Type 2 Diabetes (NIDDM) May Be Cured By Salsalate
According to a report given by Joslin Diabetes Center, the drug called Salsalate not only prevents one from type 2 Diabetes, but it can also be used for the treatment of disease.
Salsalate is an inexpensive, non steroidal anti inflammatory drug which has been used for decades to treat arthritis. It will be reported in an issue of May 2008 journal named Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) in three proof-of-concept studies, demonstrating that Salsalate may benefit patients having type 2 Diabetes by lowering blood sugar and reducing inflammation.
These are the first studies showing that potentially safe and tolerable doses of Salsalate lower blood sugars and have other favorable effects in patients with type 2 Diabetes, says Allison B. Goldfine, M.D., Director of Clinical Research at Joslin and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and senior author of the report.
The benefit of salicylates was originally noted before 150 years, but due to some reasons, this was either forgotten or ignored. Dr Shoelson’s Laboratory used this clue and found that the inflammatory pathway regulated by NF-kB is activated in animals with obesity and diabetes.
Studies in animals showed that high doses of salicylates, including Aspirin, could be effective. But in some cases they have side affects like stomach upset, bleeding etc. So researchers Drs. Goldfine and Shoelson considered alternative drug Salsalate, which is similar to Aspirin but don’t have side effects like Aspirin.
More than one study was done for two weeks in two groups involving small numbers of patients with type 2 Diabetes. First group was given a dose of 4.5 grams per day, while the other used 3 grams per day. Both groups showed reduction of blood sugar between 10 to 20 %, but the improvements were greatest in the group taking higher dose. Glucose utilization also improved in both groups. The first group showed 50% improvement while the other group showed 15% improvement.
Particularly at the higher dose, reduction in circulating levels of triglycerides and free fatty acids was also seen. This is important because patients with diabetes often have elevated lipid levels that potentially contribute to the complications of type 2 Diabetes.
Third study, a double blind, placebo-controlled trial was done on drugs involving eight patients and placebo study participants on drug showed similar improvements to those of patients in the other two studies.
Salsalate Clinical Trial was also done by Dr Goldfine, the principal investigator of study named Targetinginflammation using Salsalate or lifestyle intervention in the Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular Disease (TINSAL-CVD). This study was funded by The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It will look at the effects of lifestyle intervention (diet, exercise and omega-3 fatty acid supplement) or Salsalate compared to placebo to reduce progression or promote regression of hard and soft coronary artery calcification as assessed by Multi-Detector CT Angiography (MDCTA), a relatively new method to image the coronary arteries.
Second study called Targeting Inflammation using Salasalate in Type 2 Diabetes (TINSAL-T2D) headed by Drs. Goldfine and Shoelson using Salsalate in patients with type 2 Diabetes to target inflammation and thus lowering blood glucose. This study is ongoing and is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Another study led by Dr. Goldfine and Dr. Peter Reaven of the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix targets inflammation using Salsalate in patients with impaired glucose tolerance in order to improve insulin sensitivity. This study, called TINSAL-IGT, is ongoing and is funded by the VA.
Concluding that the studies done till now proved that non steroidal medicine called Salsalate not only prevents from Diabetes 2 but can also be used to treat Diabetes 2.
Source: News Wise Medical News
Filed under Blood Sugar Testing, Diabetes, Diabetes Drug, NIDDM
May 28th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Is this really a possible cure?
would this be possible in the NEAR future, meaning a couple of years?
For type 1 diabetes too?
plz reply