Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Diabetes, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 16.01.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_56430" align="alignleft" width="150"]Anath Shalev, M.D. Professor of Medicine Nancy R. and Eugene C. Gwaltney Family Endowed Chair in Juvenile Diabetes Research Director, Comprehensive Diabetes Center University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL Dr. Shalev[/caption] Anath Shalev, M.D. Professor of Medicine Nancy R. and Eugene C. Gwaltney Family Endowed Chair in Juvenile Diabetes Research Director, Comprehensive Diabetes Center University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?  What is metformin normally prescribed for? Response: Diabetes has been recognized as one of the major comorbidities associated with higher mortality in the context of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, but ways to improve outcome in this at-risk population are lacking. Metformin is the most common medication used for type 2 diabetes. In addition, it is sometimes prescribed to people with prediabetes or to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA, Weight Research / 14.01.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_56392" align="alignleft" width="150"]Dr. Steven Heymsfield, MD Professor, Pennington Biomedical Research Center Baton Rouge, LA Dr. Heymsfield[/caption] Dr. Steven Heymsfield, MD Professor, Pennington Biomedical Research Center Baton Rouge, LA MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Bimagurmab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the activin type 2 receptor. This receptor is found mainly on skeletal muscles and when blocked acts to stimulate muscle growth. Bimagrumab was developed as a potential treatment for skeletal muscle disorders. However, the first-in-man studies revealed an unexpected response to the drug: not only did skeletal muscle mass increase, but marked lowering in body fat and improved insulin sensitivity were observed. The current study was launched to follow up on these initial observations. 
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Neurology, Pain Research / 10.12.2020

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/diabetes-prediabetes.htmMedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_56198" align="alignleft" width="200"]William K. Schmidt, Ph.D. Senior VP Clinical Development Dr. Schmidt[/caption] William K. Schmidt, Ph.D. Senior VP Clinical Development Helixmith Co. Ltd.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How common is diabetic peripheral neuropathy and how does it affect patients? Response: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 34 million people in the United States have diabetes (about 10% of the U.S. population) and about one in four patients do not know that they have it.  Diabetes can cause significant damage to nerves in the feet, hands, eyes, and other parts of the body. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common form of nerve damage worldwide; it affects approximately half of the patients with diabetes (Iqbal et al., 2018).  In many individuals, severe burning, tingling, “pins and needles,” or cramping pain can occur simultaneously in both feet without external evidence of foot damage. Despite the pain, symptoms may be accompanied by numbness or loss of sensation in the feet. This is called painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (painful DPN or P-DPN) and may affect up to one-third of the general diabetic population (Yoo et al., 2013). P-DPN may cause increased anxiety and depression, sleep impairment, and difficulties with walking.  Up to one-third of P-DPN patients may require the use of a cane, walker, or even a wheelchair due to extreme foot pain.  Once P-DPN occurs, it may result in a lifetime of pain and disability. FDA-approved daily oral medications often used to treat P-DPN include Neurontin (gabapentin), Lyrica (pregabalin), Cymbalta (duloxetine), and Nucynta ER (tapentadol).  While these “neuropathic pain” medications may dull the pain for some subjects, they produce significant side effects that may be troubling for many patients. Indeed, many patients stop using these pain killers due to lack of effectiveness at doses that they can tolerate (van Nooten et al., 2017) There is also a topical 8% capsaicin patch, but again with limited efficacy. It is well known that the most severely affected patients may require opioid analgesics to control P-DPN (Pesa et al., 2013). None of the currently used medications have disease-modifying effects. However, our new injectable medication is now in advanced clinical development that has the potential disease-modifying effects lasting months after each treatment, with limited or no side effects for most patients aside from brief injection site discomfort.
Author Interviews, BMC, Breast Cancer, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Diabetes, Nutrition / 10.12.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tengteng Wang, PhD, MSPH, MBBS Postdoctoral Research Fellow Department of Epidemiology Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Channing Division of Network Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been associated with poor progression of breast cancer. Moreover, having a breast cancer diagnosis may also increase the risk of developing T2D. Therefore, identifying strategies for T2D prevention among breast cancer survivors may play a key role in improving their survival outcomes. One approach may be through a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD), a dietary pattern comprised of 9 components that has been associated with 40% lower T2D risk in a previous Nurses’ Health Study publication.1 However, no studies to date have evaluated the association between adherence to the DRRD (as measured by the DRRD score) and survival outcomes following breast cancer. In this prospective cohort study among 8,320 breast cancer survivors, we found that greater adherence to the diabetes risk reduction diet after diagnosis was associated with a statistically significant 31% lower risk of overall mortality. Reduced breast cancer-specific mortality was also observed, which was more pronounced (20% lower risk) among those who improved adherence after diagnosis compared to women with consistently low DRRD adherence before and after diagnosis.
Author Interviews, Coffee, Diabetes / 26.10.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yuji Komorita, MD, PhD Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?   Response: Both green tea and coffee have been reported to confer health benefits, and reduce all-cause mortality in general population, respectively. However, no study has investigated the combined impact of them on health or mortality. We followed 4,923 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes registered at the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry (median, 5.3 years; follow-up rate, 99.5%).  MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?  Response: Drinking 4 or more daily cups of green tea was associated with 40% lower risk of death, and 2 or more cups of coffee was associated with 41% lower risk. Furthermore, the combination of 4 or more cups of green tea and 2 or more cups of coffee every day was associated with 63% lower risk of death. We have shown that higher consumption of green tea and coffee was associated with reduced all-cause mortality, and their combined effect appeared to be additive in people with type 2 diabetes.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, NEJM / 24.09.2020

Remarks from: [caption id="attachment_55474" align="alignleft" width="140"]Julio Rosenstock, M.D Director, Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center Clinical Professor of Medicine University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX Dr. Rosenstock[/caption] Julio Rosenstock, M.D Director, Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center Clinical Professor of Medicine University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX MedicalResearch.com: Why was the study initiated / What is the background of the study? Response: Most people with type 2 diabetes, would prefer simplicity, with fewer injections than currently provided by once-daily basal insulin treatment regimens. Therefore, there is a need to continue to offer innovative treatment options to support people living with type 2 diabetes and hopefully improve their glycemic outcomes. As a once-weekly basal insulin, insulin icodec has the potential to offer a simpler, efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option thereby reducing the potential burden on people living with type 2 diabetes.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Surgical Research, Weight Research / 03.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54762" align="alignleft" width="138"]MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Carlos KH Wong, PhD, MPhil, BSc Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care LKS Faculty of Medicine The University of Hong Kong Dr. Wong[/caption] Carlos KH Wong, PhD, MPhil, BSc Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care LKS Faculty of Medicine The University of Hong Kong MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background is that bariatric surgery has been widely indicated for the management of obesity and related comorbidities. However, there are uncertainties pertaining to the risks of post-bariatric severe hypoglycaemia (SH), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), end-stage kidney diseases (ESKDs) and all-cause mortality in obese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially among Asian populations. 
Author Interviews, CDC, Diabetes, Gender Differences, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 29.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Giuseppina Imperatore, MD, PHD CDC, Atlanta MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The lifetime risk of diabetes (LRD), a probability of developing diabetes during a person’s lifespan, is a measure of future disease burden that reflects the impact of incidence (occurrence of new cases per year) and mortality. The years of potential life lost to diabetes (YPLLD) is the number of life-years lost due to diabetes, calculated as the difference between the life expectancy of a person without diabetes and a person with diabetes at the age of diagnosis. For example, the number of life-years lost for a person diagnosed at age 20 years is the difference in life expectancy of a person who died without developing diabetes and a person who was diagnosed with diabetes at 20 years of age.  Both incidence and mortality of diabetes have been decreasing for more than a decade. The effects of those changes on lifetime risk of diabetes and years of potential life lost to diabetes are not known. In this study, we used nationally representative diabetes surveillance data to provide updated estimates for the lifetime probability of development of diabetes, and to assess changes in incidence and mortality on lifetime risk and life-years lost due to diabetes in the USA.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Nutrition / 23.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54670" align="alignleft" width="200"]Ana M Valdes MA PhD Associate Professor and Reader in Musculoskeletal Genetics Professor in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology from 1 August 2020 Deputy Head of Division, Rheumatology Orthopaedics and Dermatology NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre - Research Area Lead School of Medicine University of Nottingham Dr. Valdes[/caption] Ana M Valdes MA PhD Associate Professor and Reader in Musculoskeletal Genetics Professor in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology from 1 August 2020 Deputy Head of Division, Rheumatology Orthopaedics and Dermatology NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre - Research Area Lead School of Medicine University of Nottingham  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Given the relevance of blood sugar and blood lipid levels, we wanted to be able to quantify how much meal content, time of day, sleep, gut microbiome, other individual characteristics contribute to glucose and to develop models to describe how the interactions between individual characteristics, meal composition, other sources of variation on postprandial glycemia. We also wished to compare glucose data to other postrpandial metabolic responses, specifically c-peptide and triglyceride levels.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA / 17.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54602" align="alignleft" width="200"]Richard E. Pratley, MD AdventHealth Samuel E. Crockett Chair in Diabetes Research Medical Director | AdventHealth Diabetes Institute Senior Investigator and Diabetes Program Lead AdventHealth Translational Research Institute Dr. Pratley[/caption] Richard E. Pratley, MD AdventHealth Samuel E. Crockett Chair in Diabetes Research Medical Director | AdventHealth Diabetes Institute Senior Investigator and Diabetes Program Lead AdventHealth Translational Research Institute  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Historically, older individuals with T1D have been underrepresented or excluded from clinical trials. Older individuals with T1D are at particularly high risk for hypoglycemia. Because of their long duration of diabetes, they often have impaired counterregulatory responses and hypoglycemia unawareness. Hypoglycemia in older individuals is particularly dangerous because it can lead to falls and fractures, cognitive impairment and cardiovascular events, including death. There has been the misperception that older individuals are less able to use technology to manage their diabetes.  This study dispelled that notion.  
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Duke, Telemedicine / 15.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54582" align="alignleft" width="125"]Matthew J. Crowley, MD Core Investigator, Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) Affiliated Investigator, VA Office of Rural Health Staff Physician, Endocrinology Section, Durham VA Health Care System Dr. Crowley[/caption] Matthew J. Crowley, MD Core Investigator, Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) Affiliated Investigator, VA Office of Rural Health Staff Physician, Endocrinology Section, Durham VA Health Care System [caption id="attachment_54583" align="alignleft" width="144"]Elizabeth Kobe, BS Medical Student Durham VA Health Care System Duke University School of Medicine Elizabeth Kobe[/caption] Elizabeth Kobe, BS Medical Student Durham VA Health Care System Duke University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? With whom were the telehealth sessions performed? (MDs, PAs, Dieticians etc). Response: Diabetes management in rural populations is especially challenging due to limited access to specialty care and self-management programs. Telehealth is a potential strategy for extending high-quality diabetes care to rural areas. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has a robust Home Telehealth (HT) system that is currently used for telemonitoring patient blood glucose values. In order to address the challenges of managing diabetes in rural areas in a clinically feasible manner, we strategically designed an intensive diabetes management intervention – Advanced Comprehensive Diabetes Care (ACDC) – for delivery using existing VHA HT infrastructure and clinical staffing. ACDC is a 6-month telehealth intervention that combines telemonitoring with module-based self-management support and medication management. ACDC is delivered entirely by existing clinical staff (a clinical HT nurse and a medication manager (typically a PharmD)) through bimonthly, 30-minute calls. Our initial randomized controlled trial found that ACDC improved HbA1c by a clinically and statistically significant  -1.0% relative to usual care at 6 months, while also improving blood pressure and diabetes self-care. Our goal with the present work was to improve diabetes care in clinical practice for rural Veterans whose type 2 diabetes remained uncontrolled despite receiving available services. To this end, we partnered with the VA Office of Rural Health to implement ACDC into VA sites across the country with large rural populations. 
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Gout / 14.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brian LaMoreaux, M.D., M.S. Medical Director, Medical Affairs Horizon Therapeutics [caption id="attachment_54552" align="alignleft" width="200"]Brian LaMoreaux, M.D., M.S. Medical Director, Medical Affairs Horizon Therapeutics Dr. LaMoreaux[/caption] MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: People with diabetes are known to have an increased risk of undergoing amputation procedures, however it was not known if patients with gout have an elevated independent risk for digit or limb amputations, or whether gout potentiates amputation rates in patients with diabetes. This analysis assessed and compared the rate of amputation procedures conducted in patients with gout, diabetes, both gout and diabetes, and neither gout nor diabetes via examining records from a large US claims database.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Diabetes, JAMA, Pediatrics / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54411" align="alignleft" width="148"]Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medical School Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center University of Michigan Dr. Kao-Ping Chua[/caption] Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medical School Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center University of Michigan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Due to high and rising prices, insulin has become increasingly unaffordable for patients with type 1 diabetes who must pay out-of-pocket for this life-saving medication. Over the past 5 months, many states and insurers have taken steps to cap insulin out-of-pocket spending. For example, Cigna imposed a $25 monthly cap earlier this year. This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced a $35 monthly cap for many Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Diabetes / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54405" align="alignleft" width="200"]Amir Meiri, MD MPH Atrius Health/Department of Population Medicine (DPM) | Delivery System Science Fellow HMS and HPHCI, DPM | General Internal Medicine Fellow Atrius Health Kenmore | Urgent Care Physician VA Boston Healthcare | Attending in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Dr. Meiri[/caption] Amir Meiri, MD MPH Atrius Health/Department of Population Medicine (DPM) | Delivery System Science Fellow HMS and HPHCI, DPM | General Internal Medicine Fellow Atrius Health Kenmore | Urgent Care Physician VA Boston Healthcare | Attending in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: There has been significant media reporting about rising insulin prices and the health impacts of those exorbitant prices. However, it was not clear how these insulin prices may impact out-of-pocket costs among commercially insured patients; though it is clear that those without insurance are affected per previous media reports. Our study examines the difference between insulin manufacturer-set prices and what patients actually pay, the out-of-pocket cost, in the context of the type of insurance patients have.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Genetic Research, Pancreatic / 15.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54230" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Núria Malats, MD PhD, Head of the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO)  Dr. Malats[/caption] Dr. Núria Malats, MD PhD, Head of the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO)  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The high mortality of pancreatic cancer is a consequence of late diagnosis because of the absence of symptoms in the earliest stages, and defining risk populations is therefore crucial to be able to carry out diagnostic tests that reveal the presence of the tumour as early as possible. Diabetes and pancreatic cancer are connected because the pancreas secretes insulin; in diabetic people, this does not occur in a normal way. It is estimated that around 50% of patients with pancreatic cancer presents diabetes. But it is an outstanding challenge for researchers to figure out which is the cause and which is the consequence.  To conduct the study, the team used data from more than 3,500 persons from PanGenEU, a large European study involving centres from six countries, including Spain, and led by Malats, to analyse the relationship between multiple risk factors and pancreatic cancer.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Genetic Research, Personalized Medicine / 27.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_54028" align="alignleft" width="145"]Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD Samuel E. Schechter Professor of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research Washington University School of Medicine Dr. Urano[/caption] Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD Samuel E. Schechter Professor of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research Washington University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Wolfram syndrome is a rare monogenic disease characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes, retinal degeneration, and neurodegeneration. Using gene editing by CRISPR-Cas9, in combination with patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we were able to make normal insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells by correcting Wolfram Syndrome gene mutation. We could cure diabetes in cells and mice. Because we can create any types of tissues from iPSCs, our next step would be to replicate this success for other medical problems, including retinal regeneration and neurodegeneration.
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Diabetes / 14.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53899" align="alignleft" width="106"]Daniel J. Drucker, M.D. Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute Mount Sinai Hospital Toronto  Dr. Drucker[/caption] Daniel J. Drucker, M.D. Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute Mount Sinai Hospital Toronto  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This review was prompted by shared mechanistic pathways linking actions of molecules such as ACE2 and DPP4, which are important enzymes with cardiometabolic actions, yet also function as coronavirus receptors. The recognition that people with diabetes and obesity are more prone to severe infection also highlights the importance of understanding the biology We highlight the intersection of pathways shared by coronavirus infection, and how these might impact our understanding of diabetes and its therapies.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA, Surgical Research / 14.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53895" align="alignleft" width="200"]Katherine Moll Reitz, MD General Surgery Resident University of Pittsburgh Dr. Reitz[/caption] Katherine Moll Reitz, MD General Surgery Resident University of Pittsburgh MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Surgical interventions both save lives and improve the quality of those lives each day. However, these same interventions and the recovery thereafter are a major physiologic stressor. Younger, more resilient patients tend to recover faster, with fewer postoperative complications when compared to older, frailer patients undergoing the same surgical treatments. Therefore, investigators at University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have begun focusing on prehabilitation in order to optimize at risk patients preoperatively. Just as an athlete would train for an upcoming event, prehabilitation (including smoking cessation, healthy eating, and physical activity increases) prepares or trains patients for their surgical intervention and can improve their postoperative outcomes. Currently, there is no medication available to aid in this training process, improving patients’ response to the physiologic stress of surgery. Therefore, we are interested in exploring potential safe, well tolerated medical therapies which can optimize patients as pharmacologic prehabilitation.
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Diabetes / 10.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53860" align="alignleft" width="163"] Dr. Fadini[/caption] Gian Paolo Fadini, MD PhD Associate Professor of Endocrinology Department of Medicine, University of Padova Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Since the very beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it was suggested that It has been initially suggested that diabetes mellitus is one of the most common comorbidities in infected people, but its exact prevalence is unclear. However, exact numbers were uncertain. We have addressed this issue in a study published as a letter in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation.
AstraZeneca, Author Interviews, Diabetes, Heart Disease, JAMA / 01.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53705" align="alignleft" width="136"]John J. V. McMurray,  MD FRCP FESC FACC FAHA FRSE FMedSci British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre University of Glasgow Glasgow, United Kingdom Prof. McMurray[/caption] John J. V. McMurray,  MD FRCP FESC FACC FAHA FRSE FMedSci British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre University of Glasgow Glasgow, United Kingdom  [caption id="attachment_53709" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Kieran F Docherty DAPA-HF investigator British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow Dr. Docherty[/caption] Kieran F Docherty DAPA-HF investigator British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow     MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: DAPA-HF was a double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing dapagliflozin 10 mg once daily with placebo in 4744 patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The primary outcome was a composite of time to occurrence of a worsening heart failure event (principally heart failure hospitalization) or cardiovascular death, whichever came first. Dapagliflozin reduced the primary outcome by 26% and reduced the risk of each of heart failure hospitalization and cardiovascular death individually, as well as overall mortality. Patient symptoms were also improved. The aim of the present report was to examine the effect of dapagliflozin separately in patients with and without type 2 diabetes at baseline (45/55% split in the trial). The reason for this was that dapagliflozin was originally introduced as a glucose-lowering medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We find that dapagliflozin was equally beneficial in patients with and without diabetes and was as well tolerated in patients without diabetes as in those with diabetes. More remarkably, among the patients without diabetes, dapagliflozin was as effective in participants with a completely normal glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as in those with prediabetes. In patients with a normal HbA1c, dapagliflozin did not lead to any reduction in HbA1c, but did improve clinical outcomes. 
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, OBGYNE, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 30.03.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53689" align="alignleft" width="155"]Silvi Shah, MD, MS, FACP, FNKF, FASN Assistant Professor Division of Nephrology, University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH-45267 Dr. Shah[/caption] Silvi Shah, MD, MS, FACP, FNKF, FASN Assistant Professor Division of Nephrology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH-45267 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The study identified 42,190,790 pregnancy related hospitalizations between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2015, using data from the from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Johns Hopkins / 26.03.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53641" align="alignleft" width="150"]Olive Tang, MD/PhD Student Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Olive Tang[/caption] Olive Tang, MD/PhD Student Johns Hopkins School of Medicine   [caption id="attachment_53642" align="alignleft" width="150"]Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH Professor of Epidemiology & Medicine Director, Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology  Department of Epidemiology Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Selvin[/caption] Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH Professor of Epidemiology & Medicine Director, Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology Department of Epidemiology Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The best approach to diabetes management in older adults is unclear. A new blood test called high-sensitivity troponin can detect damage to the heart, even in people without any signs or symptoms of heart disease.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Stem Cells / 12.02.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53139" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Andrew Stewart Dr. Stewart[/caption] Andrew F. Stewart MD Director, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Institute Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY 10029 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Both common forms of diabetes result from reductions in the numbers of healthy insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Having said that, people with both T1D and T2D almost always have residual beta cells. One way to approach this problem is by pancreas or islet transplant, or stem cell transplant approaches. These cannot easily or economically be scaled to the 30 million people in the US and the 420 million in the world with diabetes. Therefore, our approach is to develop drugs that can make the remaining beta cells regenerate and re-fill the beta cell tank.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Sugar / 01.02.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_53057" align="alignleft" width="164"]Marta Yanina Pepino, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Division of Nutritional Sciences College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Administration University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61801 Dr. Yanina Pepino[/caption] Marta Yanina Pepino, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Division of Nutritional Sciences College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Administration University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61801 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There is a general belief that substituting sugars with low calorie sweeteners contributes to diet healthfulness. However, accumulating data suggest that consuming a diet high in low calorie sweeteners , mainly in diet sodas, is associated with the same health issues than consuming a diet high in added sugars, including an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  The potential mechanism underlying such association are varied and still unclear. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence  that despite having very little or no calories, sweeteners can affect our metabolism (i.e.  the way we handle blood sugar) and that their effects may be different in people with obesity from those of normal weight.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Global Health / 20.01.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52824" align="alignleft" width="100"]Prof. Andrea On Yan LUK (陸安欣) Associate Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Specialist in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Honorary Associate Consultant, Hospital Authority Prof. Andrea On Yan LUK[/caption] Prof. Andrea On Yan LUK (陸安欣) Associate Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Specialist in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Honorary Associate Consultant, Hospital Authority MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The overall mortality in people with diabetes has declined in many developed countries but little is known about the mortality trend in Asia. In this study, we examined the trend in mortality rates using a territory-wide database of 770,000 people with diabetes in Hong Kong.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Supplements / 08.01.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_52710" align="alignleft" width="200"]Jonathan P. Little PhD Associate Professor | Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Faculty of Health and Social Development | School of Health and Exercise Sciences The University of British Columbia Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory Kelowna, BC  Canada Dr. Little[/caption] Jonathan P. Little PhD Associate Professor Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Faculty of Health and Social Development School of Health and Exercise Sciences The University of British Columbia Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory Kelowna, BC  Canada MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Ketones are energy-yielding molecules that are bodies naturally produce during periods of starvation or when we restrict carbohydrate intake. Recently, scientists from Oxford and the NIH have created exogenous ketone supplements, which now enable us to be able to drink ketones. This puts our body into a unique state – we can consume a drink that raises blood levels of ketones without having to starve or restrict carbohydrate intake. Some are even touting ketone supplements as a “fourth macronutrient”. Ketone supplements are primarily marketed for athletes to provide an alternative fuel for improving endurance exercise performance. We were actually studying how ketone supplements impacted exercise performance when we noticed that they consistently lowered blood glucose after participants consumed them. We went to the literature and found some classic papers where it was shown that infusing ketones did in fact lower glucose and the mechanism seemed to involve reducing liver glucose output. This was very exciting to us because we also study type 2 diabetes, a condition where blood sugars are too high and elevated liver glucose output is one of the major reasons. So we came up with the hypothesis that ketone supplements might be a unique strategy to help with blood glucose control. In the recent study, we tested this out in a randomized crossover experiment in 15 participants with overweight/obesity who were at risk for type 2 diabetes. Participants drank the ketone monoester supplement or a placebo and 30 minutes later they consumed an oral glucose tolerance test drink containing 75 grams of sugar. Blood samples were collected for 2 hours after the glucose test drink.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA, Nutrition / 18.12.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Mathilde Touvier, MPH, PhD Head of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team Dr Bernard Srour, PharmD, PhD Inserm, Inrae, University of Paris MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We found that for an increase of 10 in the percentage of ultra-processed food quantity in the diet, we had a significant 15% increase in Type 2 diabetes risk. We have already shown, in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, associations between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and overall cancer, breast cancer, cardiovascular, coronary heart diseases risk, mortality and depressive symptoms. However, no prior study had studies the associations between ultra-processed food and Type 2 diabetes risk. We suspected that we would find these associations since some components of ultra-processed foods light have metabolic interactions with human health (some food additives for instance).
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Diabetes, JAMA, OBGYNE / 18.10.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51869" align="alignleft" width="160"]Haitham M. Ahmed, MD, MPH Chair of Cardiology, Advantage Care Physicians Brooklyn, New York Dr. Ahmed[/caption] Haitham M. Ahmed, MD, MPH Chair of Cardiology, Advantage Care Physicians Brooklyn, New York MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: This was a meta-analysis of more than a quarter m illion mothers looking at the long-term cardiovascular risk reduction of mothers who breastfed their babies. 
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Infections / 13.10.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Hean Teik Humphrey Ko PhD candidate School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University Perth, Western Australia, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Bacterial skin infections consume precious healthcare resources because such infections are common and may sometimes be severe. Statins are relatively affordable and extensively prescribed worldwide to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the safety/adverse effects of statins have been well documented. Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of bacterial skin infections, and statins have been separately reported to exert antibacterial effects against S. aureus, as well as reduce the risk of S. aureus related blood infections. As such, it seemed plausible that statins may prove beneficial in S. aureus related skin infections. However, statins may also induce new-onset diabetes mellitus, a condition which in turn, is a risk factor for skin infections. Therefore, in order to determine if statins could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic agent for skin infections to reduce healthcare costs, this study was conducted to examine the interrelationships between statins, diabetes, and skin infections. 
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cost of Health Care, Diabetes, JAMA / 02.10.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_51730" align="alignleft" width="200"]Andrew Sumarsono, MD UT Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Sumarsono[/caption] Andrew Sumarsono, MD UT Southwestern Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?   Response: There are currently 12 types of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes. With approximately 30 million adults living with diabetes in the United States, the rising cost of insulin has raised concerns about the affordability of diabetes care. We evaluated trends in total spending and number of prescriptions of all diabetes therapies among Medicare Part D beneficiaries between 2012 and 2017.
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