Diabetes News Roundup: May 2018

April 26, 2018
Mark L. Fuerst

New diabetes studies find SGLT2i may reduce all-cause mortality; that telemedicine can improve T2DM care; and that broader screening criteria are better.

New studies in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) suggest sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors reduce all-cuase mortality vs other newer classes of diabetes drugs; support efficacy of a telehealth program for the treatment of T2DM; and assess current USPSTF screening recommendations for detecting diabetes. 

Diabetes News Roundup for May 2018

SGLT-2 Inhibitors Top Other Type 2 Diabetes Drugs

SGLT-2 Inhibitors Associated with Lower Mortality Rates. Study examined the efficacy of SGLT-2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, and DPP-4 inhibitors on mortality rates in T2DM patients. 

Author's Insights. Study found that the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors had significantly lower mortality rates and may be preferred treatment over GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors. 

For more information: Zheng SL, Roddick AJ, Aghar-Jaffar R, et al. Association between use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors with all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. JAMA. 2018;319:1580-1591.

Telehealth Improves Type 2 Diabetes Care

Telehealth Improves Glycemic Control in T2DM Patients. Study examined the efficacy of electronic consultation care for the treatment of T2DM. 

Author's Insights. Study found that within 3 to 6 mos, A1c was under 9% in the EC group vs 8.75% in F2F group; one year after consult, A1c was 8.8% in the EC group vs 8.6% in the F2F group. 

For more information: Borromeo Detoya KC, Karajgikar N, Bandi A, et al. Impact of electronic consultation compared to face-to-face encounters on glycemic control among veterans with type 2 diabetes. Paper presented at: ENDO 2018; March 2018; Chicago, IL. 

Broader Screening Would Identify More Type 2 Diabetes Patients. 

Screening Improves T2DM Detection. Study aimed to compare the performance of limited vs expanded screening criteria for detecting dysglycemia in US adults. 

Author's Insights. Study found that expanding USPSTF diabetes criteria improved dysglycemia detection and, in addtion, identified ~77% of people aged 40 to 70 years as at risk (vs 50% identified with less-inclusive criteria). 

For more information: O'Brien MJ, McKeever Bullard K, Zhang Y, et al. Performance of the 2015 US preventive services task force screening criteria for prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes. J Gen Intern Med. 2018;1-9.

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