Diabetes

My mission: getting approval for a supply of blood glucose testing strips my endocrinologist recommends, so I can manage my diabetes and maintain my great quality of life.

Lancet editors criticized the "unacceptably slow" global response to rising rates of childhood obesity.

Among other topics, panelists discussed the connection between mental health and diabetes, and the need to treat these conditions together.

FDA approves a key combination therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus, a device to help patients battle obesity, and another indication for Lucentis.

The Affordable Care Act provided funds for 10 states to experiment with incentive programs in Medicaid. Researchers hope to learn what steps will motivate beneficiaries to take steps to improve their health.

The pharmaceutical industry has learnt its lesson from the pushback that Gilead faced over the price of its hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. The lack of a price discussion prior to the introduction of the regimen washed-out the excitement over a "cure" for the disease.

Saxenda was approved in December 2014 to treat obesity, giving physicians another option for patients who are overweight and battling diabetes. Experts say payers need to take obesity as seriously as other conditions when making decisions about covering therapies.

The meta-analysis in Annals of Internal Medicine found that small doses of exercise were not enough to offset the effects of long periods of sitting on all-cause mortality and chronic disease, including diabetes.

Joslin Diabetes Center has earned the highest level of recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, which cited the center's strengths in communication, access, and coordination of care in the citation for a Patient-Centered Specialty Practice.

When 5% of Medicaid recipients account for 54% of spending, cost is just the beginning of the problem.

Several recent studies have singled out too much TV watching as being associated with a higher risk of all cause mortality and a string of health problems, from diabetes and obesity to colorectal cancer.

CMS' decision to pay primary care physicians to coordinate for seniors with multiple chronic conditions cannot soon enough, if a study in Clinical Diabetes is any sign.

The argument for cost-effectiveness has become important in the care of patients with diabetes and other comorbidities, as patients typically take multiple medications, each with its own cost-both to the payer and to the patient in the form of a co-pay-as well as some side effects.

A study published in JAMA Surgery compared long-term weight loss and other outcomes, along with adverse effects, of different surgical methods for weight loss.

The medication adherence problem is emblematic of the larger coordinated care issue in the US healthcare system, according to Trishan Panch, MBBS, MPH, chief medical officer at Wellframe.

Real-world studies of SGLT2 inhibitors show that this new class of drugs for type 2 diabetes has lowered A1C more than rivals. Patients lose more weight than with other oral therapies, and the benefit of controlling hypertension may make it possible for some patients to stop taking other drugs.

As accountable care organizations work to deliver population health, patient satisfaction, and cost savings, the need to engage patients as partners in their own healthcare has never been more essential. The ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, an initiative of The American Journal of Managed Care, gathered this week at the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California, to explore ways to make patients the starting points of healthcare, not just its recipients.

California's policies to limit what kinds of foods and beverages can be sold alongside meals regulated by the National School Lunch Program are among the strictest in the nation. The rules appear to have helped stabilize and, in some areas, reverse childhood obesity trends.

Today's call for Medicare to cover the Diabetes Prevention Program is part of a broader effort by advocacy groups and the AMA to identify those with prediabetes and intervene before people develop full-blown diabetes.

The study, called the the SLIMM-T2D (Surgery or Lifestyle with Intensive Medical Management in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes) trial, was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and observed similar improvements in blood sugar control a year after gastric band surgery or being on a group-based weight management program.

Studies have shown that embedding behavioral health services into the primary care practice produces better health outcomes for patients with diabetes, while reducing indications of depression. The challenge is figuring out how to make the transition to new payment models that reward such care.

A review of 24 trials covering more than 10,000 patients confirmed earlier findings that PCSK9 inhibitors dramatically reduce cholesterol and risk of heart attacks. But an editorial that appeared alongside the meta-analysis in Annals of Internal Medicine said long-term studies are needed on this new drug class.

CMS wasted nearly $251 million in taxpayer dollars on infusion drugs in just 18 months by using outdated drug pricing estimates, which drove up the cost of prescription injectable drugs for an aging baby boomer population.

Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, who took office as US Surgeon General in December and has a ceremonial swearing-in Thursday, says he hopes to reduce chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease by promoting physical activity.