 |
| | Potential New Medication Holds Promise for Type 2 Diabetes For Dr. Ira Goldfine, M.D., developing a new treatment for type 2 diabetes comes, well, naturally. For a number of years, Dr. Goldfine, a Diabetes Center researcher based at the UCSF/Mount Zion campus, has been investigating a natural product known as "Alpha Lipoic Acid" (or "LA") that has been previously used in Germany and other Eurpoean countries to help reduce diabetic neuropathy. Now, Dr Goldfine and his team have found that LA may be even more beneficial than previously believed.
Dr. Goldfine was recently elected the Western Regional President of the American Diabetes Association. He and his colleagues will be continuing additional clinical trials to assess whether LA has long-term effects on blood glucose levels and diabetic complications. | Related Items |
LA, a potent antioxidant, not only prevents diabetic complications in all diabetics, but also appears to improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 patients. A phase I clinical trial conducted by Goldfine, in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Evans and Dr Laurence Gavin at Seton Hospital, suggests that LA may have the ability to regulate blood glucose levels. They treated 18 type 2 patients with a special time-released formulation of LA. This LA treatment had beneficial effects on markers of blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes, including the ability to lower fructosamine and C-peptide levels. This pilot clinical trial also confirmed that the drug was safe for use in diabetic patients.