Statins Reduces Stroke Risk in Type-1 or 2 Diabetes Patients over 40, says Dr John Betteridge from University College London

Diabetes patients (Type-1 or 2) over the age of 40 should take Statins to reduce the risk of stroke or coronary events, said Dr John Betteridge (University College London, UK) at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2010 Meeting. According to Betteridge, Statins is safe if appropriately used and drug interactions are avoided.

Dr John Betteridge revealed that trials such as CARDS have proven the benefit of Statins in Type 2 Diabetes. He noted that 10mg of atorvastatin (Lipitor, Pfizer) reduced LDL cholesterol by 40% and was associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular events and a "dramatic" halving of the stroke rate over 4 years.

Citing the results from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration, Betteridge said that women and Type 1 Diabetes also benefited equally from Statins. However, he warned that there is a little evidence to guide Statin therapy in people under 40 with Type 1 Diabetes.

About the non-affectivity of Statins, Betteridge said, "Statins only work if people take them." He adds that he has seen many patients in whom Statins have been stopped inappropriately, either by the patient or by their doctors. 

Study: Diabetic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Have Reduced Platelet Response to Aspirin

A study by Stig Mortensen and colleagues from Aahus University Hospital Skejby in Denmark revealed that diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have reduced platelet response to aspirin.

Study:

The researchers studied 85 diabetic and 92 nondiabetic CAD patients. All the 177 patients taking 75 mg/day non-enteric coated aspirin had platelet aggregation evaluated using arachidonic acid 0.5 and 1.0 mM and platelet activation assessed by soluble (s)P-selectin.

Result:

The study revealed that patients with diabetes had significantly higher levels of platelet aggregation and activation compared with nondiabetics.

The researchers claim that "these findings may partly explain the reduced cardiovascular protection from aspirin in diabetic patients."

The authors concluded: "Several mechanisms may explain the reduced response of diabetic platelets to aspirin. Hyperglycemia together with dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in diabetic patients may all affect the response to antiplatelet drugs.”

"Hyperglycemia may cause a competition between acetylation and glycation of platelet proteins… Diabetics might also have an increased platelet turnover and be hypersensitive to pro-aggregatory agonists causing an increased platelet activation and aggregation.”

Sanofi-aventis Unveils Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices BGStar and iBGStarTM

Sanofi-aventis and its partner AgaMatrix have developed blood glucose monitoring (BGM) devices BGStar and iBGStarTM. Both the products are expected to be available in the markets in early 2011.

iBGStarTM can be plugged into an iPhone® or iPod touch® and displays results on a full-color, touch screen. The product range allows users to access a full service telephone hotline and other support services.

                                                                            

BGStar, which is based on the patented Dynamic Electrochemistry® technology, has various feedback features including alerts, programmable reminder alarms and positive feedback to indicate meaning of the result.

Prof. Thomas Haak, chief physician at the diabetes clinic Bad Mergentheim Germany, said, "Blood glucose values recorded for immediate and future analysis, forming a complete record, are the basis of well-informed decision making. Specifically designed devices, which fit conveniently into a patient's daily lifestyle, resulting in blood glucose self-monitoring at the recommended level, will improve diabetes management.”

Study: High Particulate Matter Exposure May Increase Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

According to a research by John Brownstein (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts) and colleagues, increased exposure to airborne particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) may increase risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Study:

Since ambient air pollution adversely affects various aspects of human health, the researchers decided to study the influence of increasing levels of PM2.5 on risk for Type 2 Diabetes. The researchers gathered data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Environmental Protection Agency for 2004 and 2005 to assess levels of PM2.5 exposure and the county level prevalence of Diabetes.

Results:

After studying the data, the researchers realised that the prevalence of Diabetes increased with increasing PM2.5 concentrations. For instance, 1% increase in Diabetes prevalence was linked to a 10 µ/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure.

               

They further found that despite EPA-based guidelines for PM2.5 exposure, individuals with the highest exposure to PM2.5 had a more than 20% increased prevalence of Diabetes compared with those with the lowest exposure.

The researchers said, "Our results, although associative, demonstrate that additional research is needed to understand the role that PM2.5 plays in the inflammatory pathway or other pollution-mediated mechanisms giving rise to Diabetes. They concluded, "Such research could lead to novel therapeutic approaches to reduce pollution-induced inflammation."

Study: South Asians Living in the US are at Higher Risk of Diabetes than Other Asian Immigrants

South Asians (born in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan) living in the US are at a much higher risk of Type 2 Diabetes compared to the other Asian immigrants, revealed a study led study author, Swapnil Rajpathak, M.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Study:

Data from the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted in 2004, were studied to evaluate different racial and ethnic groups for risk factors relating to heart disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The researchers studied the fasting glucose levels from 1,324 respondents.

Results:

The findings of the study appear in the latest issue of the journal Ethnicity & Disease. Swapnil Rajpathak said, "In addition to cultural and lifestyle factors, Asians subgroups are also different in terms of their genetic makeup. He added, "Immigrants may experience dramatic changes in their diet and physical activity after moving to this country. Given their higher genetic susceptibility, unfavorable changes in lifestyle factors may increase the risk of diabetes."

The variations found contribute to the inequality in Diabetes risk between whites and Asians overall, as well as between South Asians and Asians from other countries. 

                                                                                                                                                                                   

South Asians were found to have the highest prevalence of Diabetes at 35.4%, compared with 16.1% for all Asians and 10.8% for whites.

Vivian Fonseca, M.D., vice president of the American Diabetes Association and chief of endocrinology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center, said, in general, "Asians get insulin resistance and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease at a much lower level of obesity than Caucasians.”