A white elephant is a supposedly valuable possession whose upkeep exceeds its usefulness, and it is therefore a liability. Every type 2 diabetic is a valuable possession to someone: a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a daughter, a son...you get the picture. But when it comes to the complications of the disease - it costs the U.S. health system an extra $22.9 billion a year to treat these complications.

"It is a pretty significant wake-up call for people, or should be. It really points out the importance of managing the disease," said Willard Manning, a health economist at the University of Chicago who worked on the report.

Dr. Daniel Einhorn says "the fact that people are still getting complications means we are not using our tools effectively enough," When people fail to follow their diet, exercise and drug treatment plans, the disease leads to complications that boost the total health bill to $57.1 billion. "Either the patient doesn't recognize they have it and complications develop, or they are not good about adhering to their doctor's orders," he said, adding, "We've got to do a better job of managing the disease." Dr. Einhorn serves on the board of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Of course, it's the patient -- NOT the drugs they are using. It couldn't possibly be the drugs.

When treating diabetes, today's doctors focus on establishing blood glucose control, but often overlook the need to protect against common diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney damage, and nerve damage. The DCCT, even with a comprehensive treatment program, had a complication rate of approximately 40% of participants.

People who do not have diabetes make insulin with C-peptide. Those of us diabetics who inject synthetic insulin do not get the C-peptide. When scientists began developing insulin - they weeded out the pieces of the amino acid chain they felt were insignificant in lowering blood glucose. Synthetic insulin was designed to reduce the dangerous buildup of excess sugar in the bloodstream. Uh oh - hindsight is surprisingly clear! The long-term complications were initially thought to be caused by lack of insulin - not lack of something that should've been in it. It would make sense if insulin came equipped with this critically important element, wouldn't it?

Tada! C-peptide is the connecting peptide found on the amino acid chain of naturally produced insulin, but left on the cutting room floor in the lab. Studies have shown that C-peptide prevents the development and progression of many diabetic complications and was shown to improve glucose metabolism up to 66%.

Regardless of the potential profit decay C-peptide might cause the production of insulin - the bottom line is the salvation it will provide every man, woman, and child injecting insulin. If you're taking insulin injections, chances are you won't stop taking insulin because you're adding C-peptide to your daily lineup. Chances are - you'll be around a lot longer, and a lot healthier because you do not have the complications most often associated with long-term diabetes.

Wouldn't that be reason enough for you to celebrate the company that brings C-peptide to the drugstore nearest you? Consumer loyalty goes a long way. For those companies who knew a long time ago how beneficial C-peptide would be but didn't do a thing about it - is it really the 33% loss in insulin sales you didn't want to encounter? C'mon. We can handle the truth.

A study reveals the drug duloxetine is useful in treating diabetes-related pain, but it may worsen control of blood sugar levels. Diabetes is the number one cause of damage to the peripheral nerves in the United States. Neuropathy will first appear as burning or stinging in the feet, usually worse at night. The nerves to the feet are affected first because the damage is occurring along the entire length of the axons and the axons to the feet are the longest in the body.

Duloxetine is one of only two drugs approved for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), a common problem in diabetic patients, Cymbalta® or duloxetine is the first drug approved by the FDA for painful diabetic polyneuropathy. The drug was previously approved as an antidepressant. The drug is an SSNRI meaning it is both a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. By blocking the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, these neurotransmitters increase in the spinal cord and brain. It is speculated that both increased serotonin levels and norepinephrine levels produce an inhibitory effect on the ascending sensory tracts.

Data was collected from three clinical trials to investigate changes in weight, sugar levels, and cholesterol levels in patients with DPNP treated with duloxetine. Short-term treatment with duloxetine was associated with a modest increase in fasting sugar levels, but not with significant increases in hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term sugar control. With longer treatment, however, there was a significant rise in hemoglobin A1c, indicating impaired sugar control. In addition, there were also small changes in cholesterol levels among duloxetine-treated patients, but a small increase in HDL "good" cholesterol was the only statistically significant change. Weight declined with short-term duloxetine treatment, but increased slightly with long-term treatment.