Two drugs provide better treatment in youth with type 2 diabetes

HOUSTON - (April 29, 2012) - When treating youth with recent onset type 2 diabetes, researchers found that a combination of two drugs was more effective than one drug alone in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The report appears in the current issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

The Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital site was the second largest study site in the country. Dr. Siripoom McKay, assistant professor of pediatrics in the section of endocrinology and metabolism at BCM and directorof the Type 2 Diabetes Program at Texas Children's Hospital, served as the principal investigator for the site.

The TODAY study began in 2004 and showed that two drugs started early in the treatment of type 2 diabetes in youth can help keep glucose concentrations in good control for a longer time than one drug alone. Researchers will continue to follow study participants for several years to see how effective the treatment is in the long-term.

"We appreciate how hard the families worked to make a contribution to our knowledge of type 2 diabetes in youth," said McKay. "Through their continued participation over the next decades, we will learn more about the impact of early aggressive treatment of type 2 diabetes."

The study is available on the National Institutes of Health website.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created the nation’s first HMO for children, has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.