Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes

New research suggests that insulin may be effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of endocrinology in the Department of Medicine, first discovered about 17 years ago that Alzheimer’s inflammation is resistant to insulin, and now researchers in the U.K. are testing the concept on rats. “This is about the only ray of hope right now in this moment,” he said. “We need to demonstrate that insulin conclusively and in multi-center trails will improve cognitive function.”

Research by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, shows that a majority of patients with type 1 diabetes did significantly better at controlling blood sugar when they used insulin and a medicine for type 2 diabetes. “It can save a lot of lives,” he said. “It can reduce complications like eye disease, blindness, kidney disease and failure. Type 1 is really a disaster and, overall, not a disease you want to have.”

Research by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, shows that patients with type 1 diabetes who were treated with a type 2 diabetes drug had a significant decline in their blood sugar levels. “There remains a high unmet medical need in helping treat the millions of patients living with type 1 diabetes while managing the complications associated with the disease,” he said. “It is critical that we continue to advance clinical research with newer and novel therapies.”

A new study shows that people with type 1 diabetes experienced improvements in HbA1c levels after treatment with liraglutide, according to Raju Panta, MD, a medical resident in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in the Department of Medicine.

A new meta-analysis led by a research group at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences suggests that liraglutide produces modest reductions of HbA1c levels with significant weight loss as well as small insulin dose reductions in type 1 diabetes.

A study by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of endocrinology in the Department of Medicine, shows that adults with obesity assigned to treatment with phentermine for six months experienced weight loss and decreases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure, but in those with diabetes, blood pressure did not change.

Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, has found that treating patients who have Type 1 diabetes with insulin, liraglutide and dapagliflozin leads to impressive improvements in blood glucose control and weight loss.

A report on a new UB study that showed that a combination of three medications — dapagliflozin, liraglutide and insulin — helped people with Type 1 diabetes lose weight, quotes Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism in the Department of Medicine.

Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, clinical professor of medicine and medical director of the Diabetes-Endocrinology Center of Western New York, says he wants Western New Yorkers to be optimistic about diabetes and what can be done to prevent and treat the condition.

Research led by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and chief of endocrinology, shows that boosting testosterone can significantly benefit many men with Type 2 diabetes.

Amy L. O’Donnell, MD, associate professor of medicine, provides insight on veterans’ risk factors for diabetes and discusses common conditions she sees in the endocrinology clinic at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. She also explains the endocrine system and advises on treatments for patients facing diabetes. 

A news story about three diabetes drugs that have been linked to ketoacidosis refers to research led by Nitesh D. Kuhadiya, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine. In a trial of 10 type 1 diabetes patients on insulin, liraglutide and dapagliflozin, one of the patients developed diabetic ketoacidosis, according to the research.

Combination therapy with Vytorin to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood appears to provide an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce proinflammatory mediators after consumption of fatty foods, according to research by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, UB Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.

Corticosteroids — long prescribed for their anti-inflammatory effects — also have certain pro-inflammatory effects at high doses, according to a study led by Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism.

UB endocrinology expert Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, contributes his expertise in an article on the FDA advisory committees’ vote in favor of revising the current indication for testosterone replacement therapies.