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Wednesday 6 July 2011

Study casts doubt on diabetes screening !

"The researchers from the University of Cambridge, including GP advisers to the Government on vascular screening, presented the study at the American diabetes Association in San Diego this week.

The study analysed data from 3,055 type 2 diabetes patients aged 40 to 69 years – 1,377 given usual care and 1,678 given intensive treatment – all of whom were detected by screening undiagnosed patients using a risk score assessment of general practice medical records at 343 practices in the UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands."

"The extent to which the complications of diabetes can be reduced by earlier detection and treatment remains uncertain."

Is the clue here "intensive treatment" The ACCORD study showed  "intensive treatment" with multi diabetes drug therapy was dangerous. Is a healthy low carb diet and getting off our butts regarded as  "intensive treatment" ? I don't think so ! When will they publish some data regarding diabetics that hold HbA1c in the fours and fives, not using "intensive treatment" ?


Eddie

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/12276192/study-casts-doubt-on-diabetes-screening

4 comments:

Steve Parker, M.D. said...

One of the major drugs utilized in the ACCORD study was rosiglitazone, which is now highly restricted in the U.S. due to concerns about adverse cardiac effects.

We don't know the long-term side effects of many of the drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. That's one reason I favor a carbohydrate-restricted diet approach.

-Steve

Dave P said...

On the subject of treatments, i find it fascinating that if diagnosed with cancer you will probably be advised to change diet and undergo some kind of radio/chemo therapy with some pretty horrendous side effects that may or may not cure. They have known for some time that cancer cells need glucose, and when you reduce the supply they do not thrive. However if you at least significantly reduce your intake of Sugars and Starches it is seen as dangerous or at least Unhealthy. Not to mention the improvement in any number of factors in the Metabolic Syndrome. If lack of Evidence is the problem then there is a pretty big Experiment going on right now in Sweden and spreading to other Nordic countries, Where more and more of the population are reducing their Starch /Sugar intake and doing well on it

Anonymous said...

[quote]
Improvements in cardiovascular risk factors – HbA1c, cholesterol concentrations and blood pressure – were slightly but significantly better in the intensive treatment group.
[/quote]

So, were they slight or significant?

Anonymous said...

(quote)Steve Parker, M.D. said...

One of the major drugs utilized in the ACCORD study was rosiglitazone, which is now highly restricted in the U.S. due to concerns about adverse cardiac effects.

We don't know the long-term side effects of many of the drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. That's one reason I favor a carbohydrate-restricted diet approach.

-Steve
6 July 2011 08:35 (unquote)

Agreed, but can you expand a little more on the "carbohydrate-restricted diet approach"? By how much should diabetics restrict the carbohydrates, less than 100g or would restricting by say 50% of the RDA suffice?