One of the highlights in the recent World Diabetes Congress held in South Africa was the release of a study that highlighted the answer to a question: Can Diabetes Be Prevented?
The initial findings of the study was released in EASD in Denmark also this year called the DREAM study which provided exciting results that can help us endocrinologists “prevent” the onset of diabetes. The study showed that for patients diagnosed withPrediabetes, starting them on Rosiglitazone ( Avandia) can help significantly delay the onset of the disease compared to placebo by more than 60 %.
In the IDF sponsored World Congress, the ADOPT study looked at whether there is a difference among diabetic patients started on different oral medications in terms of disease progression. As expected, Rosiglitazone (Avandia) was able to show that compared with a sulfonylurea, it was able to delay the progression of the disease by > 60% and by > 30% compared with a metformin.
The studies proved …that now, we have a tool, that can significantly help our patients… not only in controlling blood sugar and therefore prevent complications but more so…delay and slow down the progression of their disease. Remember… if we are able to slow down the disease process then we can delay the onset of complications like heart disease and stroke. And if we delay the disease progression before a patient dies… then we are indeed preventing it!
I am a believer of this drug, not only because it improves both fasting and post meal blood sugars, but more so because, it is the only tool we have that acts directly on the two major causes of why ones blood sugar goes up: the Insulin Resistance state and Beta cell dysfunction. By improving insulin sensitivity using Rosiglitazone, we now have outcome studies that proved… we can indeed delay the disease process.
Indeed a Good News to all diabetic patients….
To Delay A Disease is a Tool to Prolong Life!
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