Blood Sugar News and Research

RSS

Blood sugar concentration, or glucose level, refers to the amount of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. Normally, in mammals the blood glucose level is maintained at a reference range between about 3.6 and 5.8 mM (mmol/l). It is tightly regulated as a part of metabolic homeostasis.

Avandia too risky says expert

One of the members of the advisory panel set up to discuss the future of the diabetes pill Avandia says it should be removed from the market because it is too risky and offers no advantage over other alternatives.

30 Jul 2007

Metformin gets top grade for diabetes

A type 2 diabetes drug taken orally and in widespread use for more than a decade has been found to have distinct advantages over nine other, mostly newer medications used to control the chronic disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins.

26 Jul 2007

Diabetes epidemic in New York City

The diabetes epidemic is taking a large and growing toll on New York City, a new Health Department report shows, as death rates, debilitating complications, and hospitalization costs soar.

25 Jul 2007

Being elderly and illiterate means a significantly higher mortality rate

Researchers in the U.S. have found that being elderly and being unable to read and understand basic health information is a bad combination.

24 Jul 2007

Good diet + exercise = less insulin in the brain and a longer life!

Scientists in the U.S. say reducing the action of insulin in the brain could well be the secret to longevity.

22 Jul 2007

Keeping food cravings in check important for weight management

Accepting food cravings and keeping them in check may be an important component of weight management, according to findings from the first six-month phase of a calorie-restriction study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.

19 Jul 2007

Review of Rosiglitazone for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Little evidence supports using rosiglitazone (Avandia) to improve the quality or length of life among adults with diabetes, according to a systematic review of data by German researchers.

18 Jul 2007

Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity

Put aside the white bread and pick up an apple. A diet of foods less likely to spike blood sugar levels helps dieters lose more weight, according to a new systematic review from Australia.

18 Jul 2007

Poor information on diet, but exercise seems good for adult type 2 diabetes

There are no high quality data to assess how well dietary treatments for type 2 diabetes work in people who have just been told they have the disease, but there is evidence that taking on exercise seems to be one way of improving blood sugar levels, according to the findings of a Cochrane Systematic Review.

18 Jul 2007

Analysis of diabetes drugs

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Jul 2007

Gene detectives discover culprit for type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have discovered a gene they believe is the culprit in a person developing type 1 diabetes.

16 Jul 2007

New gene found for type 1 diabetes in children

Pediatrics researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk for type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes.

16 Jul 2007

Dietary glycemic index linked to risk of vision loss

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its associated vision loss may be connected to the quality of carbohydrates an individual consumes.

12 Jul 2007

Incretin-based therapy offers alternative option for treating type 2 diabetes

A review of previous studies indicates that use of a class of medications known as “incretin-based therapy”, which act via certain pathways that affect glucose metabolism may provide modest effectiveness and favorable weight change outcomes for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and may represent an alternative to other hypoglycemic therapies.

11 Jul 2007

Colesevelam HCl hits diabetes with one-two punch

Patients with type 2 diabetes may soon be able to control their glucose and their cholesterol levels with a single drug, according to a study led by Vivian A.

9 Jul 2007

Chemical in brain acts like a fuel gauge

The concept that a drop in blood sugar triggers a craving for food is best understood just before lunchtime. But exactly how the process unfolds has proven difficult to explain, even on a full stomach.

9 Jul 2007

Rimonabant may prevent and treat obesity-related liver disease

A new study on the effect of the anti-obesity drug rimonabant on liver function in obese rats found that it reduced markers of liver damage, decreased levels of pro-inflammatory proteins, and improved lipid profiles.

4 Jul 2007

Complementary and alternative therapies for diabetes

People with diabetes are risking their health by not discussing their use of complementary and alternative therapies with the health professionals managing their conventional treatment.

4 Jul 2007

Chocolate lovers rejoice - it lowers the blood pressure!

Chocolate lovers have a good reason to rejoice - new research says dark chocolate helps to keep the blood pressure down.

4 Jul 2007

Inhaled insulin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Inhaled insulin, taken before meals, can improve blood glucose control for people with type 2 diabetes who have not had good results with short-acting injected insulin that is taken in addition to the baseline insulin administered throughout the day and night, according to a new review of the body of published research.

29 Jun 2007