Editor’s Note - July 2014
Diabetes affects 25.8 million children and adults in the United States and contributes to over 230,000 American deaths each year.1 If trends continue, 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes by 2050.1
In economic terms, the American Diabetes Association puts a $245 billion yearly price tag on the cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.1
At the American Diabetes Association’s 74th Scientific Sessions (June 13-17, 2014, San Francisco) this past month, researchers discussed the importance of all-encompassing diabetes care—from clinical research in laboratories to practical patient treatment to family education. New data from this year’s gathering has linked diabetes and depression, examined metabolites interaction to control glucose and nutrient breakdown, and traced the roots of obesity.
Consultant360 recently covered the ADA meeting with several news briefs:
• ADA reevaluates glycemic goals for type 1 diabetes. For all children 19 years or younger who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the new target HbA1c level is <7.5%.2
• Cardiovascular risk and glycemic control studied in DDPOS study. In a long-term study to evaluate the diabetes risk reduction found in the Diabetes Prevention Program, researchers found that all 3 groups (ie, placebo, metformin, and lifestyle) maintained good glycemic control and improved cardiovascular risk factors in all patients.3
• Pros vs cons of new statin guidelines. Panelists debated the 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines, which recommended the treatment of lipids and use of statins for millions of more adults. There was a consensus that moving beyond the use of LDL cholesterol to initiate therapy is a good change as it allows for the treatment of people according to risk profiles, but in the end, physicians need to make individual choices based on each patient.4
Sincerely,
Pooja Shah
Managing Editor, Consultant and Consultant360
References:
1.American Diabetes Association. Fast facts: data and statistics about diabetes. March 2013. http://professional.diabetes.org/admin/UserFiles/0%20-%20Sean/FastFacts%20March%202013.pdf. Accessed June 30, 2014.
2.Casey T. ADA reevaluates glycemic goals for type 1 diabetes. Consultant360. June 17, 2014. www.consultant360.com/exclusives/ada-reevaluates-glycemic-goals-type-1-diabetes. Accessed June 30, 2014.
3.Casey T. ADA: CV risk and glycemic control improved in DDPOS study. Consultant360. June 16, 2014. www.consultant360.com/exclusives/ada-cv-risk-and-glycemic-control-improved-ddpos-study. Accessed June 30, 2014.
4.Casey T. Panelists discuss pros/cons of new statin guidelines. Consultant360. June 14, 2014. www.consultant360.com/exclusives/panelists-discuss-proscons-new-statin-guidelines. Accessed June 30, 2014.