Type 2 diabetics benefit from glucose monitoring

Type 2 diabetics can make improvements to their glucose control even if they aren't on insulin, according to research presented at the Americian Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

The research indicates that by having a personalised glucose testing regime in place, Type 2 diabetics feel motivated to watch their diet more carefully and to take their medications. Glucose monitoring also encouraged Type 2 diabetics to be more active. This makes it possible for Type 2 diabetics to lower their blood sugar levels and to reap the benefits of improved glucose control.

Diabetes educator Dana Brackney, PhD, RN, CDE, assistant professor of nursing at Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C, said:

"Participants in this study said that sticking to a regular SMBG schedule really helped them to know where their blood levels were and take appropriate action, such as adding physical activity or choosing a healthy snack."

“They said it helped them accept that they had diabetes, but also feel confident that they could control it rather than letting it control them.”

Although the study was small, the results are ecnouraging. The 11 participants were able to bring their A1C levels down from an average of 7.3 per cent to 6.2 per cent.

Type 2 diabetics are often told they do not need to test their glucose levels, but the study shows the value of glucose testing for Type 2 diabetics.

Source: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/638062/?sc=mwhn

Smart Insulin in Development

Imagine a "smart insulin" that acts in accordance to the body's natural highs and lows in blood sugar levels. As a type one diabetic, it would be a dream come true, and it is a dream that has moved one step closer to reality.

A team at the University of Utah have been testing Ins-PBA-F out on a mouse model; he insulin activates when the blood sugar increases, helping to effectively manage the peaks in blood sugars. Each injection will be active for at least 14 hours and it is said to be faster acting than Levimir.

Early trials show that when used in mouse models, the "smart" insulin works just as well as the insulin produced by healthy mice.

Co-first author Danny Chou, Ph.D., USTAR investigator and assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, said:

"This is an important advance in insulin therapy,"

However, as Chou goes on to explain, it will be sometime before it becomes available for human use:

“Our insulin derivative appears to control blood sugar better than anything that is available to diabetes patients right now.” He will continue evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of Ins-PBA-F. The insulin derivative could reach Phase 1 human clinical trials in two to five years."

Matthew Weber, Ph.D., co-first author with Chou and Benjamin Tang, Ph.D., who performed the work together while postdoctoral fellows at MIT in collaboration with senior authors and MIT professors Robert Langer, Ph.D., and Daniel Anderson, Ph.D., said:

At present, there is no clinically approved glucose-responsive modified insulin,”

“The development of such an approach could contribute to greater therapeutic autonomy for diabetic patients.” 

Source:

Glucose-responsive insulin activity by covalent modification with aliphatic phenylboronic acid conjugates. Danny Hung-Chieh Chou, Matthew J. Webber, Benjamin C. Tang, Amy B. Lin, Lavanya S. Thapa, David Deng, Jonathan V. Truong, Abel B. Cortinas, Robert Langer, and Daniel Anderson. PNAS Early Edition, Feb. 9, 2015

The press release can be viewed here.