Taking a daily dose of low-dose aspirin is widely recommended to lower the risk of heart attack. Cardiovascular issues are a common complication in patients with diabetes. A new study looked at the risk to patients who stop taking low dose aspirin. It found that risk of heart attack increased immediately after patients stopped taking […]
New research led by the American insurance company Anthem Inc. looked at how the SGLT-2 inhibitor drug class, which includes drugs like Invokana and Jardiance, compares to the drugs in the DPP-4 inhibitor class (such as Januvia and Tradjenta). The study found a significant reduction in heart failure hospitalizations among older patients at risk of […]
There’s been a lot in the news recently about the cardiovascular benefits of some of the newer, more expensive diabetes drugs, such as the SGLT-2 inhibitor class, which includes such brand-name drugs as Invokana and Jardiance. A recent study looked at two older, affordable, and commonly-prescribed types of drugs, to see how they compared. According […]
A new oral medication for type 1 diabetes, sotagliflozin, has been developed by Lexicon Pharmaceuticals; the company plans to file marketing applications worldwide in the first half of 2018. In trials, patients taking sotagliflozin in addition to insulin showed significant improvements in glucose control, a drop in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and weight loss. If […]
Experiments with a drug compound called TNP (also known as picric acid), used by researchers to study obesity and diabetes, show that in mice the therapy can promote the formation of new bone. This is important as many current drugs that help patients manage their diabetes can also weaken bones, leaving patients more vulnerable to […]
Metformin has long been considered exclusively a drug for type 2 diabetes, not useful for insulin-dependent patients with type 1. However, new studies have shown that the drug can help patients with type 1 reduce insulin requirements, maintain tighter glucose control, and lose weight. By keeping their glucose within goal range, patients can reduce their risk […]
A new drug from Novo Nordisk, Semaglutide, was tested in a head-to-head comparison with Eli Lilly’s Trulicity. Both medications belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists. This class of drug offers many benefits to patients with type 2 diabetes, as they can lower blood glucose while minimizing the chances of hypoglycemic events. A […]
Canagliflozin, (marketed under the brand names Invokana or Sulisent) is one of the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor class of drugs. Introduced relatively recently, these drugs have been widely studied for both their potential complications (kidney issues and amputation risk), and potential benefits for heart health. Now the CANVAS study finds canagliflozin significantly reduces risk for cardiovascular death, […]
With prediabetes and type 2 on the rise in the U.S., are pharma companies doing enough to develop new treatments? Harvard researchers argue that companies are doing less R&D into diabetes drugs than would be expected given the prevalence of the disease, and suggest FDA requirements to determine the cardiovascular safety of new drugs may […]
When it comes to increased risk of osteoporosis, not all diabetes drugs are the same. A new study looks at the connections between diabetes and osteoporosis, and suggests certain types of drugs should be avoided to reduce risk of bone loss. Read more
The diabetes drug metformin is reputed to have many beneficial effects. Researcher Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, believes it may be able to help us extend our years of healthy, illness-free life. Read more.
Amin Zayani has had type 1 diabetes for 11 years and relies on daily insulin injections. A couple of years ago he had a bad experience when his insulin suddenly seemed to stop working. He discovered that the cause was that, unknown to him, his insulin had frozen in the refrigerator, ruining its potency. To keep […]
Canagliflozin (marketed under the brand name Invokana) is one of a newer class of diabetes drugs, the SGLT-2 Inhibitors, that have received much attention in the last few years. Now a new study shows that patients taking canagliflozin have a significantly reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes when compared to placebo. Since most patients […]
A new study from Australia reports that the diabetes drug canagliflozen may have benefits beyond lowering blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. It also may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease significantly. Read more
A new study found the diabetes drug liraglutide performed better than placebo in reducing the risk that patients with prediabetes would progress to type 2 diabetes, when combined with a program of diet, exercise and weight loss. Read more
The UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has revised its type 2 diabetes guidelines to give more prominence to sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drugs as a treatment option. While a warning about the association of these drugs with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) remains, the guidelines offer stronger support of these drugs as treatments. Currently […]
Major pharma company Roche has made changes to its blood glucose monitoring system and introduced a new discounting offer, which is says could save uninsured diabetes patients thousands of dollars per year. This may be aimed to address the scrutiny drug companies are receiving over pricing, including the cost of insulin. Read more
The FDA has issued a new warning for the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (offered under the brand names Invokana, Invokamet, and Invokamet XR). Two large clinical trials have indicated the drug carries an increased risk of leg and foot amputations. The FDA advises patients taking canagliflozin to immediately notify their doctor if they experience new pain […]
Patients with diabetes sometimes don’t take their medications — including insulin — consistently or at the correct dose. How much of this “noncompliance” is due to financial concerns? A new study looks at the financial burden of out-of-pocket costs for patients with diabetes, and at how inability to afford medication impacts the choices diabetics make. Read more
A recent study has looked into whether Victoza and other drugs in its class (GLP-1 agonists) can help people with type 1 diabetes to lower their blood glucose levels and lower risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The study, conducted by researchers at the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center of Western New York, investigated whether Victoza could reduce production […]