Diabetes

Heart disease and diabetes: Is there a difference between the statins?

All of the five different statins that are licensed for use in Germany can lower the cholesterol level in the blood. But the deciding factor for patients is how well the medicine can prevent heart attacks and other coronary artery problems. From this point of view, simvastatin (marketed under various brand names) is the best tested. It has been shown to lengthen life expectancy of people with diabetes and particular heart diseases. more...

Inhaled insulin: How safe is it?

There is currently not enough evidence to reliably evaluate the long-term benefits and harms of inhaled insulin. In most people with diabetes, inhaled insulin cannot completely replace insulin injections. The manufacturer of the inhaled insulin Exubera has taken it off the market. more...

Walking for exercise: What could help you walk more?

Methods to encourage more walking, like pedometers, walking groups or encouragement to walk to school or work could help people walk an extra 30 to 60 minutes per week. If tailored to you and your circumstances, methods like this could help you increase the amount you walk. more...

Walking: What are the health benefits?

People who are currently very inactive can lose some weight and body fat, and increase their cardiovascular fitness, if they have four or more walks a week that last at least an hour in total. more...

Weight loss: Can exercising help to keep the weight off?

People who try to lose weight by dieting and doing exercise could lose about 20 percent more weight than people who only diet. One year after losing weight the people had gained about half of the weight they had lost. But those who did exercise weighed less than those who were physically inactive. more...

Type 2 diabetes: Are long-acting insulin analogues better than regular long-acting human insulin?

Long-acting insulin analogues have not been shown to have advantages over human insulin in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. More research is needed on the long-term benefits and harms of long-acting insulin analogues. more...

Type 2 diabetes: Does self-monitoring urine and blood glucose levels have benefits for people who do not inject insulin?

Regular self-monitoring of glucose levels has not been proven to have benefits for people with type 2 diabetes who do not inject insulin. It is not known whether self-monitoring can help prevent diabetes-related complications in this group of people. more...

Type 2 diabetes: Is it better to lower blood sugar levels to near-normal levels?

People with type 2 diabetes can prevent complications if they lower their high blood sugar levels permanently. Many doctors even recommend trying to get to near-normal blood sugar levels. But trials show that lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels can have both advantages and disadvantages compared with lowering blood sugar levels more moderately. more...

Type 2 diabetes: What are the advantages and disadvantages of exenatide injections?

In type 2 diabetes, using exenatide injections together with oral antidiabetics can achieve target blood sugar levels as effectively as using insulin. Exenatide can also help reduce weight a little. However, adverse effects are common. more...

Type 2 diabetes: How do glinides compare to other medications?

There are no good-quality trials of whether glinides can prevent diabetes complications such as damage to the eyes or kidneys. It is not clear whether these blood-sugar-lowering medications have advantages for people with type 2 diabetes compared to other medications. more...

Short-acting insulin analogues: Are they better than regular insulin for people with type 2 diabetes?

There are not enough adequate long-term clinical trials on whether short-acting insulin analogues have health benefits compared to regular human insulin for people with type 2 diabetes. It is also currently not possible to reliably evaluate the long-term safety of insulin analogues. more...

Type 1 diabetes: Are long-acting insulin analogues better than regular long-acting human insulin?

There is no scientific proof that long-acting insulin analogues are better than long-acting human insulin. There is also a lack of long-term trials looking at the effects of using insulin analogues for many years. more...