Mary Caffrey is the Executive Editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). She joined AJMC® in 2013 and is the primary staff editor for Evidence-Based Oncology, the multistakeholder publication that reaches 22,000+ oncology providers, policy makers and formulary decision makers. She is also part of the team that oversees speaker recruitment and panel preparations for AJMC®'s premier annual oncology meeting, Patient-Centered Oncology Care®. For more than a decade, Mary has covered ASCO, ASH, ACC and other leading scientific meetings for AJMC readers.
Mary has a BA in communications and philosophy from Loyola University New Orleans. You can connect with Mary on LinkedIn.
Lancet: Global Diabetes Population Reaches 422M; Most New Cases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
While this study focused on calculating the global burden of diabetes, it comes as advocacy groups are stepping up calls for soda taxes marketing limits to rein in the effect of unhealthy food and drink on poor countries.
PCSK9 Inhibitor Cuts Cholesterol for the Statin Intolerant - but Price Not Worth It, JAMA Says
Results from the GAUSS-3 trial presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology should be good news for Amgen, but an editorial in JAMA says the cost of evolocumab exceeds "willingness to pay" limits.
Surprise: Express Scripts Data Show Statin Use Fell After New Cholesterol Guideline
The 2013 guideline update from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association drew criticism when it was presented. Data presented in today's poster session at the ACC Scientific Session revealed unexpected results.
Statins Can Cut Heart Attacks in Moderate-Risk Patients, Study Finds
Results from the HOPE-3 trial, presented on the opening day of the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, suggest cholesterol-lowering statins could have preventive benefits in broader groups of patients than previously thought.
Horizon, Newark's University Hospital Announce Value-Based Effort for Pregnancies
The value-based care initiative comes at a crucial time for the safety-net hospital: the vast majority of pregnancies are covered by Medicaid and some are covered by charity care. The latter funding source is being cut in the proposed New Jersey state budget.
Cleveland Clinic Data: Heart Attack Patients Getting Younger, Fatter
Data showed that patients coming to the world-famous hospital for a heart attack grew younger, sicker, and more obese from 1995 to 2014. Because the researchers have not yet reported socioeconomic status, it is hard to know whether the findings reflect broader trends.
Can Mammograms Also Find Heart Disease?
Study authors found that women whose mammograms revealed calcium buildup in breast arteries were highly likely to have coronary arterial calcification. This "practice changing" finding could allow doctors to spot early heart disease in women where it otherwise would have been missed.
Bariatric Surgery Outperforms Drugs, Lifestyle Interventions in Reversing Diabetes in Study
The randmized controlled trial confirms findings in observational studies that gastric bypass provides benefits beyond weight loss, and suggests BMI should not be the only consideration for who should have surgery. The fact that the study is associated with a major US payer is noteworthy.
Healthcare Ranks Higher as an Election Issue for Women, Kaiser Poll Finds
While healthcare is an important issue among Democrats, it ranks lower on the list of priorities for Republicans and independent voters. Data show that voters are overwhelmingly concerned about jobs and the economy.
Today Is Diabetes Alert Day. Are You at Risk?
An estimated 29.1 million Americans have diabetes; most have type 2 disease. While the CDC reported in December that new cases had fallen for the first time in a generation, there are disparities in who gets the disease. It hits harder among the poor and minorities.
Fewer Amputations, Hospital Deaths as Treatment Switches for Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia
The study from researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that during the years before full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a shift in treatment methods for patients with a painful condition was associated with fewer amputations and deaths. But large disparities remain.
Is Soda the New Tobacco? An Expert, and New CDC Data, Say Yes
In Soda Politics, Marion Nestle, PhD, traces the history of the giant soda companies in the United States, and how they have copied the tactics of Big Tobacco to get children "drinking sugar," with resulting rates of diabetes and obesity. Other groups are joining Nestle in criticizing the export of heavy soda marketing to the developing world.