A recent study found that metformin use was associated with impaired cognitive performance and vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 and calcium supplements may help to reduce metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency, and were associated with better cognitive outcomes in older patients taking metformin. Read more
The SGLT2 inhibitors class of diabetes drugs appear to increase the risk of gangrene of the genital area, a rare but potentially fatal side effect. The FDA found 55 cases of the condition, called Fournier gangrene, in people taking three common types of SGTL2 inhibitors, between March 2013 and January 2019. Read more
Results from a new study led by the University of Edinburgh and UCL suggests men taking the medicines dutasteride or finasteride to reduce the symptoms of prostate disease may be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Read more
Two widely used drugs for treating an enlarged prostate may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A study examined of two similar drugs, finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), in 39,000 men; the 11-year study used 16,000 men taking tamsulosin (Flomax), a different type of drug for B.P.H., as controls. Compared with those using […]
Clinical trials are really stopped early, but the phase 3 trial of “Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation” a.k.a. CREDENCE, was halted early due to demonstration of significant heart and kidney benefits for canagflozin, (Invokana, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.). Read more
Many medications can potentially impact your ability to be physically active. Although most drugs do not affect exercise, several common nondiabetes medications do have potential effects on exercise, including statins, beta-blockers, diuretics, vasodilators, and blood thinners. Read more
There’s been much recent discussion about whether taking the diabetes drug metformin has health benefits for people who don’t have diabetes. Some leading experts in diabetes medicine offer their opinions and recommendations on whether or not more people should be taking metformin. Read more
Taking diabetes medication to treat type 2 diabetes may also help keep Alzheimer’s disease away. A recent study found that patients with untreated diabetes developed signs of Alzheimer’s disease 1.6 times faster than people who did not have diabetes. Read more
On March 20, 2019, Novo Nordisk announced the official submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the oral tablet semaglutide, a once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue. In trials, oral semaglutide caused reductions in both HbA1c and body weight when compared to placebo. Read more
Metformin has not been well studied in patients with impaired kidney function, as it was considered unsafe for use in individuals with moderate or severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the FDA has revised this position, and they have concluded that metformin can be used safely in patients with mild impairment in kidney function and […]
People with schizophrenia have a 20-year shorter lifespan than people without the condition, and diabetes is one cause of this shorter lifespan. Medications for schizophrenia can affect some patient’s with metabolic disturbances: increased weight gain, impaired glucose tolerance and new onset diabetes. Lifestyle risks are also involved, but the direct and indirect effects of the […]
Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, an injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist drug, achieved its primary goal in a Phase 3b study of type 2 diabetes patients already on treatment with an SGLT-2 inhibitor, proving more effective than placebo in lowering blood sugar. Ozempic also achieved the study’s secondary goal, helping patients lose more weight over 30 weeks than […]
Eli Lilly and Co announced that they will sell a half-price version of the popular insulin injection Humalog. The new product will be called Insulin Lispro; Humalog will remain available for those who wish to use it through existing insurance plans. The move comes as many major drugmakers, including Lilly, have received criticism from patients […]
A large study found that patients taking statins had a significantly lower rate of diabetic retinopathy than patients in the non-statin group. Statin therapy was also associated with reduced risks for major adverse cardiovascular events and new-onset diabetic foot ulcers. Read more
Members of an FDA panel assessing whether to approve Sanofi’s new drug, Zynquista, could not agree. On January 17, 2019, the panel was evenly split, 8-8, on whether the drug’s benefits outweighed its risks. The drug will receive its verdict from the FDA by March 22. If it’s approved, Zynquista, a dual inhibitor targeting both […]
It’s very common to experience uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects from metformin, even if you’ve been taking the drug for years and didn’t have problems before. A diabetes educator shares some tips on what steps to take if metformin is causing gastric distress. Read more
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a new combination of two classes of drugs that induces the highest rate of proliferation ever observed in adult human beta cells—the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. The result is an important step toward a diabetes treatment that can restore the […]
Two types of drugs widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes in order to lower blood sugar levels may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, according to new research. The first, sulfonylureas, are oral medications that cause the body to release more insulin; they have been in use since the 1950s. The […]
A new study that looked at treatment with metformin and pioglitazone in people with prediabetes found that the drugs significantly delayed progression to diabetes in some patients. However, additional long-term studies will need to be done before the FDA can approve these medications for at-risk patients. Read more
Metformin, also called Glucophage, is prescribed to more than 120 million people with diabetes worldwide. The drug works by reducing the amount of glucose produced by the liver and by increasing a patient’s sensitivity to insulin. However, a recent study found that in about 10% of patients taking metformin, it is also causing varying degrees […]