 |
|
An Australian-led diabetes study shows intensive glucose control reduces serious complications
June 10, 2008'ADVANCE results go beyond existing evidence'
An Australian led global study, the largest of its kind, has found that the risk of developing serious kidney disease and other complications amongst our 1.2 million people living with diabetes can be significantly reduced by intensively lowering blood glucose (sugar) levels beyond what is currently standard practice.
The ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease) study was conducted by the Sydney based George Institute for International Health involving more than 11,000 people with type 2 diabetes worldwide.
The results show that intensive blood glucose (sugar) control using modified release gliclazide and other drugs as required, protects patients against serious complications of the disease. In particular, intensive treatment reduces the risk of kidney disease by one-fifth.
Presented today by Australian researchers at the American Diabetes Association conference in San Francisco and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results of ADVANCE show that this intensive treatment strategy has the potential to benefit millions of diabetic patients worldwide.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the greatest threats to the health of populations worldwide. More than 1 million Australians and over 250 million people globally are living with diabetes and that number is estimated to rise to 380 million in 2025.
Chief investigator of the study, Professor Stephen MacMahon, Principal Director of The George Institute, Australia said "We are facing a global epidemic of diabetes. The ADVANCE results go beyond existing evidence as we have now shown that reducing the haemogloboin A1c level (a marker of blood glucose control) to 6.5% is a safe and effective way to reduce serious complications, particularly the risk of kidney disease, one of the most serious and disabling consequences of diabetes, leading to death in one in five people with diabetes."
"Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) was uncommon in the ADVANCE study, although as expected it was more frequent among those receiving intensive treatment," pointed out Study Director, Associate Professor Anushka Patel from The George Institute. "These findings reinforce that blood glucose lowering in diabetes is safe and has an important role to play in the prevention of serious complications."
David Jayne, who took part in the study was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes eight years ago. "The news that I had diabetes came as quite a shock. I decided to take part in the trial, as I wanted to give something back, having received a lot of special treatment whilst in hospital," said David. "My glucose levels are well and truly under control, I do feel a lot better than I did before and I'm really enjoying life," he added
ADVANCE was initiated and designed by physicians at Australia's George Institute for International Health and involved a group of independent medical researchers from 20 countries worldwide. The study involved 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated and followed up for five years. The study aimed to reduce levels of haemogloboin A1c to 6.5% or below. Intensive treatment included the sulfonylurea, modified-release gliclazide, for all patients and other drugs as required to achieve the haemoglobin target.
The major findings of ADVANCE show that intensive blood glucose lowering treatment:
* Safely controlled blood glucose to a mean HbA1c level of 6.5%
* Significantly reduced the overall risk of serious diabetes complications (by 10%), with a one-fifth reduction in kidney disease (21%) and 30% reduction in the development of proteinuria, a well established marker of increased cardiovascular risk.
* Achieved a positive trend towards reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death (12%), although not statistically significant.
"Today, it is clear that the prevention of major vascular complications of diabetes requires a multi-factorial approach addressing all modifiable risk factors" concluded Professor John Chalmers, chairman of the study management group, "among which an intensive glucose control plays an important role, in particular in protecting the kidneys".
Research Australia
The results show that intensive blood glucose (sugar) control using modified release gliclazide and other drugs as required, protects patients against serious complications of the disease. In particular, intensive treatment reduces the risk of kidney disease by one-fifth.
Presented today by Australian researchers at the American Diabetes Association conference in San Francisco and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results of ADVANCE show that this intensive treatment strategy has the potential to benefit millions of diabetic patients worldwide.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the greatest threats to the health of populations worldwide. More than 1 million Australians and over 250 million people globally are living with diabetes and that number is estimated to rise to 380 million in 2025.
Chief investigator of the study, Professor Stephen MacMahon, Principal Director of The George Institute, Australia said "We are facing a global epidemic of diabetes. The ADVANCE results go beyond existing evidence as we have now shown that reducing the haemogloboin A1c level (a marker of blood glucose control) to 6.5% is a safe and effective way to reduce serious complications, particularly the risk of kidney disease, one of the most serious and disabling consequences of diabetes, leading to death in one in five people with diabetes."
"Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) was uncommon in the ADVANCE study, although as expected it was more frequent among those receiving intensive treatment," pointed out Study Director, Associate Professor Anushka Patel from The George Institute. "These findings reinforce that blood glucose lowering in diabetes is safe and has an important role to play in the prevention of serious complications."
David Jayne, who took part in the study was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes eight years ago. "The news that I had diabetes came as quite a shock. I decided to take part in the trial, as I wanted to give something back, having received a lot of special treatment whilst in hospital," said David. "My glucose levels are well and truly under control, I do feel a lot better than I did before and I'm really enjoying life," he added
ADVANCE was initiated and designed by physicians at Australia's George Institute for International Health and involved a group of independent medical researchers from 20 countries worldwide. The study involved 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated and followed up for five years. The study aimed to reduce levels of haemogloboin A1c to 6.5% or below. Intensive treatment included the sulfonylurea, modified-release gliclazide, for all patients and other drugs as required to achieve the haemoglobin target.
The major findings of ADVANCE show that intensive blood glucose lowering treatment:
* Safely controlled blood glucose to a mean HbA1c level of 6.5%
* Significantly reduced the overall risk of serious diabetes complications (by 10%), with a one-fifth reduction in kidney disease (21%) and 30% reduction in the development of proteinuria, a well established marker of increased cardiovascular risk.
* Achieved a positive trend towards reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death (12%), although not statistically significant.
"Today, it is clear that the prevention of major vascular complications of diabetes requires a multi-factorial approach addressing all modifiable risk factors" concluded Professor John Chalmers, chairman of the study management group, "among which an intensive glucose control plays an important role, in particular in protecting the kidneys".
Research Australia
Diabetes Current Events and Diabetes News RSSConverting adult somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells using a single virus
A Boston University School of Medicine-led research team has discovered a more efficient way to create induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells, derived from mouse fibroblasts, by using a single virus vector instead of multiple viruses in the reprogramming process.
Obesity: Reviving the promise of leptin
The discovery more than a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an effective treatment for obesity.
Substance abuse adds millions to Medicaid's total health care costs
People with substance abuse disorders cost Medicaid hundreds of millions of dollars annually in medical care, suggesting that early interventions for substance abuse could not only improve outcomes but also save substantial amounts of money, according to a comprehensive study that examined records of nearly 150,000 people in six states.
Low-carb diets prove better at controlling type 2 diabetes
In a six-month comparison of low-carb diets, one that encourages eating carbohydrates with the lowest-possible rating on the glycemic index leads to greater improvement in blood sugar control, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.
Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence the State of Modern Human Health
The study of ancient microbes may not seem consequential, but such pioneering research at the University of Oklahoma has implications for the state of modern human health. Cecil Lewis, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, says results of this research raise questions about the microbes living on and within people.
Smokers with stroke in the family 6 times more likely to have stroke too
A new study shows that people who are smokers and have a family history of brain aneurysm appear to be significantly more likely to suffer a stroke from a brain aneurysm themselves.
Researchers engineer pancreatic cell transplants to evade immune response
In a finding that could significantly influence the way type 1 diabetes is treated, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed a technique for transplanting insulin-producing pancreatic cells that causes only a minimal immune response in recipients.
Antioxidants offer pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis
Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study in Gastroenterology.
University of Maryland researchers identify common gene variant linked to high blood pressure
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people's risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center link blood sugar to normal cognitive aging
Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study appeared in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.
More Diabetes Current Events and Diabetes News Articles
 | The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (First Year, The) by Gretchen Becker After Gretchen Becker was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1996, she educated herself on every aspect of this chronic condition — by reading medical and scientific books and journals, talking with doctors and listening to her own body. In 2001, she marshaled everything she had learned as a "patient-expert" into the first edition of this book, which she has now completely updated and revised.... |
 | Diabetes For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) by Alan L., MD Rubin Covers the latest glucose meters and insulin treatments The straight facts on treating diabetes successfully and living a full life Want to know how to manage diabetes? Leading diabetes expert Dr. Alan Rubin gives you reassuring, authoritative guidance in putting together a state-of-the-art treatment program. You'll learn about all the advances in monitoring glucose, the latest... |
 | Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars by Richard K. Bernstein The standard text on living with diabetes, newly revised and updated with all the latest scientific findings. Since its first publication in 1997, DR. BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION has become the treatment of choice in the medical field. In this revised and updated edition of his work, Dr. Bernstein provides an accessible, detailed guide to his revolutionary approach to normalizing... |
 | The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality by Franklin House, Stuart Seale, Ian Blake Newman A revolutionary program for combating and reversing diabetes. Over the past ten years, Lifestyle Center of America has emerged as the center in the country that offers a proven-successful program to combat diabetes-and even reverse its adverse effects on the body. Now available in book form for the first time, LCA's program enables individuals to actually get to the root of their problems by... |
 | The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook: Simple, Quick, and Delicious Recipes Using Just 4 Ingredients or Less by Nancy Hughes |
 | Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3 by Betty Crocker Editors At last! This special cookbook puts flavor and choice back on the menu for people with diabetes and their families Betty Crocker, America's most trusted friend in the kitchen, has teamed up with the International Diabetes Center (IDC)--one of the leading medical centers--to create an indispensable source of easy-to-make recipes and up-to-the-minute food and nutrition information for the... |
 | Reversing Diabetes: Reduce or Even Eliminate Your Dependence on Insulin or Oral Drugs by Julian Whitaker In a completely revised and updated edition of REVERSING DIABETES, Dr Julian Whitaker offers a comprehensive life-style programme that has helped more than 10,000 diabetic patients. The good news is that many diabetics can control their condition - naturally and effectively - with diet and exercise. Along with helping to reduce or even eliminate dependancy on medication, it can help diabetics... |
 | Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two by American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association Twice as tasty . . . but with half the ingredients! People with diabetes want heart-healthy recipes, since heart disease strikes people with diabetes twice as often as the rest of the population. But they also want recipes that taste great. In Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two, the two largest health associations in America team up to provide recipes that are simple, flavorful, and... |
 | Your First Year With Diabetes by Theresa Garnero A 12-month plan for surviving diabetes The most frightening moment for most people with diabetes is when they are first diagnosed. They are filled with questions: What can I eat? What should I do? Is there a plan for me to follow? While some people get a plan from their doctor, most people do not. Your First Year with Diabetes is the plan for everyone. It walks you step-by-step through a... |
 | Atkins Diabetes Revolution : The Groundbreaking Approach to Preventing and Controlling Type 2 Diabetes by Robert C. Atkins, Mary C. Vernon, Jacqueline Eberstein The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes are a 21st-century time bomb. The Atkins organisation is renowned for their work on diabetes and this book sets out a controlled carb diet and nutrition regime to help people lose weight and prevent, treat and even reverse diabetes. The conventional 'healthy' Western diet, based upon large amounts of carbohydrates and a small amount of protein and fat,... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |