Latest news with #symposium
Medscape
03-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Semaglutide Has Found Its STRIDE
Key results and new insights from the STRIDE trial and the evolving role of GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA) therapy in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were discussed during a symposium at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago, which I was fortunate to attend. A Common Comorbidity T2D and PAD are not strangers to one another; patients with T2D are twice as likely to develop PAD compared with the general population. PAD has been shown to be the most common initial manifestation of cardiovascular disease in T2D. Moreover, patients with diabetes foot complications fear amputation and infection more than death. However, PAD is underrecognized in T2D; only around 20% of patients present with the classical symptoms of intermittent claudication (IC). PAD also has insidious onset: Patients experience slow functional decline and leg discomfort, which is often not recognized as PAD by healthcare professionals or patients. T2D and PAD are growing in incidence and share many risk factors, including obesity. A recent systematic literature review exploring the epidemiology and burden of PAD in T2D found that 12.5%-22% of patients with T2D had comorbid PAD. Furthermore, patients with T2D and PAD have a very high risk for major lower-limb complications and major adverse cardiovascular events, including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Unsurprisingly, PAD was associated with poor quality of life and significant healthcare use and costs. Notably, the ADA 2025 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes now recommends screening for PAD using ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing in asymptomatic patients with diabetes aged > 65 years, microvascular disease in any location, or foot complications or any end-organ damage from diabetes if a PAD diagnosis would change management. PAD screening should also be considered in patients with diabetes duration > 10 years and high cardiovascular risk. PAD in T2D is often recalcitrant to surgical intervention because it tends to affect the distal vasculature (that is, the infrapopliteal vessels). These lesions are less amenable to traditional revascularization procedures such as femoropopliteal bypass and stenting. Unfortunately, this circumstance often leaves patients with T2D and PAD with persistent debilitating symptoms and few surgical options. Many international medical guidelines have class I recommendations to consider SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 RAs for patients with T2D and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, though not specifically PAD. The only class I recommendation in PAD is for cilostazol for improving claudication symptoms. Cilostazol is a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor that promotes vasodilation and increased blood flow, which can improve symptoms of IC (but not cardiovascular outcomes). A recent Cochrane review found that cilostazol resulted in only a 40 m improvement in absolute claudication distance. From my clinical experience, cilostazol is often poorly tolerated (headache and diarrhea are common). It is contraindicated in heart failure, which frequently occurs with PAD. STRIDE Results The randomized controlled STRIDE trial was published in the Lancet in May 2025 and explored the impact of subcutaneous semaglutide (1 mg weekly) plus standard of care, compared with placebo, on walking capacity in patients with symptomatic PAD and T2D. In essence, STRIDE has laid the foundation for a paradigm shift in how we use GLP-1 RAs for symptomatic PAD. The trial recruited 792 patients with T2D and Fontaine stage IIa PAD. Fontaine stage IIa is early-stage symptomatic PAD, in which patients experience symptoms of IC after walking more than 200 m. Mean ABI was ≤ 0.9 in all participants; a normal ABI is typically 0.90-1.30 and indicates normal blood flow to the lower limbs. One-quarter of participants were female, and median age was 68 years. Obesity was not a criterion for study enrollment; 35% of participants had a BMI < 27. The primary outcome of the study was maximum walking distance after 52 weeks compared with baseline. STRIDE achieved its primary outcome. Subcutaneous semaglutide was associated with a significantly increased maximum walking distance (40 m improvement on a 12% incline, which is equivalent to 80 m improvement on a flat surface). This improvement is double that associated with cilostazol and, importantly, was confirmed to be clinically meaningful. The researchers also observed significantly improved symptoms and quality of life, as evidenced by improvements in the VascuQoL questionnaire. Notably, the reported improvements in ABI and disease progression confirm the vascular benefits of semaglutide. Encouragingly, clinical benefits persisted even 5 weeks after stopping semaglutide therapy. The treatment's safety profile was consistent with previous semaglutide trials, and no unexpected safety findings emerged. New data presented and simultaneously published in Diabetes Care confirmed that the effect of semaglutide on maximum walking distance was consistent, irrespective of T2D characteristics; benefits were independent of baseline diabetes duration, BMI, HbA1c, or concomitant use of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors or insulin. Functional benefits did not appear to correlate with weight loss or glycemic improvement, again highlighting the vascular benefits of semaglutide in reducing atherosclerosis, possibly through an anti-inflammatory effect. In conclusion, STRIDE increases the suite of recognized cardiometabolic and renal benefits of semaglutide by adding improved walking capacity, quality of life, and disease progression for patients with T2D and PAD. During my resident year as a junior doctor, my vascular consultant always reminded me of the core management of PAD in five words: 'stop smoking and keep walking.' While this remains the cornerstone of management 25 years later, semaglutide is now well positioned as a foundational therapy to improve quality and quantity of life in patients with T2D and PAD.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Researchers meet in Lethbridge to discuss agricultural technology
Agriculture experts and researchers are in Lethbridge for a symposium, discussing how to use technology to help feed a growing world population.
Japan Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
LDP lawmaker Shoji Nishida refuses to retract remarks over WWII exhibits
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Shoji Nishida has refused to withdraw remarks he made over exhibits about the "Himeyuri" nursing corps who died in the fierce Battle of Okinawa in the final phase of World War II. At a symposium held in the city of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday, Nishida said that descriptions at a monument to commemorate the Himeyuri corps of female students had rewritten history, according to informed sources. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday, Nishida said that while he had no intention of hurting the feelings of the people of Okinawa, he refused to retract the remarks in question. In a speech during the symposium, Nishida said that he was not familiar with the current exhibits at the monument, but he said the "descriptions seem to suggest that Japanese soldiers stormed into (Okinawa), leading the Himeyuri corps to die." "Then the U.S. troops came to set Okinawa free," he said of the descriptions. Nishida said such stories were widely shared in Okinawa, and noted how history education, including the interpretation of the ground battle, is quite disorderly. But he did not provide any specific evidence. While acknowledging that he made the remarks in question, Nishida on Wednesday told reporters that they were based on his impressions from a visit he made more than 10 years ago. "It is very regrettable," he said, adding, "I'm telling the truth and I have nothing to retract." His remarks came under fire from both within the LDP and outside the party. Hajime Zaha, secretary-general of the LDP's Okinawa chapter, told reporters that he had no choice but to protest. The remarks are "extremely inappropriate," Junya Ogawa, secretary-general of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said at a news conference. The Himeyuri monument is inscribed with the names of 227 students and teachers mobilized for the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hundreds of students learned more about Holocaust
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — More than 800 students gathered to learn more about the impact of the Holocaust. The 37th Annual Teen Symposium on the Holocaust is taking place this week in Scranton. The event was filled with workshops and survivor testimonies, allowing students to hear firsthand accounts of the horrors of the Holocaust. They spoke vividly about this dark chapter in history, saying they hope to educate a new generation about the holocaust so history is not forgotten. Coroner identifies man dead after Jackson Township crash 'It's important for the young people to understand what happens that it should never happen again, hopefully,' Holocaust Survivor Dorothea Szczesniak said. 'Seeing how people were actually treated on PowerPoint side, just clicking through, copying down notes, and actually being able to take it in. It was really eye-opening,' Student Josh Lentowski explained. The Symposium on the Holocaust will continue on Wednesday, giving another group of more than 600 students an opportunity to listen and learn from the survivors' stories. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
