Acording to a Finnish study, diabetes may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Researchers have found that people with type 2 diabetes were more than 80% more likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease than people without diabetes. This is the first study to suggest that diabetes may be a risk factor of Parkinson's disease, a progressive disease that causes muscle rigidity and tremors.

The study followed a group of more than 50,000 men and women over a period of 18 years. During that time, 324 men and 309 women developed Parkinson's disease. People who had type 2 diabetes at the start of the study were far more likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Overall, after adjusting for other possible risk factors for Parkinson's disease, men and women with type 2 diabetes were 83% more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those without it.

Although the exact nature of the relationship between diabetes and Parkinson's disease is unclear, researchers say several lifestyle factors may be associated with both disorders. Among these factors are: obesity, cigarette smoking, and lack of physical activity.

Perhaps further research between the association of diabetes and Parkinson's disease could help researchers better understand an avenue to a cure. . Pioglitazone is a drug used to treat diabetes. It may also help fight the onset of Parkinson's. Thanks to funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation we may be closer to clinical trials and an answer.

According to a new study published in the New England Journalism of Medicine, the diabetes drug Actos may help prevent serious complications from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The disorder is primarily caused by being overweight. Insulin resistance, diabetes and high levels of cholesterol all contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its complications.

The study included candidates with either insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. About half of the group took 45 milligrams of pioglitazone (brand name Actos, manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals) daily for six months, while the other half took a placebo. Both groups were asked to maintain a lower calorie diet. The group taking pioglitazone saw a decrease in their levels of abnormal liver enzymes and a 54 percent reduction in liver fat, compared to the placebo group. Insulin sensitivity in the liver improved by 48 percent in the pioglitazone group, as compared to only 14 percent in the placebo group.

Current treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is aimed at lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and exercising regularly. Pioglitazone offers a resolution to improve the metabolism of blood glucose, and decreases cholesterol. Researchers were especially excited by the findings of this study because there is now a pharmacological option that might help prevent end-stage liver disease.