Mary Caffrey

The half-day program covered healthy eating, how to prescribe exercise, evidence about stress reduction, and other lifestyle topics, as part of the American College of Cardiology's focus on prevention.

Greetings from First Lady Michelle Obama and a lecture from a non-cardiologist on population health set the stage for the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Prevention is the focus of this year's meeting.

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.

Language in the proposed law runs counter to the explicit policy of the American Medical Association for care of the LGBT community.

Mayo Clinic's refusal to sign contracts with the 3 new Medicaid providers, and a 9-year-old with a brain tumor, have added drama in the days before the transition.

Researchers said the findings show the need for greater attention to treatments needs for younger patients with type 2 disease.

State newspapers have been sharply critical of Governor Matt Bevin's last-minute changes to the Benefind system, which was designed to work alongside Kynect to integrate benefits, not replace it to administer Medicaid.

Sales peaked when this year's high school graduates were born, and have been declining ever since.

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.

After The New York Times reported the nature of the ties between Coca-Cola and the Global Energy Balance Network, the University of Colorado returned a $1 million donation it had received.

Researchers say that stress gets less attention than diabetes, smoking, or high cholesterol even though it's just as important a risk factor in predicting who will have a cardiovascular event.

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.

Promoting healthier lifestyles, prevention, and population health are themes of the upcoming meeting of cardiologists in Chicago, which will take place April 2-4, 2016.

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.

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.

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.

The move means the nation's largest payer will invest in diabetes prevention, which has been a focus of CDC, the American Medical Association, and the American Diabetes Association.

The Alabama Senate seems poised to pass a budget that comes $85 million short of Governor Robert Bentley's funding request for a Medicaid agreement with CMS, which was signed a few weeks ago.

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.

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.

The program will air nearly 3 years after Jolie stunned the country with news that she'd had surgery to remove both breasts after a genetic test revealed she was at very high risk for cancer.

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.

There has been interest in learning whether the SGLT2 inhibitor class could benefit those with type 1 diabetes who have been unable to achieve good glycemic control on insulin alone. The thought is that this class could help smooth out daily peaks and valleys in blood glucose levels.

The research puts data behind long-simmering complaints from patients and clinicians about availability of diabetes test strips.

Regeneron and Sanofi vowed to appeal the ruling; analysts said that process could take at least a year. While Amgen has asked for a permanent injunction, some see payment of royalties to Amgen as a more likely outcome if Regeneron is ultimately not successful.

Researchers found patients taking canagliflozin had more improvement in A1C levels than those taking DPP-4 inhibitors, and those taking canagliflozin were more likely to achieve key thresholds recognized by Medicare and other payers.

The guideline is designed to improve decision-making when prescribing pain medication. CDC authors note that the sheer rise of opioid prescriptions cannot be explained by the underlying health status of the population.

Michael Castagna, PharmD, MBA, has significant sales and marketing experience, but does he have enough time or money to rescue Afrezza?

The change comes ahead of a proposed merger with Aetna; executive pay tied to that transaction is not affected by this pay-for-performance initiative.

Both the authors and the writer of an editorial said obese women should be warned of potential risks, but that with absolute stroke risk low, they should not be denied access to contraception.