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Study Targets Cause of Type 2 Diabetes

Of the nearly 21 million people in the United States living with diabetes, as many as 95 percent have Type 2. There many types of drugs to help control blood sugar levels, but, until now, none has targeted the cause.

Melissa Voetsch reports on research that has discovered a major cause of the disease -- and an old drug that could fix it.

Treating Type 2 Diabetes has been a tough challenge for doctors. "None of the currently available medications are perfect, and one of the biggest problems we have with the current medications is they don't really treat the basic problem," says Dr. Steven Shoelson, Joslin Diabetes Center.

But Dr. Shoelson says the drug Salsalate could change that. It's an anti-inflammatory drug for arthritis that's been around since the 1800's.

"It's strange that we are using a drug that has been around for a long time to treat a disease that has been around for a long time," Dr. Shoelson says. But, new research shows a protein that triggers inflammation is turned on in overweight people. The inflammation leads to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. Salsalate shuts off that protein.

"We think getting at the cause may have beneficial effects that we have not even anticipated," Dr. Shoelson argues.

An early study shows the drug significantly improves blood sugar levels. "The people who got no drug at all had absolutely no change in their blood sugars," Dr. Shoelson reports.

Jerry Silva was in that early study; he saw his blood sugars drop. "I tend to be the kind of person who does not like to take medications if I don't have to," he says. Since the study ended, he's lost 20 pounds. Instead of drugs, he now controls his diabetes with diet and exercise. 

"If I can not walk around anymore or if my body stops responding positively to natural ways of reducing it, this is something I would definitely consider taking," Silva says.

A large study is now underway to find out how much impact this drug will have. The drug also lowers triglyceride levels and may reduce heart disease risk as well.

Posted by KO