What’s new in Diabetes?

Diabetes is the inability to metabolize sugar properly, which is called glucose — so it builds up in the blood. Type II has increased greatly. In just the last 10 years, the number of Americans diagnosed with Type II Diabetes has more than doubled, to 14.7 million, and the government estimates that over 5 million others have it and don’t know it.

It is estimated that 10% of all patients on a medical floor of a hospital has diabetes and 50% of patients on a vascular surgery service have diabetes. Complications of diabetes include kidney failure, blindness, loss of fingers, toes and feet, stroke and heart disease.

The newest medication, that may be on the market by 2009 is from Novo Nordisk, called liraglutide, which, in studies, have been administered by injection.

Presented at the latest American Diabetes Association scientific meeting in Washington, researchers from Novo Nordisk reported on their latest study of liraglutide. Results showed that Liraglutide lowers blood sugars and HgbA1C and that patients injected with the highest dose lost an average of 6.6 pounds over the 14 week study, compared with a loss of just 2.6 pounds in the placebo group. Risk of hypoglycemia was reduced, and an unexpected surprise was blood pressure was also reduced.

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