Debra L. Simmons, M.D. M.S., F.A.C.E, F.A.C.P.

Associate Professor of Medicine

M.D., Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas

M.S., Nutritional Biochemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Clinical Interests:

Dr. Simmons' primary clinical interests are diabetes and lipids. She is most interested in prevention of diabetes, heart disease and the chronic complications of diabetes through attention to lifestyle, early diagnosis and treatment. She is the Director of the UAMS Arkansas Diabetes Program, the ADA certified diabetes education program that serves the UAMS Diabetes clinic. She is a diabetologist who sees all types of diabetes including prediabetes. She has special expertise in intensive insulin therapy and pregnancy. She is a lipidologist with expertise in all lipid abnormalities and special interest in hypertriglyceridemia.

Research Interests:

Dr. Simmons' research interests are also diabetes and lipids. She is the principle investigator at the CAVHS site for the NIH funded clinical trials, Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) and Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglyceride and Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIMHIGH). ACCORD will determine if cardiovascular disease is reduced in type 2 diabetes by normal glucose control. AIMHIGH will determine if cardiovascular disease is reduced by control of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol in addition to LDL cholesterol. She also studies the effect of diets on hypertriglyceridemia in diabetes.

In addition, Dr. Simmons is the principal investigator for an education research project that studies the effect of faculty mentoring on patient-centered interviewing skills of medical students. Her work was recognized with the UAMS COM Education Research Award June 2006.

Teaching Interests:

Dr. Simmons' third primary interest is education. She is actively involved in undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education. She is a UAMS Teaching Scholar having graduated from the second class in Fall 1999. She is past president of the UAMS Women's Faculty Development Caucus. She is a preceptor for first year medical students in their Introduction to Clinical Medicine since 1997 and won the Claiborne Watkins MD Award in 2002-2003 for most outstanding teacher. She is the Director of the UAMS Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program and course director for the UAMS Annual Diabetes Update, a day-long CME course for the state since 1999. She was co-director of the national motivational and educational day-long Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) conference and health fair for the public in Little Rock in 2005. She is honored to have served for the National Board of Medical Examiners and to be president of the national Association of Program Directors of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, 2005-2007.

Selected Publications:

Whelton PK, Barzilay J, Cushman WC, Davis BR, Iiamathi E, Kostis JB, Leenen FH, Louis GT, Margolis KL, Mathis DE, Moloo J, Nwachuku C, Panebianco D, Parish DC, Pressel S, Simmons DL, Thadani U. Clinical Outcomes in Antihypertensive Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, Impaired Fasting Glucose Concentration, and Normoglycemia: Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT). Arch Intern Med 165(12):1401-1409. 2005. [PM:15983290]

Rani D, Simmons DL. Type 1 Diabetes and Hypoglycemia: Should Celiac Disease Be Considered? EndoTrends 12(2):17-18. 2005.

Simmons DL. Diabetes and Menopause. West Indian Med J 54(suppl 1):26-2005.

PK Whelton, J Barzilay, WC Cushman, BR Davis, E Iiamathi, JB Kostis, FHH Leenen, GT Louis, K Margolis, DE Mathis, J Moloo, C Nwachuku, D Panebianco, DC Parish, S Pressel, DL Simmons, U Thadani. Clinical outcomes in ALLHAT antihypertensive trial participants with type 2 diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, and normoglycemia. Southern Medical Journal; 97 (Supplement 1):6. 2004

AT Brown, TP Smith, CP Cruz, OA Poirier, D Simmons, DK Williams, Y Wang, JF Eidt, M Moursi. Intimal Hyperplasia Following Carotid Endarterectomy in an Insulin-Resistant Rat Model. Metabolism: Clinical & Experimental; 52(7):834-9. 2003.

MS Vaphiades, D Simmons, FL Archer and W Stringer. Sheehan Syndrome: A Splinter of the Mind. Survey of Ophthalmology; 48(2) 230-233. 2003.

GKV Nair and DL Simmons. Adrenal Insufficiency Presenting as Hypercalcemia. Hospital Physician January, 33-36. 2002.

N Rasouli, E Erdem, B Molavi, DL Simmons. Graves' Thyrotoxicosis and Moyamoya Disease. Endocr Pract.; 8:149. 2002.

FH Faas, AE Earleywine, WG Smith, and DL Simmons. Treatment of high blood cholesterol: how should LDL-cholesterol be determined? The Journal of Family Practice; 51:972-975. 2002.

MB Totten and DL Simmons. Into the Future: Genetic Testing of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Letter to the Editor, Southern Medical Journal,; 95(11):1357-8. 2002.

KK Dishongh and DL Simmons. Basic Skills Survey of Insulin-Requiring Patients with Diabetes Education. Diabetes; 50 Supplement 2: A197. 2001.

MU Chaudhry, GK Nair and DL Simmons. Effect of standard Treatment Guidelines for Diabetic Ketoacidosis. Diabetes; 50 Supplement 2: A417. 2001.

MU Chaudhry and DL Simmons. Case of the Month: Hepatic and Renal Failure in a Patient Taking Troglitazone and Metformin. The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society; 98:16. 2001.

Sufyan ST Said and DL Simmons. Glycemic control outcomes after one year in a diabetes specialty clinic: A retrospective review. Diabetes; 49 Supplement 1: A223. 2000.

DL Simmons. Formal Curriculum for the Endocrine Service Improves Student and Resident Knowledge about Basic Outpatient Diabetes Care. Diabetes; 49 Supplement 1: A350. 2000.

D Simmons and GN Gill. Evaluation and management of thyroid nodules. In: Problems in General Surgery: Multidisciplinary Approaches. Ed AR Moossa. JB Lippincott Co.; Vol 6, no 1, 55.1989.

JL Witztum, D Simmons, D Steinberg, WF Beltz, R Weinreb, SG Young, P Lester, N Kelly, J Juliano. Intensive combination drug therapy of familial hypercholesterolemia with lovastatin, probucol, and colestipol hydrochloride. Circulation; 79:16. 1989.

Additional publications listed on PubMed*