AACE - New Diabetes Guidelines Based on Tailored Approach
AACE calls for a new guideline based on a tailored approach to treating type 2 diabetes while maintaining the use of an algorithm-based model....
Screening Finds Retinopathy Early in Diabetes
A screening program for diabetic retinopathy diminished the likelihood of eye disease in patients with diabetes....
Discovery Raises Hope for Type 1 Diabetes Reversal
A two-step process consisting of one drug to induce immune tolerance and another to promote islet regeneration could be key to type 1 diabetes reversal....
Report Finds Diabetes Self-Care Improves Slowly
More Americans are meeting diabetes care goals, but nearly half still aren't achieving major targets for controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol....
AACE Releases New Comprehensive Diabetes Management Algorithm
For treatment of diabetes and prediabetes patients....
Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S.
Report analyzes the direct and indirect cost burden of diagnosed diabetes and is published as a Scientific Statement in the April 2013 issue of Diabetes Care....
ISMP: Updating Your High-Alert Medication List
Because insulin is at the top of the "High-Alert Medication List," we are presenting this updated article from our partner at ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices).
Marijuana Does Not Have Long-lasting Metabolic Effects
Marijuana used regularly has little impact on the overall metabolism of glucose and lipids....
Mixed Views on Computer/Smart Phone-based Management for Diabetes
A study focused on social networking and support groups showed the effects of these programs on blood sugar levels are short-term....
Low Awareness of Prediabetes is a Problem
Awareness of prediabetes is low, less than 14% of people in the U.S. are aware of the condition....
Lifestyle Intervention for Prediabetes Is Successful
A community-based diabetes-prevention program produced significant reductions in blood glucose and body mass index (BMI) among individuals with prediabetes, while also reducing costs at 2 years....
Clinic-based Peer Coaching Improves A1c
A1c's fall 1-3 points with coaching....
Comparing Calories to Miles Makes Impact
Choosing foods according to the distance needed to burn makes a difference....
Mortality Grows in Diabetic and Pre-Diabetic Patients
Diabetes survival rates are decreasing and the death rate for individuals with pre-diabetes increased from 11.19 to 14.02 deaths per 1,000 person-years....
Cost of Diabetes is Rising and Set to Explode
The cost of diabetes in the United States has climbed 41% since 2007....
AACE Asks Medical Professionals and Diabetic Patients to Appeal to Congress
AACE is asking for support for the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act which would create a public-private commission composed of endocrinologists, other front-line diabetes health care providers, patient advocates and representatives...
Quitting Smoking Benefits Outweigh Those from Gaining Weight
The Framingham Offspring Study published a report showing that the cardiovascular benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the weight-gain associated health risks....
Calcium Test Predicts Stroke Risk
Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an independent predictor of future stroke events in the general population….
Sugar Behind the Rise of Diabetes Worldwide
Sugar intake linked to high diabetes prevalence, not obesity….
Calcium Supplements May Increase Risk of CVD Death
A high intake of supplemental calcium appears to be associated with an increased risk of CVD death in men but….
Next Once-Daily GLP-1 Agonist, Lixisenatide, Approved in EU
One more GLP-1 agonist gets approved in Europe....
New England Journal Refutes Weight-Loss Beliefs in New Review
With data from the scientific literature, some of the most firmly held beliefs about weight loss are unproven or downright untrue....
Mechanism that Links Diabetes and Obesity with Cancer Discovered
Sustained high levels of sugars damage our cells and can….
Parents of Baby Boomers Healthier than Their Kids
Today's baby boomers do not fare very well compared with….
GLP-1 Agonists May Be Effective for Obese Adolescents
Preliminary evidence from a clinical trial suggests that treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with….
Office Wellness Programs Work
Sixty-two percent of workers believe workplace wellness programs are successful in improving health and reducing health risks....
Predictors of Diabetes Health Care Costs Identified
High costs linked to suboptimal glycemic control, impaired renal function, and proteinuria....
New First-ever Guidelines for Type 2 Kids
Step One – Start on insulin, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics which has issued guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes in children and teenagers aged 10 to 18....
FDA Approves Nesina, Kazano and Oseni Oral Medications to Treat Diabetes
A new DPP-4 inhibitor is approved along with some combinations....
Type 2's Need to Keep Kidneys Healthy
One in every 10 Americans has diabetes, and over a third of those will….
Closed-loop Delivery System Reduces Hypos and Improves Control
A pump with two chambers, one for insulin and one for glucagon can….
The Best Predictors of Heart Disease Death Risk
Combining two measurements to predict heart disease death risk is better than any one measurement....
Type 1 Children Not Meeting Targets
Less than a third of youth with type 1 diabetes are meeting recommended A1c targets....
Which Is More Important: Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure or Cholesterol Targets?
For people with diabetes, meeting the recommended guidelines for blood pressure and cholesterol is….
Alzheimer's Linked to Diabetes
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have been linked to cognitive problems like Alzheimer's disease and dementia....
Metabolic Syndrome in 40's Linked to Exercise at Age 16
Television viewing habits and leisure-time physical activity at the age of 16 years independently predicts….
Elderly Patients Benefit from Group Education
Compared with younger adults, older adults get greater glycemic benefit from participating in self-management interventions in small groups....
Is Body Weight Linked to Sugar Intake?
Sugar intake associated with….
Help Your Senior Patients Prevent Diabetes
Looking for 10,000 seniors on Medicare to participate in a free program to prevent diabetes....
Diabetes Screens May Not Help Heart Long Term
It remains unclear whether diabetes screening at routine primary care visits will ultimately improve cardiovascular outcomes for patients....
The Best Diet to Avoid Diabetes
For the third year in a row, the DASH Diet Eating Plan has been named the best overall diet by U.S. News & World Report....
Diabetes Diagnosis More Likely in Lower-Income Groups
The rate of new diabetes diagnosis is inversely related to income, a new study has shown. "There was a 20% higher risk of diabetes in the lowest 2 income groups compared with the highest group, which translated into an extra 2500...
Undiagnosed Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes
More than 25 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, indicates the American Diabetes Association, and of those, only 18.8 million have been formally diagnosed with the disease....
A Little Extra Fat Is Beneficial
A report last week that people who are slightly overweight have less chance of dying than those of normal weight had some researchers calling for further study of how a little extra fat can apparently be good for you. But others saw it as...
Wealth Impacts Mortality in Diabetes Patients
Socioeconomic status, as measured by education and financial wealth, is a strong independent predictor of mortality risk among adult diabetes patients....
The Added Cost for Pregnancy in Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes can lead to 34% higher maternity costs and complications....
What Does It Cost for the Care of a Person with Diabetes?
Diabetes care costs increased with poorer control....
New ADA Guidelines Ease Blood Pressure Target
New guidelines from ADA include recommendations for a less stringent systolic blood-pressure target and greater individualization with regard to the frequency of blood glucose self-monitoring....
Intensive Program Reverses Diabetes
Researchers find that intense lifestyle-based weight-loss interventions were associated with a remission of diabetes....
Preventing Chronic Disease Can Reduce Medicare 10%
Medicare can cut 5% to 10% of its total spending if it focuses on chronic disease prevention and coordinated care for those with chronic conditions....
ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2013
Updated evidence for diabetes care, including guidelines for self-monitoring glucose, new blood pressure targets, and other aspects of care, are presented in a major position statement from the American Diabetes Association....
Microalbuminuria Screening Can Cut Costs
Screening blacks for microalbuminuria helps spot CKD earlier and may be cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $35,000 if screenings were done yearly....
Using Social Media to Fight Childhood Obesity
Social media may be an effective way to help children overcome obesity, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement....
Type 1 to Triple, Type 2 to Quadruple in Youth
The numbers of young people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are likely to rise dramatically during the next 40 years, particularly among minority populations....
Obstacles to ACO (Accountable Care Organization) Development
Six barriers encountered during early stages of development of accountable care organizations....
Americans Adjusting Their Ideal Weight Upward
Americans increase what they think their ideal weight should be....
Gastric Bypass Surgery Doesn't Cure Diabetes
Information coming from the largest community-based study of long-term diabetes outcomes after gastric bypass surgery shows that for mostpeople in the study, diabetes either never remitted after gastric surgery or relapsed within five...
Medicare to Pay for Obesity Counseling in the Name of Prevention
A recent landmark decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) represents an important first step toward addressing one of the great ironies of American health care....
Clinicians and Patients Online Relationships Increase Office Visits
Letting patients email their clinician and access their records online was associated with more, not fewer, telephone calls, office visits, and clinical services in general....
Gestational Diabetes Diagnoses to Increase by 12%
The new threshold for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes may overwhelm the healthcare system....
How Should We Treat the Elderly with Diabetes?
More than one-quarter of all adults over age 65 have diabetes but there is little research on how to treat the disease in older adults....
Diabetes Deaths Fall 61%
According to the CDC, the death rate from diabetes among children and adolescents has fallen by more than 60% since the late 1960s....
Major Entitlement Savings from Advances in Diabetes Research
More than one-half trillion dollars in savings to Medicare and the overall economy is possible if….
NDEP Fast Facts on Diabetes 2011
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the most recent National Diabetes Fact Sheet...
Airport Full-Body Scans Can Cause Malfunction of Insulin Pumps and CGMS Systems
A new report suggests people with diabetes who wear an insulin pump or a continuous glucose monitoring device may encounter a problem when going through a full-body scanning machine....
Web Browsing Improves Doctor-Patient Relationships
Before paying a visit to a general practitioner, searching for answers to health questions on the internet can help patients benefit more from the consultation....
Age Itself Should Not Dictate Therapy
According to a new consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and the American Geriatrics Society, treatment goals for older adults with type 2 diabetes should take into account life expectancy and the presence of...
Regular Glucose Monitoring Increases Medication Adherence and Reduces A1c
Blood glucose monitoring at least once a day is associated with reduced A1C levels and greater adherence to medication in type 2 diabetes patients who do not take insulin....
More Strokes in Middle-Age than in Elderly
Data from a regional stroke registry suggest that stroke may be shifting from a disease of the elderly to a midlife health concern....
Sit and Stand Workstations Cut Health Risks of Sedentary Jobs
Desks that give workers the option of sitting or standing while performing their jobs may help cut health risks associated with sedentary occupations....
Diabetes Screening May Not Reduce Death Rates
Without the knowledge of what to do once diagnosed, nothing really happens....
Endocrine Society Chemical Screening Recommendations
David Joffe, BSPharm, CDE, Editor-in-chief, Diabetes In Control
The Endocrine Society has published a new set of recommendations on the definition of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) and screening programs for such...
AACE/ACE Diabetes Algorithm for Glycemic Control
View or download the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists diabetes...
UCTV Prime: The Skinny on Obesity (video)
Is sugar a toxin that's fueling the global obesity epidemic? That's the argument UCSF's Dr. Robert Lustig made ...
National Diabetes Statistics, 2011
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse has released the new...
SPECIAL FEATURE: Readers Respond to Dr. Richard Kahn’s Statement: "Diabetes Prevention is a Waste of Resources"
For Dr. Kahn's comments and the Joslin Diabetes Center's response, see our article in last week's newsletter:
Diabetes Disaster #68: FDA ALERT -- Insulin Pen Sharing
Insulin Pens and Insulin Cartridges Must Not Be Shared. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to health care professionals reminding them that single-patient insulin pens and insulin cartridges should not be used...
Medicare Reimbursement Update
In yet another warning to lawmakers, a new survey of group practices shows that 51% will reduce the number of available appointment slots for new Medicare patients if Congress does not avert a 29.5% Medicare pay...
FDA Warns Healthcare Professionals to Closely Monitor Patients with Diabetes Receiving Liraglutide Injections
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned healthcare professionals to closely monitor patients with diabetes receiving liraglutide injections (Victoza, Novo Nordisk) for thyroid C-cell tumors and acute pancreatitis....
Letter from the Editor: More Electronic Prescriptions and "The Question is, My Dear Watson, Why Did the Dog Not Bark?"
This week, a new study from Surescripts found that the use of electronic prescribing in 2010 increased by 72% over 2009, climbing to 326 million up from 190 million e-prescriptions in 2009. By the end of 2010,...
Prescription Drug Spending Increases by Very Low Rate
The national tab for prescription drugs last year grew at the second-slowest pace ever measured by a prominent health data firm.
ADA Launches Diabetes 24/7
Diabetes 24/7 is a new application using personal health records that will...
CDC National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011
Diabetes affects 25.8 million people or 8.3% of the U.S. population: 18.8 million have ...
Editor's Note: CDC Slides, ADA/PDR Wrap-up, and More
Last week I was working on a presentation for the ASCP mid-year meeting and needed some up-to-date graphs on the incidence of diabetes in the US. Our publisher, Steve Freed, came across the CDC 2011 diabetes report and it was exactly the data...
Product of the Week:Insulin Vial Protection by Securitee Blanket
Insulin Vial Protection by Securitee Blanket
Letter from the Editor: More CDC Data, LTC Caregiver and Patient Education, and the Latest Diabetes Management Apps
The CDC just released new data in their 2011 fact sheet which got overlooked in most journals. They now estimate that 26.9% of all patients over 65 have diabetes. This is almost 11 million patients and many of them...
Tool for Your Practice: CDC Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011
CDC Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011
This fact sheet from the CDC...
Letter from the Editor: CDC Numbers Show Dramatic Increase in Diabetes
The official numbers from the CDC are out for 2011 and once again the number of patients with diabetes is up. Last year my PowerPoint slides topped out at 24 million but this year the CDC has upped the number to nearly 26 million Americans. At this...
Letter from the Editor: ACA Redux and Temporary Medicare Formula Fixes
This week we had a chance to see why government moves at the speed of dirt. It does not matter which party you favor: you have to wonder about our leaders and the way they waste money and time in order to get even. The GOP took over the House...
Special Edition: Best of 2010
As I look back over the past year, it has been quite a ride for all of us in healthcare and in diabetes.
Congress passed the historic healthcare reform law but will it stay? Part of that bill reduced payments to physicians by 24% and...
Tool for Your Practice: Medicare Part D Pharmacist Quick Reference Guide
2011 Medicare Part D Pharmacist Quick Reference Guide
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Letter from the Editor #551: Medicare Coverage Extensions and Part D Plans
As we come to the end of the year, there is some good news out there for our patients. Last week Congress finally got their act together and realized that patient care for seniors would suffer if the proposed cut in physician reimbursement...
Letter from the Editor: Lap-Band at Birth -- Is It Possible?
I was reviewing some charts with a physician this past week and she made a comment about how many of her younger patients, 18-30 year olds, were overweight and just keep getting bigger. Jokingly I commented that maybe we should put a Lap-Band on at...
Letter from the Editor: AMA Internet Guidelines, Medicare Cuts, Benfluorex
Steve and I have been involved with the internet for over 10 years providing information to medical professionals. There have been a lot of changes in the way information is disseminated over this time period. More importantly, instant content and...
Letter from the Editor: Shared Medical Appointments
Happy Thanksgiving to all our loyal readers:
There is a study that came out this week that can be a win-win for both clinicians and patients pointing to the value of Shared Medical Appointments. As we all have heard, unless Congress...
Letter from the Editor: November Special Edition
Often when we think of cutting edge technology or modern methods of care the private sector tends to get all the attention and it seems that often government agencies only catch up years later. However, when it comes to healthcare innovations, the...
Letter from the Editor #547: FDA Fallout and Medicare/Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
The fallout from recent FDA decisions concerning new medications for diabetes and obesity continues to be a topic of discussion among medical professionals. Last week I was at the annual meeting of the American Society of Consultant...
Letter from the Editor: 1 in 3 Adults Will Have Diabetes by 2050
Just this week the CDC announced that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue: that’s not 1 in 3 born after 2000, that is 1 of every 3 adults period. It is estimated that there will be 420 million...
ILUVIEN® FACT SHEET
OVERVIEW:
Alimera Sciences, Inc., ...
Editor's Note: Bydureon Update
I had hoped that this week’s Clinical Mastery edition would have included information from the Duration Trials for the once weekly form of exenatide, Bydureon. Many of us had been anticipating approval of this revolutionary treatment for...
Letter from the Editor: New Healthcare Rules
Some new healthcare rules took effect last week offering a measure of safety and security for our diabetes patients. As part of the healthcare reform act of 2010, adult children can stay on their parents' insurance through age 26, they cannot...
Letter from the Editor: Further Setbacks for Weight Loss Drugs
We all know that insulin dosing mistakes are the number one medical error, but what happens when our patients don’t take enough insulin? They often develop DKA or HHS. How often do these occur, why do they occur, what is the difference...
Letter from the Editor:Social Media and the Drug Companies
Our patients often use the internet to learn more about the conditions we diagnose and the medications and procedures we use to treat them. Often they come to us with good information and seem to have become "specialists" at their own condition. At...
Letter from the Editor: News from the ADA
Steve, Andrew and I are in Orlando at the ADA 70th Scientific Sessions and although things are just getting started there is already news in the diabetes sector. Lilly has agreed to co-brand their Humulin insulin line with Walmart,...
A Potentially Bad Summer for Patients
This could be a bad summer for patients if things stay as they are.
First off it appears that unless the Senate moves within the next day that Carriers for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will...
CMS Issues Guidance on Doughnut Hole Discount Program
Lindsey Harris, PharmD Candidate, University of Florida
The doughnut hole has been an issue for Medicare beneficiaries for many years. The costs of ...
Medicare Part D: A Boon for Industry and Insurers Alike
Issak Smith
Diabetes Update, Part 1 of 3
In this week's Homerun Slides, we have an update on the state of diabetes in the U.S, courtesy of...
Hypertension in the Medicare Population, Part 2 of 2
In this second set of Homerun Slides on Hypertension in the Medicare Population, we review some...
Hypertension in the Medicare Population, Part 1 of 2
In this week's Homerun Slides set, we take a look at the challenges posed by an increasingly...
Achieving Glycemic Control in the Hospital Setting, Part 4 of 4
In this week's set of Homerun Slides, we wrap up this short series on glycemic control in...
Achieving Glycemic Control in the Hospital Setting, Part 3 of 4
In this week's set of Homerun Slides, our topics include IV Insulin Protocols, Considerations when...
Achieving Glycemic Control in the Hospital Setting, Part 2 of 4
In this week's Homerun Slides, we present the second of four parts on glycemic control in...
Achieving Glycemic Control in the Hospital Setting, Part 1 of 4
In this week's set of Homerun Slides, we present the first of four parts on the issue of glycemic...
Glucose Monitoring - Why Monitor?
In this week's set of Homerun Slides, we explore the question of why patients are so reluctant to...
ADA-EASD Position Statement: Management of Hyperglycemia in T2DM, Part 1 of 4
With this selection of Homerun Slides, we have the latest position statement from the...
Diabetes Mellitus 101 for Medical Professionals, Part 1 of 9
This week we begin a new Homerun Slides series on Diabetes Mellitus 101 for ...
Cost-Effectiveness Strategies, Part 1 of 4
Evaluation of the Kaiser Permanente Northern...
CDC's 2011 Numbers
This graph compares the incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among children and...
