In case you missed it–
May 5, 2015, 20:00 PM
This is the 2nd edition of my review of most of the literature and journals I receive. I try to scan them to keep informed on what is happening in the diabetes world – and there is a lot. Here are a few items I think you might want to know about.
• A new implantable device recently cleared by FDA blocks a major nerve in the body that controls appetite. The patient turns the device on and off during the day. Like a pacemaker, the device helps people lose weight by making them feel full. Typically an out-patient procedure, the device is surgically implanted into the stomach. It is indicated for adults who meet criteria for obesity which includes many patients with diabetes who have not been able to lose weight with traditional weight loss methods. Source: FDA, Jan 14, 2015
• This past weekend I attended the 3rd Annual Texas State Diabetes Conference. There were many great speakers but one of my favorites is always Stephen Ponder, MD, CDE a board certified pediatric endocrinologist who was discussing his new book, Sugar Surfing. Dr. Ponder has had type 1 diabetes, I believe he said for close to 50 years. He was sharing his experiences with CGMS and how he has, through trial and error, learned how to best “pivot” and steer his blood sugars in the right direction. He stresses that each person with diabetes is unique – that there is no magic formula for controlling a person’s diabetes - patients must be educated, engaged and empowered. To learn more, you can follow him at his website www.stephenpondermd.com or on his Facebook page, “The Power Within.”
• Monogenic neonatal diabetes – a rare genetic form of diabetes in children diagnosed at 6 months or younger most effectively treated with sulfonylureas. There are many forms of monogenic diabetes but all occur due to a mutation in one of more than 20 genes that control the body’s ability to make insulin. Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) falls into this category. Proper diagnosis is done through DNA testing. Depending on the specific genetic mutation, these children are often treatable with diet and/or sulfonylureas. Source: Diabetes Forecast May/June 2015. For more info: www.monogenicdiabetes.org.
• Anti-VEGF therapy – for years the standard treatment for diabetic macular edema has been laser therapy. A new therapy is showing great results. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor is injected into the eye to stop the blood vessels from leaking. Anti-VEGF therapy not only stops further vision loss – it can improve the vision in affected patients. Even in patients who were diagnosed as being legally blind, treatment with anti-VEGF restores vision to the point where they can drive and return to work. There are currently three agents on the market which must be injected into the eye in a series of injections – every 4-6 weeks initially and then tapering off to once a year. Long acting anti-VEGF agents are also being developed and tested. Source: Dr. Victor Gonzalez ophthalmologist – presenting to the Texas Diabetes Council.
Don’t forget to register for AADE15 – August 5-8 in New Orleans. See you there!!