Type 2 Diabetes / insulin resistance / pre-diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is an impairment in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel. This long-term (chronic) condition results in too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can begin during childhood and adulthood. Type 2 is more common in older adults, but the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more cases of type 2 diabetes in younger people.

According to WHO, he number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Prevalence has been rising more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. Between 2000 and 2019, there was a 3% increase in diabetes mortality rates by age. In 2019, diabetes and kidney disease due to diabetes caused an estimated 2 million deaths.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), one of the most common metabolic disorders, is caused by a combination of two primary factors: defective insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells and the inability of insulin-sensitive tissues to respond appropriately to insulin. Because insulin release and activity are essential processes for glucose homeostasis, the molecular mechanisms involved in the synthesis and release of insulin, as well as in its detection are tightly regulated. Defects in any of the mechanisms involved in these processes can lead to a metabolic imbalance responsible for the development of the disease.

Myo-inositol

Patients (23.1% males, mean age of 60.8 ± 11.7 years) took for three months a combination of myo-inositol (550 mg) and d-chiro-inositol (13.8 mg) orally twice a day as add-on supplement to their glucose-lowering drugs. Possible occurrence of side effects was investigated. After three months of treatment fasting blood glucose (192.6 ± 60.2 versus 160.9 ± 36.4; p = 0.02) and HbA1c levels (8.6 ± 0.9 versus 7.7 ± 0.9; p = 0.02) significantly decreased compared to baseline. There was no significant difference in blood pressure, lipid profile, and BMI levels. None of the participants reported side effects. In conclusion, a supplementation with a combination of myo- and d-chiro-inositol is an effective and safe strategy for improving glycemic control in T2DM. Int J Endocrinol. 2016; 2016: 9132052 Published online 2016 Oct 11. doi: 10.1155/2016/9132052 Myo-Inositol (MYO) and Metformin (MET), associated with life-style, had both significant beneficial effects on serum progesterone and prolactin levels, menstrual cycle disorders and pregnancy rates in patients without severe carbohydrate metabolism malfunctions. Nevertheless, no significant differences were found between the MET and the MYO groups. Significant results in hormone levels and symptoms were reached with the combination of both treatments, whereas fasting serum insulin levels were slightly improved. Furthermore, the body mass index (BMI) was moderately but not significantly higher in MET and MET+MYO group. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (2 Suppl): 77-82

** All data above are published as clinical trials and do not refer to EFSA claims. This means that they do not intend to be medical or therapeutical advice.