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.

Brain may have important influences on glucose metabolism and insulin action

An appetite-suppressing chemical also improves glucose tolerance and lowers insulin levels in obese and diabetic mice, researchers report in the November issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

13 Nov 2007

Trial looks at ability of insulin to limit heart-tissue damage during a heart attack

The ability of insulin to limit heart-tissue damage during a heart attack will be tested in a landmark clinical trial led by Paresh Dandona, M.D., Ph.D., University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

13 Nov 2007

Diet type linked to cognitive decline and dementia

Research has shown convincing evidence that dietary patterns practiced during adulthood are important contributors to age-related cognitive decline and dementia risk.

6 Nov 2007

Skipping meals to lose weight

Foregoing food for a day each month stood out among other religious practices in members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormons), who have lower rates of heart disease than other Americans, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Brain appears to play important role in glucose metabolism and insulin action

6 Nov 2007

Inflammation causes insulin resistance not obesity

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that inflammation provoked by immune cells called macrophages leads to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

6 Nov 2007

Fat cells release a protein that aids insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells

The body's fat cells help the pancreas do its job of secreting insulin, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

6 Nov 2007

Childhood BMI rebound influences heart disease late in life

The earlier in life children reach their lowest body mass index (BMI) signals potential heart disease risk factors and may become evident as early as age 7, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

Impact of various diabetes treatments on patients' health after heart attack.

Mayo Clinic researchers helped clarify a growing concern about the link between diabetes mellitus treatments and heart attack with the first large, population-based study showing that a group of common medications does not reduce diabetic patients' heart attack survival rates.

6 Nov 2007

U-M study finds shorter sleep duration for 9- to 12-year-old kids is associated with increased risk for being overweight

Diets high in fat and sugar may not be the only things contributing to American children's expanding waistlines. Research findings from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital suggest that kids who aren't getting enough sleep also may be at an increased risk for being overweight.

5 Nov 2007

New study demonstrates that mindfulness techniques promote health for diabetes patients

A new study has found that patients with diabetes are routinely taught to manage their disease but will be more successful if also taught how to deal with the fear, sadness and anger that comes from having it.

5 Nov 2007

New understanding of gestational diabetes

A protein in the pancreas is giving researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine their first chance at cracking the code that determines how diabetes develops during pregnancy, a finding that could lead to new treatments for all forms of diabetes.

2 Nov 2007

Increased glucose level is a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer

Diabetes is a very common illness that affects more than 20 million people in the U.S. and it is estimated an additional 54 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2007

High-fat diet makes mice susceptible to liver injury

A high fat diet may kill regulatory T cells in the liver, allowing steatosis (simple fatty liver) to develop into steatohepatitis (fatty liver with inflammation), according to the results of a new study in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

2 Nov 2007

Research identifies two genes that may play a role in insulin resistance

New research from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) identifies two genes that may play a role in insulin resistance, opening a new avenue for researchers searching for treatments for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

28 Oct 2007

A new source of islet cells

The shortage of islet cells limits the development of islet transplantation. One new approach was reported in the October 21 issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology because of its great significance in enhancing the output of islet cells.

25 Oct 2007

Stem cells from a person's own umbilical cord effectively treat blood and immune disorders, juvenile diabetes

Two separate data abstracts displayed at the annual scientific meeting of the AABB - an international association of medical professionals and institutions focused on transfusion, transplantation and cellular therapy - highlight the increasing therapeutic use of autologous (one's own) cord blood stem cells for transplant and regenerative medicine, including treatments for blood and immune disorders, juvenile diabetes and neurological repair.

22 Oct 2007