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.

UCLA researchers discover new way to prevent immunotherapy-induced type 1 diabetes

A team of researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified a potential new strategy to prevent, and even reverse, immune checkpoint inhibitor–induced type 1 diabetes, a rare but life-threatening side effect of cancer immunotherapy, using an existing class of autoimmune drugs.

8 Jul 2025

Tirzepatide tops the charts for blood sugar and weight loss in type 2 diabetes

A large network meta-analysis ranked eight GLP-1 receptor agonists for glycemic, weight, and safety outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide demonstrated the greatest efficacy for glucose control and weight loss, while liraglutide offered the lowest hypoglycemia risk.

7 Jul 2025

Flavonoid diversity, not just quantity, drives better health outcomes

This study reveals that diverse flavonoid intake is crucial for lowering chronic disease risk and mortality, advocating for a varied diet rich in flavonoids.

7 Jul 2025

Study elucidates relationship between Type 2 diabetes and salivary enzyme gene

A new Cornell University study brings additional clarity to the relationship between Type 2 diabetes and genes that express a salivary enzyme that breaks down starch.

4 Jul 2025

Early childhood weight and illness linked to future health risks in men

New research has shown how boys being overweight in early childhood or having chickenpox or another infectious disease in infancy may increase their risk of having chronic disease in later life.

3 Jul 2025

Are you at risk? Waist size, not weight, could affect fertility in women

Researchers found that higher relative fat mass (RFM), a measure of visceral body fat, is significantly associated with increased infertility risk in U.S. women aged 20–44. The study suggests RFM may be a more sensitive screening tool for infertility risk than traditional BMI, especially in women with normal weight but high visceral fat.

3 Jul 2025

Looking for a natural way to lower blood pressure? Whole grains might be the answer

A new meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found that higher whole grain intake is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing hypertension, with a 26% risk reduction observed between highest and lowest intake groups. In contrast, refined grain consumption showed no clear association with hypertension risk.

2 Jul 2025

Mediterranean diet wins on weight but misses on memory in diverse aging population

A 14-month randomized trial in older African American adults with obesity found that adopting a Mediterranean diet, with or without calorie-restricted weight loss, significantly improved diet quality and reduced body weight and visceral fat. However, no cognitive benefits were observed compared to usual diet.

2 Jul 2025

Plant-based fitness supplements for reversing metabolic syndrome

Research indicates that specific plant-based supplements, combined with exercise, can improve cardiometabolic markers in those at risk for metabolic syndrome.

2 Jul 2025

Could your pregnancy diet shape your child’s immune future?

Researchers found that a pro-inflammatory maternal diet during pregnancy was linked to a 16% increased risk of type 1 diabetes in offspring. This large Danish cohort study suggests that maternal dietary patterns may shape long-term autoimmune risk in children.

2 Jul 2025

Engineered protein silences harmful T cells in autoimmune disease

An engineered protein turns off the kind of immune cells most likely to damage tissue as part of Type-1 diabetes, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, shows a new study in mice.

1 Jul 2025

$Newer, more effective diabetes drugs reach only a fraction of patients$

Newer, more effective diabetes drugs reach only a fraction of patients

A UCSF analysis has found that the newer generation of much more effective diabetes medications are reaching only a fraction of the patients who are recommended to take them based on new guidelines.

1 Jul 2025

Coffee’s hidden compounds could help fight type 2 diabetes

A comprehensive review of nearly 150 studies reveals that coffee polyphenols may help regulate blood sugar and reduce inflammation linked to type 2 diabetes. However, most evidence comes from preclinical research, and robust clinical trials are needed to confirm benefits.

29 Jun 2025

Just 150 minutes of exercise a week could reverse prediabetes

Engaging in more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week quadrupled the odds of reversing prediabetes to normal glucose levels in Colombian adults. Higher BMI and HbA1c remained strong barriers to reversal, highlighting the power of lifestyle interventions.

29 Jun 2025

Advancing transdermal insulin delivery through innovative formulation strategies

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing and expected to become a major global health burden.

27 Jun 2025

Vegan diet lowers dietary acid load and promotes weight loss

Compared with a Mediterranean diet, dietary acid load decreased significantly on a low-fat vegan diet and was associated with weight loss, according to a randomized cross-over trial conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

27 Jun 2025

New guidance helps GPs manage patients using weight loss drugs

Academics at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have released guidance for GPs on how to manage patients who may be privately accessing weight loss drugs.

25 Jun 2025

New pretreatment method boosts islet transplant survival in diabetes

A pretreatment step could help transplanted pancreatic islets survive longer in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a new preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. One combination of small molecules extended the cells' lives in female mice, and adding two molecules to the mixture boosted cell survival in male mice.

25 Jun 2025

Working in people-contact roles increase risk of type 2 diabetes

The emotional demands and confrontation inherent in person-contact roles, involving direct face to face or voice to voice interaction with external parties, are linked to a heightened risk of type 2 diabetes, suggests research published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

25 Jun 2025

Is aspartame safe for blood sugar? Study answers the big question

A major systematic review and meta-analysis found that aspartame has little to no effect on blood glucose, insulin, or appetite-regulating hormones in humans. Evidence certainty is very low, with no significant long-term metabolic impact identified.

25 Jun 2025