Insulin Sensitizers May Protect Colon

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By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: April 18, 2011 Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner Action Points   Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Explain that use of insulin sensitizers like metformin and thiazolidinediones may prevent the development of colon polyps in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a retrospective study. SAN DIEGO -- Use of insulin sensitizers like metformin and thiazolidinediones may prevent the development of colon polyps in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a large retrospective study. In the study of more than 132,000 VA patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing colonoscopy, there were lower odds of having polyps among those on either metformin (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98) or thiazolidinediones (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.87), reported Deepti Bulchandani, MD, a fellow at the University of Kansas in Kansas City. "As far as we know, that has not been seen before," she said at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists meeting here. "So this might be one more reason to use insulin sensitizers in such patients even though they have good diabetes control on other medications or on insulin."/.../