Advances in Science
Can Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Help Prevent Diabetes?
 Typically, we think of inflammation as what happens when we are hurt. For example, twisting or scraping a wrist results in redness, swelling and heat around the injured area. That's because the body sends specialized blood cells to the area of injury to destroy and clean up damaged cells. But when the immune system malfunctions, such as in rheumatoid arthritis, the inflammatory process itself damages healthy tissue, such as joints. Over the past several years, scientists have discovered that inflammation may also play a role in some diseases we would not necessarily consider inflammatory, such as heart disease. And this year, several international studies found a link between inflammation and diabetes, opening the door for investigating new types of prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications. Monitoring C-reactive Protein
Recent studies have shown that people whose blood contains high levels of certain markers of inflammation are likely to develop type 2 diabetes. One of those markers, C-reactive protein (CRP), appears to be higher in people who have heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Researchers believe that it's possible that substances secreted from excessive fat stimulate markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein. If inflammation is the common link for developing insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease, that means that monitoring and treating high CRP levels could lead to substantial benefits for people at risk for diabetes and heart disease. Anti-inflammatory Drugs
It also opens the door for use of anti-inflammatory drugs as a method of treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. While researchers are looking closely at this possibility, the good news is that some drugs currently being used to lower blood-sugar levels also have anti-inflammatory benefits. For example, rosiglitazone, sold as Avandia, is widely prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes. In a recent study, people who were taking rosiglitazone both lowered their average blood-glucose levels and their inflammation markers, leading researchers to conclude that patients treated with rosiglitazone might not develop artherosclerosis as quickly as other people with diabetes. Statins
Another class of drugs-the so-called statins-is used to reduce high cholesterol levels and has also been found to reduce inflammation. Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who were treated with a statin drug were able to delay insulin treatment by an average of 10 months. Researchers are now looking into whether these drugs might be used to delay the onset of diabetes in people who are at high risk for the disease.  Back Next Page
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