Letter From The Editor

We all are familiar with the effects of GLP-1 analogs and DPP-4 inhibitors, and we make choices for our patients based on the different benefits and risks of each type of drug. This week’s set of Homerun Slides, Incretins, Part 5 of 6, brings to light why there are actions …

This week the Medical Group Management Association released a survey showing that it will be harder and harder for you to make time for Medicare patients. Over the past nine years Congress has block fee reductions totaling over 20% and now it appears that they will make some permanent changes …

Each week we bring you information about drugs, techniques, studies and education for your patients and we often find that there are certain things we could learn more about. We had our staff do a survey of recent information requests and found that there were a lot of you who …

We often diagnose a patient with diabetes, give them a meter and a prescription and send them on their way. Some of us refer for education or even have an educator in our office but our patients fail no matter what we try. We have learned that there is a …

How many of you can say you practice what you preach when it comes to food and exercise? How about your office staff, can you say that most of them exemplify the ideals that you promote to patients? Do you think that we have accepted unhealthy food choices, lack of …

Whenever we discuss GLP-1 and how it works, the discussion usually goes to the currently available analogs, Byetta or Victoza. We all know that DPP-4 inhibitors have an effect on GLP-1 but what is that effect, and how does it affect glucose control? This week’s Homerun Slides, Incretins, Part 3 …

Steve and I have always looked to the experts when it comes to diabetes care and sometimes the items we have for you are based on results in “ideal world” situations. However, few of our patients operate in a perfect world, and now there is a new diagnostic instrument based …

Last week, during a class I was leading, there was a lot of “they-saying” going on. Every time I tried to explain a food choice, physical activity or supplement suggestion, someone in the class would tell me that another person or medical professional had told them to do the opposite. …

This week we have another article about the value of diabetes education and self management training (See this week’s Item #2, Behavioral and Educational Interventions Effective for Patients with Poorly Controlled Diabetes). This makes over 30 in the past year and apparently our elected officials are taking notice. There is …

What do you do for your patients who come to you with questions about using herbal products to treat or “cure” diabetes? Our Clinical Case Study on the Internet and Herbal Treatments this week discusses the self-referral to a diabetes educator for advice and what happened. This week’s Disaster Averted …