8
NEWS
Drug Approved for Weight Loss
Matthew Garza and Rhea Teng
writing for Diatribe report that
Wegovy, a once-weekly injectable
medication (generic name:
semaglutide), has been approved by
the FDA to treat obesity and excess
weight - conditions that can lead to
Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. This
new treatment has led to significant
weight loss in clinical trials;
expected to be available in the US in
summer 2021
Dr. Donna Ryan, a renowned
obesity researcher from the
Pennington Biomedical Research
Center at LSU, said, "[This] is the best
news I have [heard] in a long time,
and I have been eagerly awaiting
it." And Dr. Robert Kushner from
Northwestern University, who was
an author on the research papers
that led to Wegovy's approval, said,
"The approval of Wegovy provides
the availability of a more effective
medication for the management of
obesity and sets the stage for a new
generation of drugs that harness
the benefits of naturally occurring
hormones such as GLP-1."
By treating obesity and excess
weight as chronic conditions, this
could help prevent people from
developing Type 2 diabetes and
other health complications. The
new type of treatment may also help
address the stigma around diabetes
and obesity - neither condition
is a lifestyle choice nor personal
flaw, but rather the two are medical
conditions involving a number of
factors, including genetics and
environment. To read the full article,
CLICK HERE.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Diabetes UK Cymru is supporting a
new leaflet on Diabetic Ketoacidosis
(DKA) in collaboration with NHS
Wales and Dee Pinnington, the
mother of Alistair Thomas, who
died of the complication in 2018.
The leaflet, When someone you
love has type 1 diabetes: Knowing
what to do in an emergency, is for
relatives, partners and friends of
people living with type 1 diabetes
and was written by diabetologist Dr
Stephen Stanaway, Medical Director
at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. It
reflects the devastating experience
of Dee Pinnington, who spearheaded
the initiative.
Alastair Thomas, known as Ali,
was a singer and musician from
Flint, North East Wales, who had
two young children and died of DKA
aged 35. He had been diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes in his early twenties.
In October 2018, he felt poorly with
what he assumed to be a stomach
upset and took to his bed. After being
sick for another day and complaining
about back pain, he started to appear
disorientated. He then collapsed and
was taken to Chester Hospital, where
he died of complications induced by
experiencing DKA five days later.
Ali's mother, Dee Pillington,
also lives with Type 1 diabetes,
diagnosed when she was 50. She
says, "This shows that Type 1 can
be diagnosed at a later stage of our
lives. It's so important for loved ones
to be engaged with this condition.
Ali was very inspirational, he was a
big character, was very funny, kind
and made people feel happy. I felt
compelled to produce this leaflet
to inform and help others, as well
as remember and honour Ali's life.
This leaflet is a reminder, something
people can keep on their fridge or
at hand, to know what to do, who
to call when diabetes becomes
an emergency."
Dai Williams, Diabetes UK Cymru's
National Director adds, "We wanted
to support Dee and remember Ali.
This initiative to show that anyone
with Type 1 diabetes can go into DKA,
at any age. It's about knowing what
to do when diabetes goes wrong,
for instance after a viral infection.
People need to know that infections
and other factors can seriously affect
blood sugars and trigger this life
threating complication and must act
very quickly."
Diabetes-resources/DKA_leaflet