Current Diabetes Reviews - Volume 1, Issue 1, 2005

Restoration of renal function may ameliorate uremia induced insulin resistance. Therefore it seems a paradox that new-onset posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a frequently observed complication after renal transplantation. The incidence varies between 2 and 50% depending on the population under study, criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes and the time of follow up. This review addresses recent findings on tran Read More

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic diseases in the world. The complications associated with this disease are often responsible for a decreased quality of life in many patients. For example, the diabetic population has a greater probability to suffer from cardiovascular problems and heart failure than the general population. Due to the importance heart mitochondria have in the context of the bioenerge Read More

Insulin pump therapy enjoys a steadily growing number of users and is associated with an approximately 0.5% lower A1c as compared to flexible insulin injection therapy in type 1 diabetes patients. An important question is whether superiority of insulin pump therapy persists in the era of rapid acting analogs and will persist in the era of long acting analogs. Pooled data of three randomized clinical trials using rapid acting analogs Read More

Diabetic nephropathy is characterised by increased glomerular permeability to proteins, thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, and excessive extracellular matrix accumulation in the mesangium. Both mesangial cells and podocytes play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of these alterations. Recent studies have cast light on both the mediators and the intracellular signalling molecules whereby high glucose and str Read More

A growing amount of evidence demonstrates that Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) are involved in adult neovasculogenesis and maintenance of vascular integrity. EPC decrease and dysfunction are related to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and it has been proposed that the level of circulating EPCs may be used as a surrogate index of cumulative cardiovascular risk. Moreover, many experimental approaches Read More

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a two to fourfold increased risk of both coronary heart disease and stroke. Dysfunction of endothelial cells (EC) is known to promote abnormal vascular growth such as that in atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis and has been postulated as an initial trigger of the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes mellitus, and hyperglycemia is an independent risk factor for the development of Read More

Under diabetic conditions, oxidative stress is induced and the JNK pathway is activated, which is involved in deterioration of pancreatic β-cell function found in diabetes. Oxidative stress and/or activation of the JNK pathway suppress insulin gene expression, accompanied by reduction of PDX-1 DNA binding activity. Treatment with antioxidants and/or suppression of the JNK pathway protect β-cells from some of the toxic eff Read More

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most frequent complications of diabetes and the leading cause of acquired blindness in developed countries. A note worthy problem in DR is the formation of fibrovascular epiretinal membranes (ERMs) which can cause tractional retinal detachment in the progressed stage of DR. Ocular vitreous fluid and ERMs, which can be obtained during vitrectomy, allow laboratory studies investigating Read More

Background: An estimated two-thirds of medications prescribed for use in pediatric patients have not been proven safe or effective for this patient population. Since 1995 a dozen orally administered diabetes medications or combination of medications for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Of these, only one (metformin) is approved for use in pediatrics. As t Read More

Diabetic vascular complication is a leading cause of acquired blindness, end-stage renal failure, a variety of neuropathies and accelerated atherosclerosis, which could account for disabilities and high mortality rates in patients with diabetes. Chronic hyperglycemia is essentially involved in the development and progression of diabetic micro- and macroangiopathy. Among various metabolic derangements implicated in the Read More

Diabetes as the dominant cause of ESRD is also the major cause of renal anaemia. However, most patients with diabetic kidney disease will succumb to co-morbid vascular disease or heart failure before developing severe renal impairment. In these patients, anaemia is also common finding, with a 2-3 times greater prevalence and earlier onset than in patients with renal impairment from other causes. We have recent Read More