U A B G R A D E S T U D Y F O R D I A B E T E S : S AV I N G S A N TA A N D Y O U The GRADE study at UAB is evaluating four new medications for Type 2 diabetes. Patient confidentiality issues prohibit UAB from confirming patients or their health status, however, a recent VIP visitor – red suit, black boots, white beard – is a candidate for diabetes. “He has several risk factors associated with the development of Type 2 diabetes,” said Andrea Cherrington, M.D., associate professor of Preventive Medicine. “He’s overweight, he has a pretty sedentary lifestyle, and he doesn’t maintain the healthiest diet. These risk factors are also related to the development of cardiovascular disease, high blood pres-
sure and stroke.” The GRADE study is a large, multisite research effort sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The primary investigators for the UAB component of the study are Cherrington and W. Timothy Garvey, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences and director of the UAB Diabetes Research Center. GRADE is comparing four medications currently being used to treat Type 2 diabetes to be taken in conjunction with metformin, the most established medication used in the majority of diabetes cases. The study will follow its participants for seven years.
Study targets risk of physical inactivity
Sedentary adults — those
confined to bed rest, for exam-
ple — become insulin-resistant
in about four days. Children will see a marked increase in insulin resistance in just one day.
Prolonged physical inactivity leads to increased insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease. Krista Casazza, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, is exploring the perils of a sedentary lifestyle and how much inactivity is necessary to cause health problems. “We know physical activity is beneficial for human health,” said Casazza. “We are just discovering that physical inactivity itself can be detrimental to human health in many ways.” Changes in insulin sensitivity leading to insulin resistance happen quickly in adults and even more quickly in children. Sedentary adults — those confined to bed rest, for example — become insulin-resistant in about four days. Children will see a marked increase in insulin resistance in just one day. “We have only a few complete data points thus far, but we are already finding that the insulin is higher following a meal test after the prolonged sitting versus prolonged standing even in the presence of 500kcal energy deficit,” Casazza said. “Further, we found glucose maintenance may be impaired such that more may be stored and thus increasing a person’s physiologic signals to eat.” The study is funded by the UAB Diabetes Research and Training Center.
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