their blood sugar control, new research from Newcastle University in the U.K. suggests.

Study Links Low Selenium Diet with Thyroid Disease

09/14/2015 - A new study from China supports previous research showing an association between adequate dietary selenium and heathy thyroid function. The study also found that low intake of the mineral, reflected by serum levels, correlates with increased risk of a variety of types of thyroid disease.

Could This Mini-Pump Control Your Type 2 Diabetes?

09/09/2015 - A matchstick-sized pump that releases a constant trickle of the blood-sugar-lowering drug exenatide helped people with type 2 diabetes reduce their A1c levels further and lose more weight than those who took the blockbuster drug sitagliptin (Januvia) in a year-long study, according to a recent announcement from pump developer Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc.

Antibiotic Use Linked to Increased Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

09/01/2015 - A new study found an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes in people who took more antibiotics. The authors caution that the study does not show whether the antibiotics increase the risk of diabetes or that the findings reflect the fact that people with diabetes have a higher incidence of infections and therefore take more antibiotics.

Diabetes Drug Liraglutide Shows Promising Weight Loss Benefit

08/31/2015 - The drug liraglutide, taken at high doses, can help people with type 2 diabetes shed pounds, new research has found.

Higher Insulin Resistance Causes Language Problems—If You’re a Woman

08/24/2015 - Insulin resistance is a somewhat silent condition in that you can have it for years with no noticeable symptoms. Now a Finnish study has identified a significant symptom—but only for women. And it may signal a greater risk for Alzheimer’s.

Acetaminophen Can Falsely Elevate CGM Readings

08/21/2015 - A new study finds that acetaminophen may affect the accuracy of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) more than was previously thought.

Can An Insulin Pump Protect Diabetics from Heart Disease?

08/19/2015 - People with type 1 diabetes who used an insulin pump to control their blood sugar were 58% less likely to have a fatal heart attack, stroke or other deadly cardiovascular disease than those who gave themselves daily insulin injections in a recent, 6.8-year study published in the British Medical Journal.

The Link Between High Blood Glucose and High Infection Risk

08/18/2015 - Scientists say they may have discovered the mechanism that triggers high glucose levels to unleash destructive molecules that hamper the body's natural immune defenses that fight infections.

Ultrasound: Promising Treatment for Diabetic Skin Wounds?

08/14/2015 - Using ultrasound on skin wounds, which are a common problem for those with diabetes, can speed healing, according to a new study. Faster healing could help prevent the need for amputations.

Google + Dexcom = High-Tech, Low-Cost Diabetes Devices

08/13/2015 - Dexcom and the new Google Life Sciences company are teaming up to develop bandage-thin continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices. Google Life Sciences is one of the new companies that Google created under its restructured and newly named company, Alphabet.

The Coke Controversy: The Marketing Message That Could Spell Trouble for People Dealing with Diabetes and Obesity

08/11/2015 - Can people who are overweight or at risk for diabetes drop pounds and get healthy via exercise alone, without thinking about calories or what they eat? In the wake of a report in The New York Times about the Coca-Cola Company’s $1.5-million funding of the Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) and its researchers, experts say the group’s focus on burning calories through activity— and downplaying of the role food intake plays—could spell trouble for people with blood-sugar or weight concerns.

The Risks of Drinking Alcohol When Trying to Get Pregnant

08/11/2015 - A new study sheds light on the risk of women drinking alcohol while trying to conceive. The study on laboratory rats found an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the offspring of rats that were given alcohol around the time of conception.

Self-Monitoring Blood Sugar Improves Glucose Control Even in Type 2 Diabetes

08/06/2015 - People with type 2 diabetes who aren't on insulin can benefit from monitoring their own blood sugar, just as those on insulin can, according to new research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Diabulimia: The Diabetes Eating Disorder

08/05/2015 - An eating disorder unique to people with type 1 diabetes called diabulimia, has become more prevalent in recent years and been gaining attention among experts, according to Lorraine Platka-Bird, PhD, RD, a diabetes educator who will be discussing the condition at the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Annual Meeting in New Orleans this week.

Using Marijuana to Treat Diabetic Nerve Pain

07/29/2015 - A new randomized, controlled study from the University of California at San Diego finds that inhaling cannabis can blunt diabetic neuropathic pain for several hours.

Time to Rethink Thyroid Nodule Biopsies?

07/28/2015 - A new study makes a case for reducing the fairly aggressive surveillance that’s recommended for thyroid nodules. The results of the study, published in the journal JAMA, found that most thyroid nodules are very slow growing if they grow at all. Yet guidelines recommend frequent follow-up and testing to monitor the nodules for cancer.