Earlier studies have substantiated the role of diverse systemic factors, including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Now, the results of a randomized trial, conducted by the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) Study Group and ACCORD Eye Study Group reports that intensive glycemic control and a combination lipid therapy, using fenofibrate plus simvastatin, could be effective in reducing the rate of the progression of diabetic retinopathy. The study findings, published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, rules out the effect of intensive blood pressure regulation in attenuating the disease progression. Continue Reading

Previous studies have suggested a direct association between hyperinsulinemia and mammalian carcinogenesis. Now, a recent population-based nested case-controlled study, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, concludes an elevated risk for contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in diabetics diagnosed with primary breast cancer, perhaps indicating the need for additional screening of breast cancer survivors. Continue Reading

A recent breakthrough study reports the development of a blood test that helps predict the approximate age at which a woman would attain menopause. The findings of this population-based cohort study were presented at the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) held at Rome from 27^th to 30^th June 2010. The researchers are hopeful that the test could help women determine the age at which they reach menopause and accordingly plan their motherhood. Continue Reading

The hypoglycemic effect of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists, has been proven through various well-designed clinical trials. However, since they are reported to cause fluid retention, guidelines from international medical bodies caution the use of these drugs in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV heart failure (HF). Now, data obtained from a multi-center open-label trial further corroborates the enhanced risk for HF events in type 2 diabetic patients on rosiglitazone medication. The results of the Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of Glycaemia in Diabetes (RECORD) study, published in the recent issue of the European Heart Journal, support the warnings put forth for the use of TZDs in diabetic patients on treatment with metformin or sulfonylurea mono or combined therapy. Continue Reading

Various studies have established smoking as a prominent and independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, and death linked to cardiovascular and coronary diseases. Although smoking is considered a predictor of type 2 diabetes, the effect of cessation on diabetes risk was unclear. Now, a recent prospective cohort study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine reports an elevated short-term risk for developing type 2 diabetes in individuals who quit smoking. Continue Reading

Onglyza (saxagliptin | Bristol-Myers Squibb-Astra Zeneca), a selective reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. Continue Reading

Plasma levels of adiponectin have been found to effectively predict glycemic efficacy in healthy as well as type 2 diabetic patients undergoing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-agonist treatment. The findings of the study, conducted by the Biomarker Consortium, a public-private partnership under the management of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, are published in the online issue of the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Continue Reading

The advent of insulin marks one of the greatest innovations for the treatment of diabetes, in achieving and maintaining normoglycemic conditions to delay or abate the progression of associated complications. Following the development of analogs to human insulin, various studies have demonstrated proliferative and anti-apoptotic activity associated with the analogs in vitro. Now, in a recent cohort study published in the online journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Diabetologia, German researchers have suggested a link between the use of the insulin analog glargine and the incidence of cancer; the risk being dose-dependent, when compared to human insulin. Continue Reading

Central precocious puberty (CPP) is characterized by the early onset of puberty before the age of 8 in girls and 9 years in boys. Early, basal levels of gonadotropin using radioimmunoassays were measured to diagnose CPP. Owing to its inability to differentiate prepuberty from puberty, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH analog (GnRHa) stimulation testing were established as the gold standard for confirming central precocious puberty. Additionally, third-generation assays were found to be more specific and sensitive. However, the techniques are associated with increased time consumption and discomfort to the patient, validating the need for a simple and convenient laboratory method. Now, a study published in the online issue of Pediatrics, has shown that majority of girls with CPP can be diagnosed with a single basal (unstimulated) luteinizing hormone (LH) level, using either of the 2 third-generation assays: solid-phase 2-step fluoroimmunometric assay or microparticle 2-step immunoassay. Continue Reading

Exercise during pregnancy could be beneficial for improving fetal breathing movements and also for autonomous nervous system development, according to a study presented at The American Physiological Society, annual meeting held during April 18-22, 2009, at the New Orleans Convention Center, Louisiana. Continue Reading