Diabetes News You Can Use
Finerenone reduces diabetes risk with heart failure
Finerenone lowers the risk of new-onset diabetes in patients with heart failure and mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction, according to a study in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The FINEARTS-HF trial showed that over a median follow-up of 31.3 months, finerenone reduced the incidence of new-onset diabetes by 24% compared with placebo.
Full Story: Endocrinology Advisor (2/3)
Plant-based meat alternatives may lower cholesterol
A systematic review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that short-term consumption of plant-based meat alternatives can significantly reduce total and LDL cholesterol. The study, which analyzed data from seven randomized controlled trials, found a 6% decrease in total cholesterol and a 12% decrease in LDL cholesterol among adults without cardiovascular disease.
Full Story: Medical News Today (2/2)
Metformin reduces diabetes risk
A study in Diabetes Care found that daily metformin reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes among individuals with metabolic syndrome. The Metformin and Dietary Restriction to Prevent Age-Related Morbid Events in People With Metabolic Syndrome trial found that participants taking metformin with or without a Mediterranean diet had a lower incidence of diabetes compared with those taking a placebo.
Full Story: Healio (free registration) (1/30)
Report: Heart disease is still leading cause of death
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the US, driven by rising rates of hypertension, obesity and other risk factors, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. Cardiovascular disease claims more lives than cancer and accidental deaths combined. The report noted almost 47% of adults have hypertension, 57% have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes and more than 72% have an unhealthy weight.
Full Story: Medscape (1/28)
Semaglutide approved for patients with diabetes, kidney disease
The FDA approved semaglutide to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, according to Novo Nordisk. The approval affects 0.5-mg, 1-mg and 2-mg doses of semaglutide.
Full Story: MedPage Today (free registration) (1/28)
Bariatric surgery lowers liver risk in MASH cirrhosis
An observational study in Nature Medicine found bariatric surgery lowers the long-term risk of liver decompensation and major adverse liver outcomes in patients with compensated MASH-related cirrhosis. The 15-year cumulative incidence of major adverse liver outcomes was 21% for surgical patients versus 46% for nonsurgical patients.
Full Story: MedPage Today (free registration) (1/27)
Diabetes more prevalent among adults with disabilities
Adults with functional disabilities have a higher prevalence of diabetes, according to a CDC study published in Diabetes Care. The study, using data from the 2021-2022 National Health Interview Survey, found that 11.2% of adults with disabilities have diabetes, compared with 5.8% of those without disabilities.
Full Story: Endocrinology Advisor (1/27)
Sex and medication use may affect semaglutide initiation
A study in JAMA Network Open found that only 2% of more than 97,000 commercially insured adults with obesity but not diabetes start semaglutide within six months of diagnosis. Factors such as female sex, insurance type and antidepressant use significantly influence initiation. The study highlights potential inequities in access to the medication.
Full Story: HCPLive Network (1/21)
Intensive glucose control lowers heart, mortality risk
A post hoc analysis of trial data, published in Diabetes Care, indicates that intensive glucose control reduces mortality and cardiovascular risk among patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of age at diagnosis or disease duration. However, the risk of hypoglycemia increased significantly across all subgroups.
Full Story: Healio (free registration) (1/21)
GLP-1 receptor agonists show diverse health outcomes
A study in Nature Medicine using Veterans Affairs data has found that GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce risks for 42 health outcomes but increase risks for 19 others. The study was based on data for nearly 2 million individuals.
Full Story: MedPage Today (free registration) (1/20)
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Related News
Affiliate Anne Manicone receives Pilot Award
Affiliate Anne Manicone, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine) received a Pilot Project Award, “Identifying Novel Compounds to Polarize Macrophages toward Reparative States,” from the parent P30 Grant, “Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research in the Post-CFTR Modulator Era,” funded by NIH/NIDDK. This 2-year award will provide $264,000 towards developing new strategies to target chronic inflammation seen in people with Cystic Fibrosis.
Congratulations to this year’s funding awardees
Congratulations to this year's funding awardees: Dr. Megan Capozzi and Dr. Huu Hien Hunyh have been awarded Pilot and Feasibility awards and Dr. Devasena Ponnalagu has been awarded the New Investigator award.
In Memoriam Jerry Palmer
Jerry P. Palmer, M.D., the former University of Washington (UW) Diabetes Research Center Director, passed away on Wednesday 28 February 2024. Jerry played major roles at the UW and VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS). He came to Seattle in 1975 to do his endocrine fellowship at the urging of R.H. Williams and never left. During his time in the Pacific Northwest, Jerry gave tirelessly in the true sense of the word. He was quiet and humble, loved by his patients, fellow faculty members, and colleagues alike.
Jerry distinguished himself scientifically in numerous ways. He first to describe the presence of insulin autoantibodies in people with type 1 diabetes who were insulin naïve. That discovery led to the use of this biomarker for diagnosing type 1 diabetes which continues to be a mainstay today both clinically and in research. He also demonstrated the importance of T-cell reactivity and using this approach has helped us learn that many people who look more typically like they have type 2 diabetes do also have an immune basis for their disease. Jerry was a leader in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its follow on the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDIC) Study that continues to this day. The results of this major clinical trial showed definitively that improved glucose control reduces complications in diabetes, which was then considered a breakthrough and today is considered fundamental for all people with diabetes globally. He and his colleagues demonstrated the presence of subclinical beta-cell function in relatives of people with type 1 diabetes and its progressive loss was the basis for their development of diabetes. He was also part of the group that demonstrated that the loss of the small amount of residual beta-cell function in those with recent-onset type 1 diabetes could be slowed with intensive insulin treatment. After the DCCT/EDIC, Jerry played a leadership role in TrialNet that paved the way for the development of immune modulator therapy, an approach that was recently introduced into the clinical arena. Across the variety of his research pursuits, Jerry mentored numerous postdoctoral fellows and always ensured that their interests were represented before his own.
Jerry motivated strongly for the establishment of the Diabetes Care Center at UW, which opened its doors in 1991. While this clinical center opened in modest surroundings and set the benchmark for diabetes treatment in Seattle, today it hosts over 18,000 patient visits annually. The success of this clinical endeavor and the strength of the research environment at the University laid the foundation for the formation of the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute.
Administratively, Jerry was highly successful doing so quietly while at the same time giving credit to those around him. He directed the UW Diabetes Research Center from 1996-2011, having previously served for many years as its Deputy Director. The success of the Center and its strength today is in no small measure the result of his devotion to its mission. He was the Chief of the Endocrine Division at VAPSHCS lobbying vigorously that its faculty not only provide the highest standard of clinical care for their patients but also that they be given sufficient time to pursue their research interests. Nationally, he served in numerous capacities, including as a member of the national Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and for a decade on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Advisory Council.
Jerry Palmer set a standard for all in Seattle, nationally and internationally. While achieving all of this, at all times his family was his pride, joy, priority, and devotion. All of us will miss him dearly.
Jeff Chamberlain Receives 2024 MDA Legacy Award
CVTMC Associate Director, Jeff Chamberlain, professor (Medical Genetics) is honored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association with the 2024 Legacy Award for Achievement in Research, for his achievements in translational research. The MDA Legacy Award for Achievement in Research is an annual recognition for outstanding accomplishments in neuromuscular disease research. This is the MDA’s highest award for contributions to the fight against muscular dystrophy.
Read more on the MDA website.
Affiliate Josh Thaler is Senior Author of “Obesity-associated microglial inflammatory activation paradoxically improves glucose tolerance”
Affiliate Joshua Thaler, associate professor (Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition) is senior author of “Obesity-associated microglial inflammatory activation paradoxically improves glucose tolerance” in Cell Metabolism. This article was featured as a Research Highlight in Nature Reviews Endocrinology. To read the article click here.