Diabetes In Control News http://www.diabetesincontrol.com Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:41:22 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.diabetesincontrol.com Diabetes In Control News http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8569&Itemid= Only seven weeks to go!! Now that we are in November there are less than two months to go until our Medicare part D patients get their new program and they can get back out of the "donut hole." We really need to make an effort to help them stay on their medications. We need to give them samples, vouchers or coupons or help them find an alternative for the next few weeks.  Speaking of vouchers, yesterday one of my colleagues called me with an interesting question. They wanted to know if a Medicare part D patient could use a coupon to get some insulin. They had read on the back of the coupon that it could not be used with any Medicaid or Medicare program. This disclaimer appears on the back of almost all vouchers or coupons for medications. This is a common question pharmacists often get. To clear up the confusion we have to determine which kind of voucher or coupon we are talking about. If the voucher or coupon is for a reduction of copay, i.e. $35 off the patient's copay then it cannot be used with Medicaid or Medicare, as this would be reducing the copay. If... Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8574&Itemid=24 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:39:34 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8573&Itemid=6 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:47:46 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8572&Itemid=10 Part Four: A continuation of last week's case study: John Eckersly is a 61 year-old man who is a new patient. He works as a researcher and his only complaint is that he has gained 20 lbs over the past 25 months. He is single and eats out for most of his evening meals. He is relatively sedentary at his job. He spends most evenings watching TV or surfing the Internet. He has 2 grown daughters who live nearby. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:45:46 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8571&Itemid= Newsflash: Anodyne Therapy, LLC Develops New Device for Treatment of Foot and Leg Pain News Release (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8574&catid=1&Itemid=8)   Newsflash: FDA approval for Novo's GLP-1 Victoza is expected before the end of the year. Victoza is a rival to Eli Lilly's Byetta.   Tool for Your Practice:   Healthy Outcomes is a free, interactive online resource that rewards your patients for taking control of their health and wellness. Participants earn Reward points by watching educational modules, completing surveys, playing games, etc.... Reward points can then be redeemed for diabetes related products. Healthy Outcomes   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:33:43 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8570&Itemid=   "The mind is like a parachute -- it doesn't work unless it's open." ........Unknown   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:31:16 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8568&Itemid=34 New Diabetes Drug May Work Better than Byetta: Roche announced last week that its GLP-1 drug, taspoglutide (which is still in phase 3 trials), worked better than Byetta in lowering blood sugar, according to the results of a late stage study. The study marks a small step on the way to possible approval of the drug, for which Roche has seven additional trials underway. After 24 weeks of treatment, patients who had been given taspoglutide experienced a bigger decline in their blood sugar than those who had been given Byetta. Results to be published shortly in a major diabetes journal.   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:26:34 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8567&Itemid=34 Fitness Levels Drop More Rapidly after Age 45 Years: Fitness levels drop more rapidly after age 45 years, especially in men, according to the results of a study. However, exercise, maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI), and not smoking were associated with better fitness levels and cardiovascular health. Andrew S. Jackson, PED, from the University of Houston writes, "The U.S. population is aging and is becoming more obese and sedentary ... and it is well-documented that the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of men and women declines with age and that body composition and habitual physical activity are related to CRF.... Low CRF levels increase the risk of diseases and interfere with older adults' ability to function independently." "These data indicate the need for physicians to recommend to their patients the necessity to maintain their weight, engage in regular aerobic exercise and abstain from smoking," the study authors conclude.  Archives of Internal Medicine. October 26, 2009   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:25:31 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8566&Itemid=23 Depression Risk Highest in Younger Type 2 Diabetes Patients: The risk of comorbid depression is particularly strong in relatively young people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a nationwide Norwegian study. In Norwegian men with Type 2 diabetes, the risk of unipolar depressive disorder peaked when they were in their 20's, with a prevalence 3.54-fold greater than in age-matched nondiabetic men. JAMA 2008;299:2751-9   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:24:33 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8565&Itemid=23 Australia Headed for Diabetes Crisis: A new report on the impact of Type 2 diabetes predicts that by the year 2050, one in seven Australians will have the disease: that is equal to 1.6 million people. The report comes from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling in Canberra, Australia, and is due to an aging and increasingly sedentary population. Professor Laurie Brown says the Australian government needs to take a two-pronged approach to dealing with the growing rate of the disease. "We should be tailoring health dollars into prevention, encouraging adult Australians to look after their weight," he said. "The second message is people are going to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and we have to invest more into healthcare strategies that will help control their diabetes." National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling, Nov 2009   Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:23:02 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8564&Itemid=8 Four-year results from the Action for Health Diabetes (Look AHEAD) study has shown that an intensive lifestyle intervention designed to achieve and maintain weight loss over the long term produces sustained weight loss and improvements in fitness, as well as improvements in glycemic control, systolic blood pressure, and HDL-cholesterol levels. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:21:11 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8563&Itemid=8 French study suggesting delayed progression gets guarded response from U.S. experts. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:19:44 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8562&Itemid=8 Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs do not reduce the risk of diabetes and might modestly elevate the chances of developing the condition, researchers found in a pooled analysis of trial data. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:18:20 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8561&Itemid=8 New evidence is emerging for how important it is for pregnant women to eat good, nutritious food. Expecting mothers who eat vegetables every day seem to have children who are less likely to develop Type 1 diabetes, according to a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:16:40 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8560&Itemid=8 Diabetes cases are rising rapidly in the U.S., with the disease afflicting 11.3% of American adults as of the third quarter of 2009, according to a new Gallup survey. That's an increase from 10.4% measured in the first quarter of last year. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:12:46 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8559&Itemid=8 Patients with Type 2 diabetes who have low LDL cholesterol and albuminuria face an increased risk of developing cancer, say researchers. The good news is that statin use in such patients may eliminate the elevated risk. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:28 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8558&Itemid=8 Contrary to common hypotheses, hyperglycemia does not appear to exert a protective effect against depression, researchers report. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:10:12 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8557&Itemid=8 A sub-threshold micropulse diode laser (MPDL) is as effective as a conventional green laser (CGL) for the photocoagulation of diabetes-related macular edema, according to the results of a controlled trial. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:08:31 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8556&Itemid=8 Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have clarified the complications story by detecting a second, independent pathway, which offers new targets for preventing and treating diabetic eye disease. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:06:52 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8555&Itemid=8 Imagine walking into a McDonald's and having your cell phone recognize your location and make healthy menu recommendations. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:05:23 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8554&Itemid=8 Eighty minutes a week of aerobic or resistance training helps not only to prevent weight gain, but also to inhibit a regain of harmful visceral fat one year after weight loss. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:04:01 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8553&Itemid=8 A long-term study of bariatric surgery for weight loss in obese individuals showed the procedure has no effect on the rates of MI when compared with individuals who underwent conventional care. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:02:32 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8552&Itemid=8 Eating just a little bit more fiber could have a big impact in trimming the waistlines of America's young people, new research shows. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:16 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8551&Itemid=8 In a comparison of five different smoking cessation medications, a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge appears most effective at helping smokers quit, according to a new report.  Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:59:18 +0100 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8550&Itemid=8 Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have a twofold increased risk of hypothyroidism, including a five-fold greater risk among women, data from a retrospective case-control study showed. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:56:24 +0100