Trial of artificial pancreas gives diabetes patients a break

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For Terra Hillyer, who has Type 1 diabetes, enrolling in a clinical trial for a new medical device called the artificial pancreas provided a glimpse of what life might be like without the constant checks of blood sugar levels and infusions of insulin that currently mark her days.

The first thing I do when I wake up is check my blood sugar, Hillyer says. It is the background noise of my life.

Except for one day recently, when the mother of two checked into the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara. There, under medical supervision, she allowed herself to be hooked up to an experimental device that might help turn back the clock to the time before she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 17.

In people with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas fails to produce insulin, a key hormone in the regulation of blood sugar. As a result, patients need to carefully monitor their blood sugar levels and administer insulin on their own. The artificial pancreas is designed to manage the administration of insulin and control the users blood sugar automatically -- meaning that the participants, for the first time since childhood, could put their blood sugar readings out of their minds.

I called it my diabetes spa day, Hillyer said with a laugh. The artificial pancreas -- made by Animas Corp., a unit of Johnson & Johnson -- is really a combination of two state-of-the-art technologies in diabetes management: the continuous glucose monitor, which measures blood sugar regularly, and the insulin pump, which can be programmed by its user to deliver a predetermined amount of insulin.

Currently, people using these devices have to read their glucose monitor and then make a decision about how much insulin they need. And they must do this constantly -- potentially dozens of times per day, depending on their diets, activity levels and other factors. Sleep is a problematic time, since users cannot monitor their levels.

The artificial pancreas removes these burdens: the readings of the glucose monitor are passed to the insulin pump, and an onboard computer determines the appropriate insulin dose. Animas device also utilizes a proprietary algorithm that aims to predict the future course of a users blood sugar, allowing insulin levels to change well in advance of any complications.

While testing the device in Santa Barbara, volunteers were able to observe how the artificial pancreas took over the management of their blood sugar.

It was fascinating to see how the program thinks, said Kirk Martin, another volunteer. Im sitting there turning my life over to this machine, and you say, I hope its right. But you can see on the monitor that its right, so you acquiesce.

The results from the Animas trial, presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Assn. in Philadelphia, were positive, though limited in scope. The researchers showed only that the device was able to keep the participants blood sugars within an acceptable range, without any safety risks, for 24 hours.

Jun 12

Swedish Study Falsely Blames Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diets for High Cholesterol Levels

Diets that Work

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DENVER, June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. today announced that a recently released epidemiology study published in Nutrition Journal has come to the mistaken conclusion that a low-carbohydrate diet, like the Atkins Diet, is to blame for rising cholesterol levels between 1986 and 2010 in a Swedish population. However, based on the study abstract, this population actually consumed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, which is very different from the Atkins Diet.

Based on the Swedish study of food frequency questionnaires, during 2010 the population consumed a diet with carbohydrates making up 45.9 percent of calories and 39.9 percent of calories from fat. In contrast, with Atkins, in the early weight loss phases, only 10 percent of calories come from healthy carbohydrates, and the remaining calories come from a variety of protein choices, as well as healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado. Foods associated with the high fat intake in this Swedish study were "fats used for spreading on bread and cooking, dairy products, oil for salad dressing or cooking, various types of meats, and sausages, as main dishes or on sandwiches, pizza, deep fried potato chips, French fries, including corn chips and popcorn."

"This food intake is not reflective of the Atkins dietary program," said Colette Heimowitz, vice president of nutrition and education for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. "The Swedish study is a case study of what happens when a population consumes high carbohydrate combined with high fat. In fact, BMI increased, as did markers for heart disease. Fat poses no risk when carbohydrate consumption is low enough to allow the body to burn fat for fuel. This has been demonstrated in clinical trials time and time again, consistently supporting the conclusion that a well-constructed Atkins Diet lowers risk factors for heart disease. What this study does showcase is that the Swedish researchers need to take a close look at the mounting evidence that the low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss and long-term weight maintenance is not only effective but also safe and beneficial to every clinical measure looked at to date."

Representatives from the Science Advisory Board for Atkins Nutritionals Inc. have weighed-in on the mistaken assumptions made by the study:

"This study does not take into account other variables or factors taking place in the Swedish demographic in this time period," said Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, PhD., MD. "For one, they do not take into consideration the effect of age on the population. The Swedish population is rapidly aging, and this is most notable in the northern part of the country where this study was done and I did not see where they corrected their data on weight or cholesterolfor change in mean age. And most importantly, anyone attempting to assess health risk by change in total cholesterol does not appreciate the science of the last 30 years. Particularly notable is the lack of information on serum HDL cholesterol and triglycerides."

"This study completely ignores a large body of literature that points to health-promoting effects of low carbohydrate diets. A well formulated low carbohydrate diet, like the Atkins Diet, has been shown in numerous studies to result in favorable effects on cholesterol, saturated fat levels in the body, and other cardio-metabolic markers, especially in individuals who have insulin resistance," said Dr. Jeff Volek, PhD., RD.

Over the past few decades, health researchers who have studied the Atkins approach have found that low-carbohydrate is a viable, safe, effective and sound alternative for those individuals who prefer this style of eating and dietary management, and especially those with metabolic syndrome. Health professionals are recognizing that one diet does not fit all types of individuals. The Atkins approach has consistently been found to warrant consideration in the global fight against obesity and the concomitant chronic diseases associated with it.

About Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. is a leader in the $2.4 billion weight control nutrition category, and offers a powerful lifetime approach to weight loss and management. The Atkins Diet focuses on a healthy diet with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and added sugars and encourages the consumption of protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats. Backed by research and consumer success stories, this approach allows the body to burn more fat and work more efficiently while helping individuals feel less hungry, more satisfied and more energetic.

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc., manufactures and sells a variety of nutrition bars and shakes designed around the nutritional principles of the Atkins Diet. Atkins' four product lines: Advantage, Day Break, Endulge and Cuisine appeal to a broad audience of both men and women who want to achieve their weight management goals and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Atkins products are available online at atkins.com and in more than 30,000 locations throughout the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit atkins.com.

Jun 10

Experimental diabetes drugs offer patients hope

Diets that Work

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Some experimental diabetes treatments in late testing offer patients hope of better controlling their blood sugar and weight and preventing dangerously low blood sugar, all big challenges for millions of diabetics.

Results from studies of several new diabetes medicines and insulin products, just announced at the premiere U.S. conference for diabetes specialists, likewise hold the promise of billions in annual revenue for drugmakers that have dominated the diabetes market and for others breaking into it. They have been presenting their data at the American Diabetes Association conference, held in Philadelphia from last Friday through Monday.

Until the last decade, relatively few companies made treatments for diabetes, a chronic condition in which the body either does not make enough insulin to break down the sugar in foods or uses insulin inefficiently.

Now many more drugmakers have jumped in, as the number of American diabetes patients is about 26 million and growing fast, and there are tens of millions more in Western Europe, China and India.

That's because the global obesity epidemic has caused a similar explosion of diabetes cases. About 95 percent are Type 2 diabetes, usually related to being overweight and sedentary. Type 2, once called adult-onset diabetes, now is also being diagnosed in adolescents, just like insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetes, which used to be called juvenile diabetes.

Both types can cause early death or devastating complications blindness, amputations, stroke, kidney disease, heart disease and more when too-high blood sugar steadily damages organs and blood vessels.

Roughly $200 billion a year is spent on treating diabetes and indirect costs such as missed work and premature death, according to the diabetes association.

Last year, U.S. spending on diabetes medicines among insured patients for the first time exceeded spending on cholesterol drugs, according to Express Scripts, a top prescription benefit manager.

"We expect the key diabetes brands and markets to exhibit sustainable high-single-digit growth," reaching about $54 billion a year by 2020, Jefferies & Company analyst Jeffrey Holford recently wrote to investors. He cited an aging Western population, more health care use and adoption of Western diets in emerging countries, and increased use of new treatments and combination therapies.

Holford expects Denmark's Novo Nordisk AS to remain the top diabetes company by revenue but Eli Lilly and Co. of Indianapolis to overtake France's Sanofi SA as the No. 2 player by 2017.

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Experimental diabetes drugs offer patients hope

Jun 8

What are the Best Diets That Work? — Free Workshop|704-412-8013|Charlotte|28213|28262|28269|NC – Video

Diets that Work

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07-06-2012 11:56 (704) 412-8013 -- Call for more info or to attend our free workshop. Do you need to lose weight? Have you tried diets, and they don't work? Are you exercising and not seeing any results? Have you tried the same diets as your friends, but they didn't work for you? Have you had weight loss,...

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What are the Best Diets That Work? -- Free Workshop|704-412-8013|Charlotte|28213|28262|28269|NC - Video

Jun 8