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.

No added benefit from linagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Linagliptin has been approved since August 2011 to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The assessment of the new dossier according to the German Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) again showed that no added benefit of the drug over the appropriate comparator therapy (ACT) can be determined, because the pharmaceutical company has not submitted any relevant studies.

31 Jan 2013

Increasing age, male sex and adiposity risk factors for metabolic syndrome in children

Metabolic syndrome is more likely to affect children who are obese than overweight or non-overweight and who have other characteristics associated with the disorder, such as high blood pressure or insulin resistance. A new comprehensive and systematic review of the medical literature on metabolic syndrome in children that probed deeper to evaluate the risk associated with gender, ethnicity, and geography was published in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

31 Jan 2013

Binge drinking causes insulin resistance and increases risk of Type 2 diabetes

Binge drinking causes insulin resistance, which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to the results of an animal study led by researchers at the Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

31 Jan 2013

Timing of meals predicts weight-loss effectiveness

Most weight-loss plans center around a balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. However, new research has shed light on a new factor that is necessary to shed pounds: timing. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), in collaboration with the University of Murcia and Tufts University, have found that it's not simply what you eat, but also when you eat, that may help with weight-loss regulation.

30 Jan 2013

Coming out might offer health benefits for lesbians, gays and bisexuals

30 Jan 2013

Mice with mitochondrial mutation live longer, have less fat

If findings of a new study in mice are any indication, it might be possible to fine-tune cellular powerhouses called mitochondria, tweaking one aspect to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce body and fat mass, and even extend life. Exploiting this target could one day lead to novel treatments for type 2 diabetes - an endocrine system disease that affects 8 percent of the U.S. population. The research also points to promising new avenues of investigation in the biology of aging.

30 Jan 2013

Coming out of the closet helps reduce depressive symptoms and allostatic load levels in LGBs

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal. Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body. When chronically strained, cortisol contributes to the 'wear and tear' exerted on multiple biological systems. Taken together, this strain is called "allostatic load".

29 Jan 2013

Study sheds light on why enticing pictures of food affect us less when we are full

New research from the University of British Columbia is shedding light on why enticing pictures of food affect us less when we're full.

29 Jan 2013

Dual-hormone artificial pancreas shows promise against type 1 diabetes

IRCM researchers, led by endocrinologist Dr. R-mi Rabasa-Lhoret, were the first to conduct a trial comparing a dual-hormone artificial pancreas with conventional diabetes treatment using an insulin pump and showed improved glucose levels and lower risks of hypoglycemia.

29 Jan 2013

Minimally invasive islet transplantation reverses progression of atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetics

Minimally invasive islet transplantation for patients with type 1 diabetes achieves insulin independence and reverses the progression of atherosclerosis in the first few years after transplant, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago study.

29 Jan 2013

FDA approves Takeda’s NESINA, OSENI and KAZANO for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NESINA (alogliptin) and the fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapies OSENI (alogliptin and pioglitazone) and KAZANO (alogliptin and metformin HCl) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults as adjuncts to diet and exercise.

28 Jan 2013

Takeda receives FDA approval for Nesina, Kazano and Oseni to treat type 2 diabetes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved three new related products for use with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes: Nesina (alogliptin) tablets, Kazano (alogliptin and metformin hydrochloride) tablets, and Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone) tablets.

28 Jan 2013

Neuronal reprogramming may help treat neurodegenerative diseases

A new finding by Harvard stem cell biologists turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head - demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated neuron into another within the brain.

22 Jan 2013

New imaging method for study of insulin-producing cells in diabetes

A new imaging method for the study of insulin-producing cells in diabetes among other uses is now being presented by a group of researchers at Umeå University in Sweden in the form of a video in the biomedical video journal, The Journal of Visualized Experiments.

21 Jan 2013

Intestinal bacteria can produce biochemicals and hormones that stop development of diabetes

All humans have enormous numbers of bacteria and other micro-organisms (10 to 14) in the lower intestine. In fact our bodies contain about ten times more bacteria than our own cells and these tiny passengers are extremely important for our health. They help us digest our food and provide us with energy and vitamins.

19 Jan 2013

Early life exposure to gut microbes protects against autoimmune disease

Early life exposure to normal bacteria of the GI tract (gut microbes) protects against autoimmune disease in mice, according to research published on-line in the January 17 edition of Science. The study may also have uncovered reasons why females are at greater risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus compared to males.

18 Jan 2013

Longer looks: 'Bad suga' damages a neighborhood; A nurse's dying gift; Are ethical guidelines impeding patient care?

Bad suga' is devastating my neighborhood of North Lawndale, one of Chicago's poorest communities. Diabetes is commonly called "bad suga'" in many African American communities like the one where I grew up and live today.

18 Jan 2013

BPA adversely affects kidney function in children

Children with high levels of exposure to bisphenol A are at increased risk for low-grade albuminuria, report researchers.

16 Jan 2013

Biguanide mechanism discovered

Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism by which biguanides exert their glucose-lowering effect, potentially leading to new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of diabetes and insulin resistance.

14 Jan 2013

Blocking TRIP-Br2 gene protects against obesity and insulin resistance

Scientists observed that blocking the expression of the gene TRIP-Br2 in mice protects them against obesity and insulin resistance. The study shows that the gene modulates fat storage by regulating energy expenditure and lipolysis, the process which transforms fat into lipids for the body's energy consumption.

11 Jan 2013