Insulin News and Research

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Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

Verapamil shows potential for preserving beta-cell function in type 1 diabetes

New research (the Ver-A-T1D trial) presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) (Vienna, 15-19 September) shows that slow-release (SR) verapamil (360mg daily) could have a potential effect on beta-cell function in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.

18 Sep 2025

New trial demonstrates efficacy of tirzepatide in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes

New research shows that that the diabetes/obesity medication tirzepatide can cause clinically meaningful improvements in blood sugar control and weight loss in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes aged 10-17 years whose diabetes and weight are inadequately controlled with an existing treatment regimen of metformin, insulin, or both.

18 Sep 2025

Daily orforglipron GLP-1 pill achieves over 11% weight loss in global obesity trial

In a phase 3 trial, once-daily oral orforglipron induced significant, dose-dependent weight loss over 72 weeks in adults with obesity but no diabetes. It also improved multiple cardiometabolic markers with a safety profile similar to other GLP-1 receptor agonists.

18 Sep 2025

Evening meals hold the key to morning glucose control in prediabetes

The way glucose is regulated at night plays a key role in fasting glucose levels the next morning, when blood sugar is expected to be at its lowest.

18 Sep 2025

Mediterranean diet may protect gums by reducing severe periodontitis

This study reveals that the Mediterranean diet may protect against periodontitis, highlighting its benefits for oral health and inflammation reduction.

18 Sep 2025

Peroxisomes identified as alternative heat producers in brown fat

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a novel way brown fat - an energy-burning form of fat - can rev the body's metabolic engine, consuming cellular fuel and producing heat in a way that improves metabolic health.

17 Sep 2025

GLP-1 drugs found to protect against diabetic retinopathy

GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs protect against diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that can lead to sight loss, suggests new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) and published in the journal Pharmaceutics.

17 Sep 2025

The mind-gut connection: How emotional eating affects GLP-1 drug success

GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic can be a lifeline for people with diabetes - helping stabilize blood glucose and lose weight which contributes to diabetes complications. But not everyone benefits equally.

17 Sep 2025

Lifestyle changes show promise in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 7.2 million Americans over age 65 currently live with Alzheimer's disease (AD). That number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060.

16 Sep 2025

Younger adults and men with type 2 diabetes face higher risk of sepsis

Living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may double the risk of developing sepsis-with those aged younger than 60 years and men particularly susceptible, according to a long-term community-based study in Australia, being presented at this year's Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Vienna (15-19 Sept).

16 Sep 2025

Gestational diabetes poses substantial cognitive dysfunction risks for both mothers and offspring

A new synthesis of global evidence finds that experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy is linked with a decline in intellectual function among mothers, and may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

15 Sep 2025

Cannabis use may quadruple the risk of developing diabetes

Cannabis use is linked to an almost quadrupling in the risk of developing diabetes, according to an analysis of real-world data from over 4 million adults, being presented at this year's Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 Sept).

15 Sep 2025

Keto diet reduces depression symptoms by 70% in college students

Research indicates a ketogenic diet may serve as an effective adjunct therapy for major depression in college students, improving mood and cognitive abilities.

15 Sep 2025

Ketogenic diets may lower migraine frequency and medication use

This narrative review argues that the migraine brain is hypometabolic, with converging evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired glucose handling, neuroinflammation, microbiome shifts, and obesity-related pathways. It proposes ketogenic diets as a plausible preventive strategy that may reduce monthly migraine days and medication use, while emphasizing the need for larger, rigorous randomized trials and careful clinical oversight.

14 Sep 2025

Smoking raises the risk of all subtypes of type 2 diabetes

The characteristics of type 2 diabetes vary from patient to patient and it has been proposed that the condition is made up of four subtypes. Now, new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) shows that smoking increases the risk of the condition, regardless of subtype.

13 Sep 2025

Scientists uncover how amino acids stabilize proteins in solution

For decades, amino acids have been added to medical formulations like insulin as stabilizers: these small molecules keep proteins (i.e. larger particles) from interacting in undesirable ways. And for decades, scientists have known that this works – but not why.

13 Sep 2025

Are GLP-1 drugs safe for women planning pregnancy?

A study reveals rising GLP-1 prescriptions in young women, highlighting low contraception use and potential risks for unintended pregnancies and fetal outcomes.

12 Sep 2025

Diabetes cases nearly double in children and teens worldwide

A dramatic increase in childhood diabetes cases highlights a global health crisis. While mortality declines, the rising incidence demands urgent attention.

12 Sep 2025

Study challenges conventional thinking about the onset of Type 2 diabetes

A study from The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center indicates that changes in the body that lead to Type 2 diabetes occur long before current diagnostic thresholds for prediabetes are met.

11 Sep 2025

Weill Cornell Medicine receives $3.4 million NIH grant to study type 1 diabetes development

Weill Cornell Medicine has received a four-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, for a study of the details and dynamics of the autoimmune process that causes type 1 diabetes.

11 Sep 2025