Insulin News and Research

RSS

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.

Breakthrough on type 1 diabetes development

Finnish scientists have reported a breakthrough in the attempts to understand the development of type 1 diabetes.

17 Dec 2008

Psoriasis sufferers more likely to have higher levels of leptin

Patients with the skin disease psoriasis appear more likely to have higher levels of leptin (a hormone produced by fat cells that may contribute to obesity and other metabolic abnormalities) than persons without psoriasis, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology.

15 Dec 2008

Continuous positive airway pressure improves sleeping glucose levels in type 2 diabetics with obstructive sleep apnea

A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests that screening type 2 diabetes patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and treating those who have OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy could improve the management of their hyperglycemia and might favorably influence their long-term prognosis.

15 Dec 2008

Overactive brain enzyme may play role in preventing weight gain and obesity

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that overactivity of a brain enzyme may play a role in preventing weight gain and obesity.

14 Dec 2008

Estrogen therapy can help control metastatic breast cancer

For breast cancer survivors, the idea of taking estrogen pills is almost a taboo. In fact, their doctors give them drugs to get rid of the hormone because it can fuel the growth of breast cancer.

12 Dec 2008

Genetic links found between type 1 diabetes and celiac disease

Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes and celiac disease appear to share a common genetic origin, scientists at the University of Cambridge and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, have confirmed.

10 Dec 2008

Eating disorders in diabetic children

Children with diabetes are at an increased risk for developing eating disorders and researchers want to know if it's their disease or treatment that's to blame.

10 Dec 2008

Levels of insulin-related proteins indicate risk of death in some colorectal cancer patients

A pair of proteins may help explain why people with surgically removed colorectal cancer and who are overweight, physically inactive, and follow a Western-pattern diet may have an increased risk of dying of the disease or other causes, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in a new study.

8 Dec 2008

Non-invasive glucose monitoring system

Solianis has just finalised a test series in which patients with diabetes have worn the first configuration of the multisensor system for non-invasive Continuous Glucose Monitoring at home and at work.

8 Dec 2008

Nuts and Mediterranean diet appear to help metabolic syndrome

A traditional Mediterranean diet with an additional daily serving of mixed nuts appears to be useful for managing some metabolic abnormalities in older adults at high risk for heart disease, according to a report in the December 8/22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

8 Dec 2008

deCODE to integrate new genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes into its personal genome scan service

deCODE genetics has announced the discovery by an international consortium of scientists from deCODE and major European and US academic institutions of a single letter variation in the human genome (SNP) that is associated with increased fasting glucose levels and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

8 Dec 2008

Amylin, Lilly update on FDA review of Byetta (exenatide) injection monotherapy submission

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing with its review of the regulatory application for use of Byetta (exenatide) injection as stand-alone therapy (monotherapy) in people with type 2 diabetes who are not achieving acceptable blood sugar control.

8 Dec 2008

Study links cone death in retinitis pigmentosa to metabolic problem

Rods and cones coexist peacefully in healthy retinas. Both types of cells occupy the same layer of tissue and send signals when they detect light, which is the first step in vision.

8 Dec 2008

Genes for nine health indicators: Population study finds genetics clues

A new genome-wide study examines genetic variants associated with nine metabolic traits and is the first to draw out novel variants from a population unselected for current disease. The traits are indicators for common disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation and lipid levels.

7 Dec 2008