News & Research
Access: Diabetes Research
"Access: Diabetes Research," produced in cooperation with patientINFORM, presents summaries of late-breaking research published in respected medical journals on diabetes and related conditions.
In each category below you can find digests that explain the importance of recent research studies. The digests contain links to the original research paper and to resources that you can consult about various health problems.
These digests are intended to help you understand the latest research, but should not be used to make changes in your treatment or self-care. The information provided is not a substitute for advice from your own doctor or other health care providers. If you have questions about this material, please contact your doctor.
Search for a digest by topic
Most recently published digests
January 11, 2010
Vitamin D and Type 1 Diabetes: More Research Needed
Many people have low levels of vitamin D. Although results of studies have been mixed, there does not appear to be a link between vitamin D and type 1 diabetes. More research in larger studies is needed.
January 11, 2010
Can the A1C Test Diagnose Diabetes?
Debate continues about which test is best to diagnose diabetes. For now, people who have an FPG of 126 mg/dl or higher have diabetes. This study suggests that diabetes could also be diagnosed with an A1C level of 5.5% or higher. However, more study is needed before doctors can start using the A1C test to diagnose diabetes.
January 11, 2010
Weight-Loss Surgery May Improve Quality of Life
Most severely overweight patients have a better quality of life after weight-loss surgery. The long-term benefits of weight-loss surgery seem to outweigh the risks of complications and mental health issues after surgery. A complete weight-loss program that includes good follow-up to address complications and mental health issues is important for all severely overweight patients. More study is needed to compare the long-term risks, benefits, and costs of weight-loss surgery.
January 11, 2010
Better Sleep Means Better Health
People who have ongoing insomnia and do not usually get enough hours of sleep may be more likely to get diabetes. Diagnosing and treating insomnia early is important. More laboratory sleep studies should be done to help identify people who may be more likely to get serious health problems related to their sleep patterns.
January 11, 2010
Treatment of Mild GDM Improves Pregnancy Outcomes
Although treatment of mild GDM may not reduce the frequency of deaths or some complications in the babies of women with GDM, it does help to prevent such babies from becoming too large, which can lead to problem deliveries, cesarean sections, and health concerns for the babies later in life.
January 11, 2010
On-the-Job Exercise Programs May Pay Off
Workplace exercise programs in general can improve both the health and productivity of participants. However, more study is needed to find out which types of programs are most likely to be successful.
December 15, 2009
Urine Protein Tests May Help Patients With Heart Failure
People with heart failure should have their urine protein levels tested to help guide their treatment. It is possible (but not yet proven) that lowering urine protein levels may lead to improvement in heart failure.
December 15, 2009
Foot Infections Can Be Difficult to Treat
Patients with diabetes-related foot infections who have had their infections for longer than 6 weeks, who have been in the hospital, or who have kidney disease may benefit from starting antibiotics that fight serious infection even before tests confirm that they have specific types of bacteria. It is important to prevent the spread of bacteria to foot wounds by finding and treating wounds early, getting care outside of hospitals when possible, and practicing good hand-washing and other hygiene measures.
December 15, 2009
Pramlintide May Help Diabetic Teens As Well As Adults
This study suggests that long-term studies should be done in adolescents with type 1 diabetes to see if pramlintide would be a useful addition to their diabetes treatment.
December 15, 2009
High Fiber Everyday May Keep Diabetes Away
Eating a diet rich in fiber from grains, fruits, and vegetables may help older men avoid getting diabetes. This may be in part because fiber helps liver function and reduces inflammation in the body.
December 15, 2009
For Better Health, Eat Mediterranean-Style
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet instead of or in addition to the low-fat diet often recommended for good health may help people with newly diagnosed diabetes avoid or delay having to take medicines to control their disease.
December 15, 2009
Many Children Cannot Detect Hypoglycemia
Many diabetic children and adolescents have hypoglycemia unawareness. It is important to screen for this problem to find out which young people are at risk for serious hypoglycemia episodes. Preventing hypoglycemia in adults can restore their ability to detect low blood glucose levels. It is likely that this is also true for children.
The structured summary format used by patientINFORM was developed by the Annals of Internal Medicine, which regularly includes patient summaries of research articles.
Have you found these "Access: Diabetes Research" summaries helpful? We welcome your feedback at patientinform@diabetes.org. General questions about diabetes or diabetes-related research should go to askada@diabetes.org.
