Mice fed the diabetes drug Actos recently taught the medical community an important lesson about how belly fat might affect human hearts. If the observations prove true in humans, people with more belly fat also tend to have more hardening of the arteries that feed the heart. Actos may fight this unhealthy phenomenon.

An article from WebMD reports on a study released last month that found that Latino and African-American diabetics had higher blood sugar measures than white diabetics. Whites averaged a hemoglobin A1C score of 7.22 percent, compared to 8.07 and 8.14 percent in African-American and Latino study participants, respectively. This was no surprise, because many other studies have come to similar conclusions.

While the latest study on cinnamon shows that it does not help diabetes, it may not be time to dismiss the tasty spice altogether.

A recent edition of the the journal Diabetes Care reported on a study that tested doses of cinnamon to determine if it could help people with diabetes. The study found that cinnamon did not reduce blood sugar, improve insulin resistance, or lower cholesterol.

Your genes may be signaling how well you respond to metformin.  If you have the right genetic makeup, metformin may lower your A1C score to a healthy level.  A change or variation in gene that tells the body how to create a small structure with cells call an organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) contributes to metformin's effectiveness.  (A simplified explanation of an organic cation transporter is a chemical that helps certain atoms to enter a cell.)

When we pass on scientific experiments from animal studies we are careful because they do not often turn out the same in humans. However, a recent study from Columbia University Medical Center conducted with mice revealed how important the bone compound osteocalcin is to the endocrine system.

Just the fact that you are reading this means that you are looking for medical information. We often refer to health literacy as simply the ability to speak intelligently with your doctor about your condition. We hope My Diabetes Information is helping you maintain your literacy.

During ongoing research to pinpoint genes that may contribute to the risk of developing diabetes, researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk for type 1 diabetes. The research team uncovered new type 1 diabetes instigators on chromosome 16, occupied by a gene called KIAA0350As. Investigators have their eyes on providing a scientific basis for designing better treatments and preventive measures for the disease.

CHICAGO — There are millions of people battling diabetes that are not able to control their weight using diet and exercise alone. Their genetics and other factors have programmed them to be obese. If they are insulin dependant, insulin may actually make them more prone to be overweight. Medicare has recently begun covering bariatric (weight loss) surgery although significant death rates have previously been reported in Medicare patients undergoing the procedure. However, the risks of death and other complications after bariatric surgery appear similar between patients younger and older than age 60, and also between Medicare recipients and non-recipients, according to a study in the June issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.