diabetes

Published on: September 25, 2017

Diabetes Drug May Be Beneficial for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

A drug used to treat patients who suffer from diabetes may have the unexpected side effect of helping reduce early symptoms in persons who suffer from Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers at the University College London recently found that the drug exenatide, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2005 for the treatment of diabetes, also may benefit persons with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers studied the effects of the drug on diabetic patients as compared to a control group that was on a placebo. They found that the diabetic patients who were on the drug showed better motor function after treatment. Patients on the drug showed reduced signs of decline, compared to those on the placebo.

The study only included a limited number of participants, and the researchers acknowledged that larger group samples may further confirm the findings of the study.

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Published on: January 25, 2017

Scientists Retract Breakthrough Diabetes Study Findings

By Lisa Siegel

A scientific study published three years ago that claimed to have found breakthrough results in the search for a cure for diabetes has now been retracted.

The article titled Betatrophin: A Hormone that Controls Pancreatic Cell Proliferation was widely acclaimed when it was published back in 2013. According to researchers at that time, they had identified a new hormone that could help boost the secretion of insulin in diabetes patients, thereby making it unnecessary for patients to take insulin injections.

However, the group has now admitted that since then, research from another group has failed to replicate the findings of the earlier study. The earlier study had been conducted on rodents. Now, the researchers have voluntarily retracted their 2013 study, and have confirmed that their earlier conclusion was wrong.

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Published on: February 28, 2015

Diabetes Linked to Accelerated Cognitive Decline: Will I Qualify for Disability Benefits?

By Lisa Siegel

According to new research in the Annals of Internal Medicine Journal, people who are unable to control their diabetes are much more likely to experience a faster rate of cognitive decline. This would include the onset of symptoms such as poor memory, poor word recall, and impaired functioning. According to the recent study, approximately 19% of the participants who were analyzed were found to experience such symptoms. In fact, researchers found that these participants experienced cognitive decline five years earlier than people who did not suffer from diabetes.

Cognitive decline can be extremely difficult for an individual, and it is often associated with dementia. A large number of studies now link diabetes to dementia. For example, one study found that people who suffer from Type II diabetes have a higher risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Controlling diabetes is critical, and studies continue to point to the serious long-term health consequences of failure to control blood sugar levels.

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