Diabetes

Recent advances in insulin formulations and innovative drug classes have made it easier than ever to manage diabetic patients’ glucose levels, according to Yehuda Handelsman, MD, FACP, FACE, FNLA, medical director and principal investigator at the Metabolic Institute of America.

This week, the top managed care stories included Republicans releasing an outline for replacing the Affordable Care Act, pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical companies pointing fingers over drug costs, and findings on engagement for patients with chronic conditions.

Patients treated by primary care providers with a high volume of patients experienced worse management of their disease. However, if a physician specifically treated a higher number of diabetics, the quality of the diabetes care received by patients was significantly higher.

The results are important given the concentration of Medicare beneficiaries who are in Medicaid and being treated for multiple chronic conditions.

The study adds to the growing body of evidence linking heart disease and diabetes to dementia.

As health plans ramp up efforts to “coach” patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases, a study in The American Journal of Managed Care® finds that customizing these efforts to patients’ knowledge and needs reduces hospital visits and improves some health measures.

The results from the United Kingdom support CMS' decision to add a payment code for collaborative care to this year's Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

The results follow a separate report that outlined the reasons why low-income workers don't seek preventive care, and what can be done.

The announcements come as Medicare is set to start reimbursing the Diabetes Prevention Program on January 1, 2018.

This small study found sustained weight loss of 10% of body weight in patients who were overweight but not obese, along with improvements in glycemic control and quality of life that exceeded patients taking medication only.

A study in Diabetes Care examined the effects of high-deductible health plans on healthcare utilization for diabetes patients with varying incomes.

This week, the top managed care stories included the end of 2 insurance megamergers, a proposed rule to tighten restrictions for the Affordable Care Act, and new legislation in New Jersey provides the nation's strictest mandates for treating addiction.

Researchers examined how genetic variants linked to type 2 diabetes behave in their environment, and the results pointed to a molecule that affects how pancreatic islet cells "read" the genes.

An author in JAMA points out some caveats to a ground-breaking trial.

Hypoglycemia after basal insulin initiation is associated with high clinical and economic burden that precedes insulin initiation and persists during 1 to 2 years of follow-up.

So far, the adverse events have been reported for the 2 fluid-filled designs, not for an air-filed design later approved.

Results show how the hybrid closed loop system reduced glycemic variability, which leads to fewer long-term complications from type 1 disease.

An analysis of 1.7 million men and women found that low socioeconomic status is linked to a reduction in life expectancy of 2.1 years between the ages of 40 and 85.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

Attorneys for Sanofi, a sponsor of Praluent, said the public interest in having more than one drug available in the PCSK9 class would be an important part of their claim.

A study assessed the effectiveness of a support intervention delivered by community health workers in the homes of low-income diabetics and found that it may have improved outcomes for those with poor glycemic control.

Patients with diabetes who participate in a pay-for-performance program had higher continuity of care index (COCI) scores, and those with high COCI scores had higher survival rates.

This week, the top managed care stories included final enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act for 2017, a report that revealed low rates of lung cancer screening, and a study found that a population-based weight management strategies can prevent diabetes.

Toxic air has long been suspected as a contributor to diabetes and obesity, but this study is the first to find a direct link.

Two case studies presented by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic raise new questions about the link between weight and diabetes.

The trials now recruiting involve larger groups of patients for longer periods of time, as well as less restrictive settings.

In the latest Managed Care Cast, Mandi Bishop, MA, CEO of Aloha Health, interviews Christopher A. Snider, a patient community advocate for Symplur, creator of patient community site My Disease Secret, host of the Just Talking podcast, and social media strategist for Smart Patients.

A recent study indicated that strategies to promote weight loss or maintenance across an entire population could be more effective in preventing type 2 diabetes than programs specifically targeting obese people at high risk of developing the disease.

A recent study in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care indicates that the prevalence of diabetes is higher among individuals infected with HIV than in the general population.

Significant reductions in A1C were found at both doses, and bigger declines were seen among patients with the worst glycemic control. The cardiovascular outcomes trial for the SGLT2 inhibitor took a different turn after a rival drug showed a CV benefit.