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.

Researchers gain new insights into molecular mechanisms affected by weight gain

Until now there have been few molecular epidemiological studies regarding the effects of weight changes on metabolism in the general population. In a recent study conducted and funded within the framework of the Competence Network Obesity, researchers at the Institute of Epidemiology II at Helmholtz Zentrum München evaluated molecular data of the KORA study.

12 Mar 2015

New drug shows promise in driving insulin-producing beta cells to multiply

In a screen of more than 100,000 potential drugs, only one, harmine, drove human insulin-producing beta cells to multiply, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, funded by JDRF and the National Institutes of Health, and published online today in Nature Medicine.

10 Mar 2015

Researchers locate, narrow down genes that play role in Type 1 diabetes

The genes that increase the risk of Type 1 diabetes have lost their hiding place.

10 Mar 2015

Mother's age at childbirth may affect metabolic health of male children

A mother's age at childbirth may affect her male baby's birth weight as well as his adult glucose metabolism, new research shows.

9 Mar 2015

Testosterone, estrogen raise men's risk of heart disease

Why men have more heart disease than premenopausal women has been unclear, but a new study shows that the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen alter cardiovascular risk factors in a way that raises a man's risk of heart disease.

9 Mar 2015

Obese females with eating/behavioral characteristic have impaired metabolism

In obese females, a close relationship may exist between their disinhibition (detrimental eating and behavioral characteristics) that limits successful weight loss, and impaired metabolism, new research shows.

9 Mar 2015

People who quit smoking have improved metabolic effects, new study finds

People who quit smoking have improved metabolic effects, a new study finds. The results will be presented in a poster Thursday, March 5, at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.

9 Mar 2015

Even 30 minutes of sleep debt per day can promote obesity and insulin resistance

Losing as little as 30 minutes of sleep per day on weekdays can have long-term consequences for body weight and metabolism, a new study finds. The results will be presented Thursday, March 5, at ENDO 2015, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Diego.

9 Mar 2015

GC-1 experimental drug causes loss of weight and fat in mice

An experimental drug causes loss of weight and fat in mice, a new study has found. The study results will be presented Friday at the Endocrine Society's 97th annual meeting in San Diego.

9 Mar 2015

MBSR reduces fasting glucose, improves quality of life in overweight and obese women

A treatment known as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may decrease fasting glucose and improve quality of life in overweight and obese women, new research suggests.

9 Mar 2015

Genetically modified soybean oil has fewer negative metabolic consequences than regular soybean oil

A new soybean oil genetically modified to be healthier than conventional soybean oil causes obesity, pre-diabetes and fatty liver in a nearly identical manner to that of regular soybean oil when part of a typical American high-fat diet, an animal study shows.

6 Mar 2015

Oxytocin nasal spray helps healthy men reduce consumption of fatty foods

A synthetic nasal formulation of the hormone oxytocin reduced caloric intake in healthy men, particularly consumption of fatty foods, after a single treatment, a new study finds. The results, to be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 97th annual meeting in San Diego, confirm those of animal studies showing oxytocin reduces food intake.

6 Mar 2015

GM soybean oil as unhealthy as regular soybean oil, but may not cause insulin resistance

Soybean oil accounts for more than 90 percent of all the seed oil production in the United States. Genetically modified (GM) soybean oil, made from seeds of GM soybean plants, was recently introduced into the food supply on the premise that it is healthier than conventional soybean oil.

6 Mar 2015

Gut bacteria may help predict risk for diabetes

The composition of intestinal bacteria and other micro-organisms--called the gut microbiota--changes over time in unhealthy ways in black men who are prediabetic, a new study finds. The results will be presented Friday at the Endocrine Society's 97th annual meeting in San Diego.

5 Mar 2015

Researchers discover retina protein crucial for vision

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence, discovered a protein in the retina that is crucial for vision. The paper reports, for the first time, the key molecular mechanisms leading to visual degeneration and blindness.

5 Mar 2015

Teen-LABS study explores safety, health effects of surgical weight loss procedures

Cardiovascular risks of severe pediatric obesity, assessed among adolescents participating in the "Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery" (Teen-LABS) study, were published this week in JAMA Pediatrics. Teen-LABS is a multi-center clinical study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health that is examining the safety and health effects of surgical weight loss procedures.

3 Mar 2015

People with diabetes more prone to depression, anxiety

People with diabetes are more prone to anxiety and depression than those with other chronic diseases that require similar levels of management. The reasons for this aren't well understood, but Joslin Diabetes Center researchers have discovered one potential explanation.

2 Mar 2015

Early intervention with GLP-1 analogues may delay onset of type 2 diabetes

GLP-1 is a hormone that regulates glucose levels in the body by stimulating the secretion of insulin, and GLP-1 also inhibits appetite. "We have found that GLP-1 is reduced by up to 25% among people with pre-diabetes and up to 20% among obese people compared to normal weight people.

28 Feb 2015

Researchers successfully convert adult human skin cells into neurons that control appetite

Researchers have for the first time successfully converted adult human skin cells into neurons of the type that regulate appetite, providing a patient-specific model for studying the neurophysiology of weight control and testing new therapies for obesity.

28 Feb 2015

Feast-or-famine diet may extend lifespan, improve age-related diseases

University of Florida Health researchers have found that putting people on a feast-or-famine diet may mimic some of the benefits of fasting, and that adding antioxidant supplements may counteract those benefits.

27 Feb 2015

Insulin News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers gain new insights into molecular mechanisms affected by weight gain

New drug shows promise in driving insulin-producing beta cells to multiply

Researchers locate, narrow down genes that play role in Type 1 diabetes

Mother's age at childbirth may affect metabolic health of male children

Testosterone, estrogen raise men's risk of heart disease

Obese females with eating/behavioral characteristic have impaired metabolism

People who quit smoking have improved metabolic effects, new study finds

Even 30 minutes of sleep debt per day can promote obesity and insulin resistance

GC-1 experimental drug causes loss of weight and fat in mice

MBSR reduces fasting glucose, improves quality of life in overweight and obese women

Genetically modified soybean oil has fewer negative metabolic consequences than regular soybean oil

Oxytocin nasal spray helps healthy men reduce consumption of fatty foods

GM soybean oil as unhealthy as regular soybean oil, but may not cause insulin resistance

Gut bacteria may help predict risk for diabetes

Researchers discover retina protein crucial for vision

Teen-LABS study explores safety, health effects of surgical weight loss procedures

People with diabetes more prone to depression, anxiety

Early intervention with GLP-1 analogues may delay onset of type 2 diabetes

Researchers successfully convert adult human skin cells into neurons that control appetite

Feast-or-famine diet may extend lifespan, improve age-related diseases

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