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Study Finds Lower Death Rates for People with Diabetes
Death rates for people with diabetes—especially due to heart disease and stroke—dropped significantly from 1997 to 2006. Although rates of heart disease and stroke are declining for all U.S. adults, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the rates are dropping faster for adults with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. Recent CDC studies also found declining rates of kidney failure, lower extremity amputations, and hospitalization for heart disease and stroke among people with diabetes.
Improved medical management of diabetes and heart disease contributed to the decline, as well as prevention efforts such as the National Diabetes Education Program, a joint effort of the CDC and the NIH, and the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a public-private partnership led by the CDC.
NIH Study Shows Big Improvement in Diabetes Control over Past Decades
More people are meeting recommended goals in the three key markers of diabetes control, according to a study conducted and funded by the NIH and the CDC. The measures are A1C—which assesses blood sugar (glucose) over the previous three months—blood pressure and cholesterol.
The report, published online in Diabetes Care, shows that, from 1988 to 2010, the number of people with diabetes able to meet or exceed all three of the measures that demonstrate good diabetes management rose from about 2 percent to about 19 percent. Each measure also showed substantial improvement, with over half of people meeting each individual goal in 2010.
Despite improvement, the results show continued need for better diabetes control. In particular, young people and some minority groups were below average in meeting the goals.
Researchers Induce Beta Cell Gene Expression in Pancreatic Alpha Cells
Researchers treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin have induced the expression of beta cell genes in pancreatic alpha cells.
Diabetes is caused by insufficient numbers of insulin-producing beta cells. Recent studies have noted that alpha cell production of excess glucagon, which elevates blood glucose, is an important feature of diabetes etiology.
The researchers believe that reprogramming alpha cells into beta cells may one day offer a path to cell replacement therapies for type 2 diabetes. Results of the study, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, were published online March 1 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
“This would be a win-win situation for diabetics—they would have more insulin-producing beta cells and there would be fewer glucagon-producing alpha cells,” says lead author Klaus H. Kaestner, Ph.D., professor of Genetics and member of the Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
New and Updated Publications
Previous Issues of Diabetes Research and News
April 2013
New Diabetes Materials Available for Health Care Instructors, Consumers
Be Active When You Have Diabetes, a new booklet and instructor's guide, helps people with diabetes learn about the health benefits of being physically active and ways to increase their activity level. The very easy-to-read booklet, written at a second- to third-grade reading level, contains tools to help consumers create and manage a physical activity plan, record target goals, and track their activities. Be Active When You Have Diabetes: A Guide for Instructors is the companion instructor's guide developed for use in one-on-one or small group patient education. The flipbook provides color illustrations and simple teaching points on the corresponding instructor pages. The booklet and instructor's guide, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' (NIDDK's) National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), include a list of resources from the NDIC, the National Diabetes Education Program, the NIDDK Weight-control Information Network, and the National Institute on Aging. |
NIH Collaborates with India on Diabetes Research EffortThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) is partnering with the Indian Council of Medical Research to collaborate on diabetes research and ways to improve prevention and treatment. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services signed a joint statement with India's Health and Family Welfare Minister to begin a formal research relationship. "Both the United States and India have a vested interest in improving our understanding of and treatment for diabetes, and in finding economical ways to do both," said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P. "Initiating this research relationship will enable both countries to share expertise and engage each other in research to lessen the burden of diabetes—in the U.S., India, and around the world." The NIDDK will lead the U.S. role in the collaboration. In February 2013, the NIDDK and the Indian Council of Medical Research held a scientific workshop to identify opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in high-priority diabetes research areas of joint interest. A summary of the workshop can be found in the recent NIDDK Director's Update. |
NIDDK Seeks Director for the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention ProgramThe NIDDK is looking for a talented and experienced program officer (medical officer) to serve in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (DEM) as director of the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program and as a senior scientific advisor to the NIDDK for human subject research in type 2 diabetes. The incumbent would be responsible for the scientific and administrative management of a portfolio that may include multicenter and single-site clinical studies, and for the development of joint research activities with other government organizations. An appropriate applicant must possess an M.D. or equivalent degree, and expertise in endocrinology, internal medicine, or another specialty relevant to diabetes. Strong candidates should have conducted independent research, and be able to demonstrate the knowledge and insight needed to identify important scientific opportunities in diabetes research and to participate in the design of clinical trials or observational studies. Experience in translational research is also desirable. The NIDDK Medical Officer vacancy announcement for this position will be posted April 5–16, 2013, at www.jobs.nih.gov/. Search for announcement number NIH-NIDDK-DH-15-855001 in the "Search for NIH Jobs" box. For questions or information about this and upcoming position openings in DEM for talented medical officers (M.D.) to manage clinical studies and program directors (M.D. or Ph.D.) to help move basic research discoveries toward disease prevention and treatment, please contact DEM Director Dr. Judith Fradkin at fradkinj@mail.nih.gov. Find other exciting new job opportunities at the NIDDK! Check back often to view vacancies, updated regularly, as positions are advertised for 5–10 days. For more information, go to: www2.niddk.nih.gov/AboutNIDDK/NIDDKJobOpportunities/. NIDDK, NIH, and DHHS are equal opportunity employers. |
New and Updated Publications
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October 2012
DPP Finds Lifestyle Change, Metformin are Cost-EffectiveOutcomes and Cost Analysis Published in Diabetes Care
Programs to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults would result in fewer people developing diabetes and lower health care costs over time, researchers conclude in a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The programs were tested in the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) clinical trial over 10 years. "We don’t often see new therapies that are more effective and at the same time less costly than usual care, as was the case with metformin in the DPP," said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P., director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). |
Fraud Alert for People with DiabetesPeople with diabetes are becoming targets in a scheme to steal their money and personal information. Criminals are calling people with diabetes to request financial data or Medicare account information with the promise of "free" diabetes supplies, like test strips, glucose meters, or lancets, among others. As part of the scam, the callers pretend to represent the Government, well-known diabetes organizations, or Medicare. Health and Human Services urges people not to share their information and to report the call to the Office of Inspector General 1-800-HHS-TIPS. |
Weight Loss and Fitness Reduce the Risk of Lost Mobility
Weight loss and increased physical fitness nearly halved the risk of losing mobility in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes, according to 4-year results from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. "This study of mobility highlights the value of finding ways to help adults with type 2 diabetes keep moving as they age. We know that when adults lose mobility, it becomes difficult for them to live on their own, and they are likely to develop more serious health problems, increasing their health care costs," said Mary Evans, Ph.D., project scientist for the study. |
New and Updated Publications |
April 2012
Diagnosing Diabetes with the A1C TestNew NIDDK A1C Test Fact Sheet Now Available
Check out The A1C Test and Diabetes, a new fact sheet from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The A1C test is a convenient test that offers important information about an individual’s long-term blood glucose control. The fact sheet addresses how to interpret results of the A1C test and also describes the accuracy of the test. The publication provides information that is particularly relevant in light of new recommendations to use the A1C test to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Blood tests, such as the A1C test, are especially important because at first, a person may have no symptoms of diabetes or prediabetes. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important in preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications. |
Research May Lead to Diabetes Drugs with Fewer Side EffectsIn an effort to cultivate a new generation of diabetes drugs with fewer side effects, NIDDK-funded scientists developed compounds that successfully reduced glucose levels and increased insulin sensitivity in mice. The research was based in part on the effective mechanisms at work in thiazolidinediones such as Avandia and Actos, which have helped patients achieve lower blood glucose levels, but which in recent years have also come to be known for dangerous side effects such as fluid retention, bone loss, weight gain, bladder cancer, and congestive heart failure. |
New Publications |
Page last updated June 5, 2013
