Endo News Roundup: Diabetes Biomarker

March 1, 2017

March news includes a possible biomarker for diabetes, a new sensor to read glucose levels, and a study on insulin resistance and bone fracture.

New studies in diabetes include: an alternative sensor-based method for glucose monitoring in children and young people with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) appears to be accurate and safe; insulin resistance is associated with lower bone turnover levels, which could be a factor in the higher fracture rates seen in diabetes; and serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) appears to be a good biomarker for diabetes prediction, and could be considered as an alternative to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

“Flash” Sensor Monitors Glucose Levels Abstract link.

A "flash" monitoring system shows good agreement with finger-stick blood glucose results in children and teens.

The “flash” glucose sensor, which does not require user calibration, may be suitable for a broad range of children and young people with diabetes.

Insulin Resistance Tied to Bone Turnover Abstract link.

Increased visceral adiposity and higher fasting insulin levels are associated with lower levels of bone turnover markers, adding understanding to the skeletal complications that result from improper control of diabetes.

Clinicians may need to take into account not only bone mineral density via routine scans, but also bone turnover marker levels for their T2DM patients.

Biomarker Helps Predict Diabetes Abstract link.

FGF21, a novel metabolic regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism and a potential therapeutic agent for metabolic disorders, could also be a useful biomarker for the prediction of incident diabetes.

As a single biomarker, FGF21 adds value to established risk factors when used in the construction of diabetes prediction models.

Clinical Implications