Charles F. Shaefer Jr, MD

Incretin drugs, which offer ease of use, very little hypoglycemia, and no weight gain (or even weight loss) seem to be an ideal therapy. But 80% to 90% of patients don’t stay on them. Why not?

Incretin-based T2DM therapy is not a direct cause of pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer asserts the European Medicines Agency.

GLP-1 receptor antagonists suppress post-meal glucose excursions and are compatible with basal insulin; the combination addresses both FPG and PPG.

Bariatric surgery is recommended along with oral therapy to help patients with type 2 diabetes control overweight and obesity.

Sodium-glucose linked transporter 2 inhibitors lower renal threshold for glucose transport, cause glycosuria, improved glycemic control, weight loss.

Initial triple-agent therapy for type 2 diabetes, compared with step-wise add-on therapy, produced a durable drop in A1C.

Combination therapy that addresses both fasting and post-meal glucose elevation is the next big thing in T2DM management.

Obesity and kidney disease need to be aggressively managed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Betatrophin, a naturally occurring hormone, may help restore beta cell mass, and so insulin production, lost through the pathologic changes of the diabetic process.

Early use of combination therapy to treat type 2 diabetes is shown to limit glucose toxicity and preserve beta-cell function.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is affecting teenagers at an alarming rate. Lifestyle changes are paramount in an environment of chronic caloric surplus.

The Outcomes Reduction with Initial Glargine Intervention trial: No elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer when insulin is used early to treat T2DM.

The 2012 ADA/EASD Position Statement prescribes patient-centered care for type 2 diabetes management using lifestyle change, metformin, DPP-4Is, GLP-1 RAs.

New research finds that type 2 diabetes mellitus, once considered a disease of “adult onset,” is highly resistant to treatment in overweight American youths-a group succumbing to the disorder at an alarming rate. Here, a comment on the cultural norms that make choosing health a daily battle.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has recently published its updated guidelines for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management. While touted as "new," these guidelines offer no real breakthroughs in understanding. Our blogger offers a perspective; we’d like to hear yours.