Current Diabetes Reviews - Volume 8, Issue 4, 2012

Diabetic mellitus is the leading cause of blindness in working aged patients in developing nations. Due to the buildup of abnormal metabolites from several overactive biochemical pathways, chronic hyperglycemia causes oxidative stress in the retina which upregulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Together with other growth factors and metabolites, VEGF causes endothelial cell proliferation, vasodilation, recrui Read More

The incidence of gestational diabetes is increasing, with higher obesity in the pregnant population, lifestyle changes and migration thought to underlie this. Recent large studies, such as the MiG, HAPO and ACHOIS trials, have furthered our understanding of both the implications of the disease and the management options available. Previous CEMACH (Confidential Enquiries into Maternal and Child Health) studies of diab Read More

With growing awareness that long-term hyperglycemia is directly implicated in the tissue damage characteristic of diabetes, there has been a corresponding increase in clinicians’ willingness to employ intensive treatment to achieve euglycemia, which may require diabetes drugs in combination. The expanding array of drugs with different mechanisms of action calls for a clear method of classification to guide rationa Read More

An elevated risk of cardiovascular events is present in patients with mild-to-moderate renal function impairment. Similar to patients with end-stage renal disease, this elevated risk can be accounted for by high prevalence of classic and emergent cardiovascular risk factors and additional conditions that are more specifically related to the organ failure, such as anemia and electrolyte disturbances. Among emergent cardio Read More

Purpose: To present the state-of-the-art of subthreshold diode laser micropulse photocoagulation (SDM) as invisible retinal phototherapy for diabetic macular edema (DME). Method: To review the role and evolution of retinal laser treatment for DME. Results: Thermal laser retinal photocoagulation has been the cornerstone of treatment for diabetic macular edema for over four decades. Throughout, laser induced retinal damage pr Read More

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is emerging as a key regulator of energy homeostasis and presents a novel target for the development of therapies for the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Recent publications have demonstrated that FGF21 resides downstream of a complex network of transcriptional regulators which modulate its expression in response to a wide array of physiologic Read More

Diabetes mellitus is a major disease worldwide, and the prevalence of diabetes has risen significantly in the past several decades. Although one of the major complications of diabetic eyes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), corneal diseases can not only develop in diabetic patients but are also difficult to manage. Diabetic neurotrophic keratopathy is a component of diabetic polyneuropathy and is recognized to be the cause of the morb Read More

As understanding of the mechanisms driving and regulating insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells grows, there is increasing and compelling evidence that nitric oxide (•NO) and other closely-related reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play important roles in this exocytic process. •NO and associated RNS, in particular peroxynitrite, possess the capability to effect signals across both intracellular and extracellular compartme Read More