4 New Developments in Diabetes

The dysfunctional β-cell is the common denominator in all diabetes, regardless of the subtype or category. The author proposes that a β-cell centered schema would be more clinically useful and lead to more optimal patient care. Underutilized treatments could become rational choices to target individual mediating pathways of hyperglycemia.

Living with type 2 diabetes tends to increase the risk of depression. Is duration of diabetes a direct or indirect cause of depression in later life? Finding: Living with diabetes for >30 years triples the risk of depression. Frailty could explain some of the association. Strategies that decrease diabetes-related complications also may reduce the risk of depression among older men.

Antipsychotics taken for nonpsychotic and off-label indications may raise the risk of cardiometabolic adverse effects, especially type 2 diabetes in young people. Findings: study found that the cumulative risk of T2D was 2.5 times higher in youths who took antipsychotics than in healthy controls. Implications: Antipsychotics should be used judiciously and for the shortest time frame for young patients.

Close to 90% of the ~86 million Americans who have prediabetes are unaware that they have the condition. A new joint awareness campaign was launched by the ADA, AMA, CDC, and Ad Council:

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention.

Includes a real-time 60-second TV commercial prediabetes test and an online 7- question risk test (DoIHavePrediabetes.org.).