Current Diabetes Reviews - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2011

Interventions for lifestyle modification promoting weight loss and pharmacotherapy interventions for improving insulin sensitivity have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in high risk populations. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at high risk for T2DM, but only two trials have assessed the feasibility of diabetes prevention in this population. We present evidence supporting an intervention with lifestyle modification for women with GDM that would begin during pregnancy and continue through the postpartum period, as pharmacotherapy interventions may not be appropriate for pregnant women or women of reproductive age who could again become pregnant. Young women with GDM may not be aware of their diabetes risk and may perceive difficulty in changing behaviors. Thus, novel approaches will be necessary to translate the lifestyle modification programs previously proven effective among older women with impaired glucose tolerance to younger women with a recent history of GDM, particularly those with normal glucose tolerance postpartum. Understanding barriers to increasing physical activity and adopting a healthy diet and finding strategies for the successful integration of lifestyle modification programs into the busy schedules of women with young children remain priorities for future research.

An adequate supply of nutrients is obligatory for life. Glucose is one of the main circulating substrates fuelling the mammalian body, particularly brain, and is normally maintained within a narrow range to ensure health. Given the challenge of maintaining glucose homeostasis, mammals have evolved specialized sensors for monitoring changes in glucose availability. Glucose sensors are distributed centrally and peripherally. Hypothalamic glucose sensors are arousing burgeoning research interest particularly as a result of increasing evidence that the hypothalamus plays an important role in the control of glucose homeostasis. During the last decade, knowledge of hypothalamic glucose sensors has greatly improved, especially as a result of transgenic mice technology and other advances in molecular genetic approaches. This review provides a broad overview of the relevance of hypothalamic glucose sensors in the physiological regulation of glucose homeostasis and putative path physiologic relevance to glycaemic diseases. The primary focus of this report has been to discuss recent data suggesting novel roles for hypothalamic glucose sensors in the control of hepatic glucose production, insulin secretion and hypoglycemia counterregulation. Finally, an improved understanding of hypothalamic glucose sensing pathways may be pertinent for an integral comprehension of the regulation of glucose homeostasis and associated disorders.

Evidence based medicine has changed the manner in which medicine is practiced and learned. Epidemiological studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews have been used to create algorithms for the treatment of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Recently, several randomized controlled trials (i.e. ACCORD, ADVANCE, VADT) have generated new and valuable information regarding the benefits and risks of achieving optimal glucose control. As a result, guidelines and algorithms have been updated. However, many aspects remain controversial. In this article, the clinical implications of the existing guidelines are critically analyzed. The limitations of the current guidelines include the lack of applicability to relevant diabetic subgroups, the exclusion of important factors that modify the therapeutic response to glucose-lowering agents and the limited recognition of the importance of the socioeconomic situation on treatment efficacy. Many subgroups of patients have not been included in the studies used to generate recommendations. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of current treatment recommendations in patients with early onset type 2 diabetes, patients with advanced microvascular complications, and the elderly with or without chronic complications. The characteristics of the candidates for conservative or intensive treatment are poorly defined. Interventions are recommended without considering clinical variables (i.e. obesity, time since diagnosis or prolonged exposure to hyperglycemia) that may modify treatment efficacy and the occurrence of side effects. Finally, no consideration is given to the socioeconomic context of the population in which the guidelines are to be applied. In summary, this manuscript highlights the key areas which require further work. If these issues are adequately addressed, the guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes will be relevant and applicable to all diabetic groups.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that continues to present as a major health problem worldwide. It is characterized by absolute or relative deficiencies in insulin secretion and/or insulin action and is associated with chronic hyperglycemia and disturbances of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. Many studies suggest a central role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of this multi-faceted metabolic disorder. This has prompted investigations in the use of antioxidants as a complementary therapeutic approach. In this review we briefly summarize oxidative mechanisms implicated in diabetic complications and then focus on the findings resulting from human clinical trials where antioxidants were studied as an adjuvant to standard diabetes treatment during the last ten years. A literature search using PubMed (last ten years) was performed using the following terms: vitamin E, vitamin C, coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, L-carnitine, ruboxistaurin or LY 333531 and diabetes. This search was limited to human clinical trials. We conclude there is not any established benefit for antioxidant use in the management of diabetic complications. Therefore, routine vitamin or mineral supplementation is not generally recommended in human diabetes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of glucose levels on admission and High Risk Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia (HRVT) in hospital mortality in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). Methods: We studied 1.258 consecutive patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit with a diagnosis of AMI. Ventricular Fibrillation, sustained and nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia were considered as HRVT. Association between admission glucose, in-hospital mortality and HRVT was assessed with Cox regression analysis. Results: The overall incidence of in-hospital HRVT was 20% (254/1258 patients) and in-hospital mortality (115/1.258) was higher in patients with HRVT (20% vs. 6%) (p< 0.001). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) was present in 441 patients (35%). Optimal threshold level of glycemia admission to predict ventricular arrhythmia was 180 mg/dl (AUC = 0.716; 0.66- 0.76)(p<0.001). Patients with euglycemia on admission (<120 mg/dL) had lowest prevalence of HRVT (13%)(OR=0.6; 0.46-0.78) in contrast to non DM patients who presented glucose ≥180 mg/dL that exhibited 2-fold increase of in-hospital HRVT (36%; OR=2.2; 1.6-3)(p<0.001). Multivariate risk adjusted hazard ratio (HR) analysis showed that, blood pressure < 100 mmHg (HR=2.4; 1.6- 3.6)(p<0.001), White Blood Count (WBC)>10.000 cell count (HR=1.44; 1.02-2)(p=0.04) and admission glycemia ≥180 mg/dL (HR=1.5; 1.04-2.3)( p=0.03) had a significantly increased risk in in-hospital HRTV only in NDM patients Conclusions: The higher glycemia on admission the higher prevalence of life-threatening arrhythmia and mortality regardless diabetes status in patients presenting with AMI. Elevated initial glucose level and WBC count considered along with other clinical data can assist in life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia in non diabetic patients.

The present review outlines the role of breastfeeding in diabetes. In the mother, breastfeeding has been suggested to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it appears to reduce the risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer. In the neonate and infant, among other benefits, lactation confers protection from future both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Whether lactation protects women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their offspring from future T2DM remains to be answered. Importantly, for diabetic mothers, antidiabetic treatment itself may affect breastfeeding. There is not enough data to allow the use of oral hypoglycaemic agents. Therefore, insulin currently remains the optimal antidiabetic treatment during lactation. In conclusion, breastfeeding could be considered a modifiable risk factor for the development of diabetes and even a potential protective lifestyle measure from future cardio-metabolic and malignant diseases. Therefore, health care professionals should encourage both women with and without diabetes to breastfeed their children.

The review deals with recent findings regarding the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with diabetes. Indeed recent longitudinal studies have shown that ED is able to predict future cardiovascular events not only in nondiabetic but also in diabetic patients. In addition, in diabetic patients ED seems to be strongly associated with the presence of silent CAD. The mechanism by which ED is linked to CAD seems to be the presence of endothelial dysfunction. This pathophysiological mechanism has been extensively analysed. The possible clinical usefulness of ED to identify diabetic patients with silent CAD or at particularly high cardiovascular risk has been discussed in the review. At last, the review reports current guidelines and recent data available in the literature on the treatment of ED in patients with and without CAD and on the prevention of CAD in patients with ED.