For years, we have pretty much put every patient with diabetes on a statin. In fact, HEDIS guidelines mandate that Medicare patients have to be on a statin in order for a plan to get a 5-star rating. But we all know the potential dangers that we expose patients to …

Received a phone call from someone I know. Has not yet come in for a visit. Just called to see if she qualified to come in for a visit. Woman, 68 years of age, denies history of diabetes, hypertension or other health problems, except being overweight. She stated, “Last year my weight was up. I went on a diet because my triglycerides were high, in the 600’s, but they came down to 140’s when I lost 30 pounds last year. I think I gained back about 10 pounds so that would be about 155 pounds now.” I asked her if she’s weighed herself. She said, no, not since I got off the program, but when I was on the program, I weighed daily. You know, I had holidays, travel, I was with a group, paid for the food, so ate what they all ate, then I just couldn’t get back on track.”

In Part 2 of this Exclusive Interview, Dr. Osama Hamdy talks with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed during the AACE 2017 convention in Austin, Texas about ways to work within cultural traditions to improve nutrition and eating habits thus affecting diabetes management.

In this week's Homerun Slides, an explanation of some important diabetes trials such as EPPIC, SUN, BEACON, etc.

Nicotinic acid (niacin) has been used for more than 50 years to lower LDL-C and TGs, and increase the level of HDL-C. Indeed, niacin is the most potent HDL-C-raising pharmacologic agent available. Of note, we still, at this late time in the life of niacin, do not have definitive evidence regarding its mechanism(s) at the molecular level.