all things to do with diabetes obesity and metabolism
27th January 2019, Dr Chee L Khoo
It’s tempting to rely too much on HbA1c when managing our patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is not uncommon to come across patients with pretty optimal HbA1c (under 6.5-7.0%) and we pat them on the back with the message “well done”. Often, the fasting glucose levels is just glossed over. Should we even bother with the fasting glucose levels at all these days?…
4th January 2019, Dr Chee L Khoo
When you treat a medical condition with an agent with known intended effects, it is not uncommon that we come across some of the unintended effects of the agent. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor antagonists (GLP1-RAs) are very useful agents which not only improve glucose control via its known effects on insulin and glucagon but it is associated with modest weight loss.…
24th December 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Losing weight is the second hardest thing to do. The hardest is keeping that weight off. With weight loss, hunger increases and energy expenditure decreases as the body adapts physiologically to the weight loss. The kilogram loss is not all fat loss. Some of the losses are muscles and with less muscle bulk, basal metabolic rate also decreases adding further to the decrease in energy expenditure. …
13th December 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Three weeks ago, 25 of our GP and allied health professional (AHP) colleagues sacrificed their valuable Saturday and became engaged in a highly interactive session exploring the use of injectables in the management of our patients with type 2 diabetes. Evaluation, comments and suggestions from the participants have just been collated and here at the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit (DOMTRU) we are just absolutely delighted about the results.…
13th December 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are the latest therapeutic strategy in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). They feature prominently in the latest international diabetes management guidelines. They not only improve glycaemic control but recent clinical trials demonstrated cardiovascular protection, combined with a reduction in body weight and blood pressure. There used to be three SGLT2 inhibitors, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin and canagliflozin until canagliflozin withdrew from the Australian market.…
10th December, 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Elevated triglyceride (TG) level serves as an independent marker for an increased risk of ischaemic events, as shown in epidemiologic and mendelian randomisation studies (1-5). However, in most of the statin trials, patients with high TG are generally excluded. There is confusion out there as to whether fish oils is useful or not for cardiovascular protection.…
27th November, 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Of the patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who die from cardiovascular (CV) disease, 40% die from IHD, 15% die from heart failure and 15% die from strokes. Patients with T2D have greater atherosclerotic plaque burden, higher atheroma volume, and smaller coronary artery lumen diameter than persons without diabetes. Numerous processes contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in diabetes including (but not limited to) hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance and/or hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidaemia, inflammation, reactive oxygen species, endothelial dysfunction, hypercoagulability, and vascular calcification.…
13th November 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
70-80% of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are managed in primary care in Australia. Patients managed in hospital based outpatients have the advantage of multi-disciplinary team care. They have dietitians, credentialled diabetes educator (CDE), physiotherapists and of course, the endocrinologist in the team. On the other hand, we, as GPs, have the advantage of knowing our patients and their families’ social environment.…
13th November 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
It’s finally here. The Dapagliflozin Effect on Cardiovascular Events–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 58 (DECLARE–TIMI 58) trial finally released their results this week at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2018. The results were most impressive but this was not just another CV outcome trial of another SGLT2 inhibitors. The results have major implications in the way we treat patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in general practice.…
8th November 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
When there is so much talk about gestational diabetes (GDM), you can’t help but think that just about every pregnant woman has GDM in south west Sydney (SWS). After all, if you look at the “high risk” group that you ought to be screening for GDM, there is hardly any woman in SWS that is not in the high risk category.…
29th October 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
Incretins are hormones released when we eat. They augment the release of insulin from pancreatic beta cells. They not only lead to reduction in blood glucose levels via the secretion of insulin, they also inhibit glucagon release thereby stemming further hyperglycaemia, slow the absorption of nutrients by slowing gastric emptying and increase satiety. The two main incretin hormones are glucagon like peptide -1 (GLP1) and gastric inhibitory peptides (GIP).…
28th October 2018, Dr Chee L Khoo
There are now 7 glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP 1) injectable analogues used to control hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). An eighth GLP1 analogue is now available as an oral form. Only four of them are available in Australia of which three are on the PBS under authority prescription (Byetta, Bydureon, Trulicity).…