Clinical Diabetes Research (eBook)

A practical "how to" guide for multiple methods in metabolism,
with a critical and objective discussion of strengths, limitations,
and appropriate applications of the described methods.

Edited by the winner of the Oskar-Minkowski Prize of the EASD
in 2006

Clinical trials in populations at risk of or with overt diabetes
mellitus are being performed all around the world to test novel
drugs and approaches to managing these diseases. During the last
decade, new methods and techniques have been introduced - and
are being developed further - that facilitate monitoring of
metabolism and even diagnosis of certain defects in human
metabolism. While some of these methods are restricted to research
facilities, others are already used in clinical practice. The
correct beneficial use of these methods requires knowledge of the
nature of the techniques and their clinical relevance.

Clinical Diabetes Research: Methods and Techniques
provides summaries of established state-of-the art-techniques and
introduces the new technologies, evaluating their potential in
clinical diabetes research. One section compares the efficacy of
all metabolic tests that measure insulin action. Another section
describes methods that allow quantification of whole body and
intracellular metabolic fluxes relevant to diabetes research. The
final section focuses on the planning and pitfalls of clinical
studies in the field of metabolism. Each chapter throughout the
book combines the theoretical basis of the approach with practical
recommendations. There are further chapters on the design of
clinical trials and ethical considerations.

The publication is timely in view of the impressive development
of the methods and techniques with their application to
understanding the pathophysiology of diabetes, insulin resistance
syndromes, obesity, and the metabolic effects of treatment.

Clinical Diabetes Research: Methods and Techniques
is of great relevance for researchers (from students and post-docs
to principal investigators) in the field of human metabolism,
clinical endocrinologists and diabetologists who are involved in
clinical studies.