Diabetes

Patients with serious mental illness die 15 to 20 years earlier than those with similar cardiovascular conditions. According to Joseph P. McEvoy, MD, of the Medical College of Georgia, "There's no mystery here." Cognitive deficits, issues, and lack of access can make it hard for these patients to get primary care, and to stick with the instructions they do receive. To help this group, Dr McEvoy believes psychiatrists can gain competency to treat hypertension, diabetes, obesity and to help these patients quit smoking.

From the Editor-in-Chief

Novo Nordisk's new long-acting insulin, Tresiba, has been shown to be effective and safe for long-term use in children and young adults with type 1 diabetes, according to new data from a late-stage trial presented on Tuesday.

A study published today found that 16 major U.S. food companies that pledged to cut calories from foods sold consumers cut 6.4 million calories, or 10.6 percent, over a five-year period ending in 2012. Authors of the study say the results show that selling Americans healthier food need not be at odds with a healthy bottom line, and that "the results should encourage other manufacturers and retailers to follow suit."

A meta-analysis published in The Lancet found that the combination was most successful in achieving the target A1C, with a minimal risk of hypoglycemia and weight loss.

Despite reported glitches, CMS plans to launch the database that will provide information on payments for research, gifts, meals, or speaker fees received by providers and teaching hospitals from the pharmaceutical industry.

A meta-analysis comprising 16 studies and 891,426 participants from various regions of the world shows that prediabetes increases the risk of cancer by 15%, with differing risks depending on the type of cancer.

If diabetes rates continue to rise out of control, the present downward trajectory in global TB cases could be offset by 8% (ie, 8% less reduction) or more by 2035, warn the authors of a new article.

Modest weight loss (>3%) among metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was associated with decreased costs, lower resource utilization, and lower rates of treatment discontinuation.

The USPSTF recommendations are already being practiced by some payers like BCBS and Aetna.

Two recent policy announcements, one from Medicare and another from the US Preventive Services Task Force, signal a shift toward understanding that America's battle with obesity and diabetes is not only a medical but also a behavioral health problem, and must be treated as such.

Yesterday's announcement that Pennsylvania will become the 27th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act was closely watched in both healthcare and political circles, for it shows further accommodation to both local health needs and political considerations. Will Pennsylvania's deal with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services be the last, coming after Arkansas and Iowa? Or is it a sign that Medicaid, which has always combined federal mandates with some local flavor, will continue to shift with the political winds in the states?

The recommendation, based on a review conducted by KPRA EPC, identified significant changes in metabolic parameters like glucose, blood pressure, and LDL, following counseling, among individuals with cardiovascular risk factors.

The American Journal of Managed Care's ACO Coalition, now at 100 members, gives healthcare leaders a way to share ideas for improving population health. A recent Web-based exchange involving Mount Sinai ACO's diabetes strategy showed how the initiative is working to spread good ideas across the country.

The study, published in Diabetes Care, evaluated patients who participated in the NIH-sponsored Look AHEAD program.

The test, the first-ever to distinguish the type 1 form of diabetes, could detect the ZnT8 autoantibody in 65 percent of the samples from patients with diagnosed type 1 diabetes and gave false positive results in less than two percent of the samples from patients diagnosed with other disease.

A century ago, employee health and well-being was of such little concern to most US employers that it took the passage of workers' compensation laws for most to care, because suddenly it affected the bottom line.

HHS said that many Medicare Advantage plans wrongly inflated patient risk scores, costing the government billions. Although no insurers were specifically named, HHS researchers said it was evident that the practice of overbilling was occurring industry wide.

Older patients who are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS present a variety of challenges for providers, especially when it comes to controlling their costs of care.

Jardiance, which was approved in Europe in May of this year, was late in coming because of certain issues raised by the FDA at Boerhringer's manufacturing plant.

With diabetes costs taking double-digit increases--and expensive newer meds launching--insurers are tightening restrictions on drug use.

ADA 74th Scientific Sessions