Current Diabetes Reviews - Volume 6, Issue 4, 2010

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease and mortality. Most diabetes treatments have not proven to reduce this risk and may be associated with worsening of specific cardiovascular risk factors. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1R agonists) are new incretin-based therapies for the treatment of T2D. They improve glucose control by stimulating insulin secretion and suppressing glucagon release, bot Read More

Most trials on the effect of exercise on patients with diabetes mellitus focused on their glycaemic control, only a few focused on sexual dysfunction. A comprehensive two-decade literature review (1989-2009) from peer-reviewed journals was undertaken to examine the roles if any, of therapeutic exercise as an intervention for sexual dysfunction in patients with diabetes. Because of the paucity of studies on this subject, meta-analy Read More

Diabetic retinopathy is a major complication of patients with diabetes mellitus and can lead to a decrease in vision. The precise mechanisms leading to the development of diabetic retinopathy and the progressive decrease of vision are still undetermined. Recent studies have shown that not only vascular but also neuronal abnormalities are associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Because neuronal cell de Read More

Metabolic syndrome, a “cluster” of metabolic disorders including hypertension, increases the cardiovascular risk, and insulin resistance plays a key role in its pathogenesis. In this syndrome antihypertensive treatment with betablockers is underused because of their adverse metabolic effects. The aim was to review the evidences supporting the reasons for under-using beta-blockers in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndr Read More

Purpose: Diabetic patients with co-morbid mental illness are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Not only are diabetes and mental illness both common in the general population, but rates of diabetes are significantly higher in individuals with psychiatric disorders. This paper reviews literature related to the interplay between these pathologies and the consequent clinical challenge faced by physicians. Methods: A syst Read More

Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide hormone secreted into the systemic circulation predominantly by the X/A-like cells in the mucosa of the stomach. In addiction to central effects on food intake and growth hormone release, ghrelin has also important vascular and metabolic actions. Our laboratory has shown that administration of exogenous ghrelin acutely improves endothelial function by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and n Read More

Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly common disease that affects people of all ages, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Diabetic patients require more frequent hospitalization, have greater lengths of stay, and cost more to manage than non-diabetics. The major risk factors for diabetics undergoing surgery are the end-organ diseases associated with diabetes: cardiovascular disease, autonomic neuropathy and i Read More

The aim of this study is to collate all available data on antidiabetic plants that inhibit alpha glucosidase, reported mainly by Medline (PubMed) these last years. In the present study, interest is focused on experimental researches conducted on hypoglycemic plants particularly those which show alpha glucosidase inhibitor activity alongside bioactive components. This study describes 47 species that belong to 29 families. The plant Read More

It is likely that the heritability of T2DM goes beyond simple genetic markers and involves epigenetic mechanisms. Neel's Thrifty Gene Hypothesis was expanded by Chakravarthy to include metabolic cycling and the dissonance between our stone-age genes with a space-age lifestyle. Further modifications of this hypothesis continued after recent developments in evolutionary and epigenetic research. At the molecular forefron Read More