With the activities of the American
Diabetes Association, the American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, what is
a person with type 2 diabetes to think and do? With statements from
Dr. Ratner about the dangers of some oral medications, “The
data are inconclusive,” said Dr. Robert Ratner, chief scientific
and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association. He said
even if there were some excess risk, it would be “exceptionally
low.””
This is the same Dr. Robert Ratner,
chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA that says, “Many
people with type 2 diabetes who are on medications don't need to do
home glucose monitoring at all," in talking about oral
medications. Outside his obtuse statements, I will give him credit
for avoiding in general any acknowledgment of his other financial
interests or conflicts of interest. These I am concerned about
because of his constant criticism of anyone that may cause harm to
corporate sponsors of the ADA and their medications. I can only
guess that they have approached meter manufacturers and been turned
down and therefore his statement about glucose testing.
I post his picture so that everyone can
recognize him. Read this about Dr. Ratner.
The major author of the AACE Diabetes Algorithm is Alan J. Garber, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine,
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Molecular & Cellular
Biology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He is the
2013-2014 AACE Immediate Past President, 2013-2014 American College
of Endocrinology Chancellor.
I post his picture so that everyone can
recognize him. Read this about Dr. Garber.
These are two of the big guns in the
promotion of oral medications for type 2 diabetes and both promote
oral medications over insulin for people with type 2 diabetes. Dr.
Garber was the author of this article or study if you must that
appeared in ADA Diabetes Care section. It is fully supportive of the
diabetes drugs, minimizes the risks involved, and covers mainly
Byetta and Victoza.
Both of these doctors seem to avoid
having to disclose conflicts of interest and just list prior jobs
they have held in the academic world. They are both very vocal about
how little needs to be done for people with type 2 diabetes. This is
upsetting to me.
