Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SBGM) is widely recommended for both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients despite the lack of evidence of benefit in glucose control or as an aid in weight loss in type 2 subjects. This study tested the hypothesis that combined use of SMBG and dietary carbohydrate (CHO) counting, using the blood monitoring results to shape dietary CHO quotas, is beneficial in managing type 2 diabetes. Twenty-three overweight (body mass index, BMI 27.5-44 kg/m2) patients aged 40-75 participated in a 28-week behavioral weight control program. Baseline hemoglobin HbA1c ranged between 9.5% and 13.5% (normal range 5.5%-7.7%). Subjects were matched for weight, sex, and HbA1c and assigned to small (4-8 participants) groups which met weekly for 12 weeks and then monthly for 16 weeks. After 8 weeks, the groups were randomized either to continue the behavioral program or to have SMBG and dietary CHO counting. Glucose monitoring was performed 6 times daily (pre- and 2 h postprandially) for the first month, focusing on the meal increment and correlating this to dietary CHO intake. Weight loss was identical in both groups during the year of follow-up. The HbA1c level showed a progressive decline in experimental subjects (P < 0.05), whereas there was no improvement in control subjects.

Background: Ease of injection is important to patients. An autoinjector was developed to deliver exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes mellitus. For autoinjection, 0.06-mm exenatide-containing microspheres are suspended in medium-chain triglycerides. Herein, we report design verification and usability testing of the autoinjector for exenatide once-weekly suspension (QWS) delivery. Methods: Exenatide QWS in a single-chamber cartridge is self-injected subcutaneously with three main steps: mix, unlock, and inject. Design verification testing used validated testing methodology. A summative validation study with simulated-use scenarios evaluated unassisted performance on critical tasks (ease of use and the injection process). Results: The autoinjector met specified design requirements for dose accuracy and torque/force. Of 104 participants enrolled (73 lay users, 16 health care professionals, and 15 pharmacists), 90 independently referred to instructions for use during testing. Users successfully achieved critical tasks on first attempt 87-100% of the time. Approximately 78% of participants successfully completed the full injection scenario, including 72% of lay users reporting visual or dexterity impairments. Initial use errors on critical tasks included not mixing well (n = 12), not removing needle cap (n = 8), and not holding needle to the skin for complete injection (n = 5). Untrained injection-naïve and trained injection-experienced lay users made the fewest errors (7% and 3%, respectively). Trained and untrained participants took 2:33 and 5:03 minutes, respectively, to complete a weekly injection. Conclusions: Users with a range of injection experience can rapidly learn to administer exenatide QWS autoinjector correctly, thus minimizing patient effort to manage their diabetes with injectable therapy.

OBJECTIVE-To establish the effects of topically applied capsaicin on daily activities in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Investigators at 12 sites enrolled 277 men and women with painful peripheral polyneuropathy and/or radiculopathy in an 8-wk double-blind vehicle-controlled study with parallel randomized treatment assignments. Participants were unresponsive or intolerant to conventional therapy and were experiencing pain that interfered with functional activities and/or sleep. Either 0.075% capsaicin cream or vehicle cream was applied to the painful areas 4 times/day. A visual analogue scale of pain intensity and baseline measurements of the pain's interference with the ability to walk, work, participate in recreational activities, use shoes and socks, sleep, and eat were recorded at onset and at 2-wk intervals. A physician's global evaluation scale assessed changes in pain status from baseline. RESULTS-Statistically significant differences are percentage of patients with improvement in favor of capsaicin versus vehicle: 69.5 vs. 53.4% with clinical improvement in pain status (P = 0.012), 26.1 vs. 14.6% with improvement in walking (P = 0.029), 18.3 vs. 9.2% with improvement in working (P = 0.019), 29.5 vs. 20.3% with improvement in sleeping (P = 0.036), and 22.8 vs. 12.1% with improvement in participating in recreational activities (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS-The results from this study suggest that topical 0.075% capsaicin is effective for reducing pain in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy with subsequent improvement in daily activities, enhancing the quality of the patient's life.

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