Actos, a pill to treat diabetes, can prevent development of the disease in people with early symptoms, U.S. researchers reported Monday.

Maintaining tight control of blood glucose (sugar) in type 2 diabetics reduces the risk of kidney disease by 21 percent, according to results of a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

Most patients starting use of antipsychotic drugs aren’t screened for diabetes, though the American Diabetes Association has said the medicines cause weight gain that can increase health risks for diabetics.

Aggressively treating diabetes does not prevent heart problems and deaths any better than standard treatment for lowering blood sugar, Australian researchers reported Friday.

A new analysis of current research provides “the strongest evidence to date” that giving small children supplemental vitamin D will help prevent them from developing type 1 diabetes later on, according to the review’s co-author.

Overweight people with type 2 diabetes can keep their weight and blood sugar under control over the long term by following a low-carbohydrate diet, Swedish researchers report.

A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables — already known to protect against heart disease — also appears to help ward off diabetes, Spanish researchers said in a report to be published today.

Aggressive insulin treatment or lifestyle changes at the onset of diabetes can sharply curb the incidence and impact of the disease over the long haul, according to two studies released Friday.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have arthritis, putting them in a double bind as the pain in their joints keeps them from getting the exercise they need to keep both diseases at bay, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

A single gene called erythropoietin (EPO) helps raise the risk among diabetics of developing severe eye and kidney complications, a study released Monday said.