Latest Conference Articles

Todd Brusko, PhD, of the Todd M. Brusko Laboratory at the University of Florida College of Medicine, discussed how knowledge of regulatory T-cells has grown and improved, and noted that research has now entered a phase of harnessing the potential of our immune system through specific cell populations to combat root causes of type 1 diabetes (T1DM).

Allan Geliebter, PhD, the senior research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and a professor of psychology at Touro College explains the roles of various hormones in appetite stimulation and suppression, and discusses how functional MRI of the brain may demonstrate a relationship between bariatric surgery in obese patients, neurological response, and hormone regulation.

Bernard Zinman, MD, the director of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes and the Sam and Judy Pencer Family Chair in Diabetes Research at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto in Canada, discusses the new therapies, SGLT-2 inhibitors, that are now approved in the United States and European Union. These drug therapies have shown clinical benefits in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and may also improve cardiovascular outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes

Jaakko Tuomilehto, MD, PhD, a professor of public health at the University of Helsinki in Finland provides global epidemiological data for T1DM and discusses the World Health Organization's Diabetes Mondiale (DiaMond) study. He compares the rates of incidences of T1DM among well-developed, high-income countries to low- and middle-income nations and takes note of the epidemiological trends.

In light of ongoing healthcare reform in the US, Sheldon Greenfield, MD, the executive co-director of the Health Policy Research Institute and Donald Bren Professor of Medicine at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine, shared his insights on the role of quality care measures in the management of diabetes, and weighed in on the advantages and disadvantages associated with implementing these tools.

Accounting for what is known about the association between diabetes and low testosterone in men, Rita Basu, MD, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN provides her insights on the role of testosterone supplementation in men with diabetes, and notes how clinical and managed care perspectives are integrated in practice.

Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) have real effects on therapeutic approaches for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Dr. Gilmer discusses how studies like the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) and the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) have affected how researchers and scientists evaluate the benefits of new treatments.

Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences discusses the relationship between diabetes and low testosterone in men, and also notes the significance of accounting for BMI and obesity.

Dr Andrew J. Palmer describes the costs of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the United States and worldwide. He also explains the importance of choosing treatments that are cost-effective and cost-saving for patients.

Jaakko Tuomilehto, MD, PhD, a professor of public het the University of Helsinki in Finland explains the association between a country's socioeconomic status and its epidemiology of type 1 diabetes (T1DM), shedding light on the various circumstances and factors that may contribute to the differences we see among other nations.

In this session, Daniel Picchietti, MD, discussed changes to the diagnostic guidelines for restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease published jointly by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group and the National Institutes of Health.

In this session, Stephany Fulda, PhD, discussed the common causes of restless leg syndrome (RLS), considerations for the clinical application of treatment strategies for RLS, and changes to treatment guidelines for RLS that may be on the horizon.

Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial condition that requires optimization of glycemic control as well as cardiovascular care. This presentation highlighted key aspects of the 2013 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care to provide guidance on managing insulin therapy and to help clinicians optimize cardiovascular care in adult patients with diabetes.

The US healthcare system is in need of transformation. The United States spends more than any other industrial country on healthcare, yet regardless of demographics, life expectancy is shorter and the US population is less healthy compared with populations in other countries. Collaborative efforts and a focus on the Triple Aim will be key in improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare.

The PILL Service is a care transition program designed to support older adults with cognitive impairment and help them maintain independent function. This program, which has resulted in improved clinical and economic outcomes, is characterized by a team effort focusing on proactive medication review and patient-centered medication reconciliation.

Safe use of prescription drugs continues to be a key topic for discussion and education. As part of the 2013 Medication Safety Collaborative, this presentation provided a federal-, state-, and local-level overview of ways healthcare providers (physicians, prescribers, nurses, pharmacists) and individuals can take part in contributing to solutions.

Judy Murphy, RN, the deputy national coordinator for programs and policy in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT in Washington, DC, updated participants regarding the efforts under way under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to promote improvement in the quality of healthcare through health information technology.

Increasing numbers of patients are using the emergency department (ED) for acute healthcare needs. Infectious diseases such as urinary tract infections and skin and soft tissue infections (cellulitis) rank among the top diagnoses made in the ED. While empiric treatment of these infections is common, it is critical that results and susceptibilities are reviewed to ensure appropriate therapy. Pharmacists are in a unique position to lend expertise in this area to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions.

Dr Thomas Roth, PhD, presented on the evolution of our understanding of insomnia, and the importance of insomnia in the context of other disease states. Roth noted that insomnia is primarily a disorder of increased wakefulness from a pathophysiologic standpoint, and presented data to support this. Presenting the effect of improved sleep on diseases such as depression, worker productivity, and cardiovascular disease, Roth revealed rich prospects for the future of sleep medicine in treating a variety of disorders.

In this video, Phyllis Zee, MD, Associate Director, Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology, discusses the relationship between circadian disruption and metabolic disease.

In this video, Denise Sharon, MD, PhD, Clinical Director and Founding Partner, Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Center of the Gulf Coast, discusses how insurers have responded to the availability of therapies and changes in clinical practice guidelines for RLS.

In a session on the neurobiology of sleep loss in humans, Andrea Spaeth, Daniel Aeschbach, PhD, and Clare Anderson, PhD, presented findings about the effects of sleep deprivation on various biological measures in humans.

In this video, James Horne, PhD, Director, Sleep Research Centre, provides his opinion on the relationship between lack of sleep and obesity.

In this presentation, Dr. Van Dongen discussed the pharmacology of various treatments for sleep disturbance associated with shift work. Dr. Van Dongen discussed the issues associated with use of medications to improve the alertness of sleepy workers.

In this video, Jennifer Martin, PhD, Assistant Professor, UCLA, David School of Medicine, discusses how the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia among patients with dementia compare with current pharmacologic strategies.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) provides important information to aid clinicians in the diagnosis of epilepsy. However, EEG techniques are associated with certain limitations, as discussed in the presentation by Bradley V. Vaughn, MD.

Daniel George, MD, Director, Prostate Clinic, Genitourinary Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, specifically discusses the immunotherapy agent, sipuleucel-T (Provenge) used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, National Medical Director for Oncology Strategies, Aetna, says that the rapid emergence of precision medicine was one of the more interesting topics discussed at the ASCO 2013 Annual Meeting.

Ongoing shortages of common oncology chemotherapies have compelled physicians to substitute more expensive drugs, delay or suspend clinical trials, or even skip doses of chemotherapy, according to survey results gathered by a team from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, National Medical Director for Oncology Strategies, Aetna, discusses the financial challenges associated with the combination of newer novel agents in breast cancer treatment.