swissinfo - A team at Zurich University, working with scientists in Sweden and Denmark, Thursday published in the New England Journal of Medicine their findings that anakinra, a medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, blocks the action of Interleukin-1 beta, which has a key role in diabetes type 2.
Diabetes type 2 affects 90% of diabetics and is on the rise worldwide, especially in older people. It is linked in particular to excess weight and can lead to a variety of other health problems. In the US, national statistics show that 7% of the population has diabetes. According to the World Health Organization diabetes accounts for 5% of deaths globally every year and the number of cases is set to increase by 50% in the next 10 years unless urgent action is taken.
See also:
- Reuters, "New type of drug helpful in type 2 diabetes."
- Los Angeles Times, "Counting the cost of type 2 diabetes."