International Diabetes Federation 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns ( http://www.closeconcerns.com ), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.     

American Association of Diabetes Educators 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns ( http://www.closeconcerns.com ), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.     

European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns ( http://www.closeconcerns.com ), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.     

Practical Ways to Achieve Targets in Diabetes Care 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns ( http://www.closeconcerns.com ), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.     

Survey of Diabetes Care in Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndromes in Canada

Diabetes (DM) adversely affects prognosis in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Guidelines promote optimal glycemic management. Cardiac care often occurs in subspecialty units where DM care might not be a primary focus. A questionnaire was circulated to 1183 cardiologists (CARDs), endocrinologists (ENDOs), and internists between February and May 2012 to determine current practices of DM management in patients presenting with ACS. The response rate was 14%. ENDOs differed in perception of DM frequency compared with CARDs and the availability of ENDO consultation within 24 hours and on routinely-ordered tests. Disparity also existed in who was believed to be primarily responsible for in-hospital DM care in ACS: ENDOs perceived they managed glycemia more often than CARDs believed they did. CARDs indicated they most often managed DM after discharge and ENDOs said this occurred much less. However, CARDs reported ENDOs were the best health care professional to follow patients after discharge. ENDOs had higher comfort initiating and titrating oral hypoglycemic agents or various insulin regimens. There was also no difference in these specialists' perceptions that optimizing glucose levels during the acute phase and in the long-term improves cardiovascular outcomes. Significant differences exist in the perception of the magnitude of the problem, acute and longer-term process of care, and comfort initiating new therapies. Nevertheless, all practitioners agree that optimal DM care affects short- and long-term outcomes of patients. Better systems of care are required to optimally manage ACS patients with DM during admission and after discharge from cardiology services.     

Economic Value of Improved Accuracy for Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Devices for Type 1 Diabetes in Canada

Objective:

The objective was to simulate and compare clinical and economic outcomes of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) devices along error ranges and strip price.

Methods:

We programmed a type 1 diabetes natural history and treatment cost-effectiveness model. In phase 1, using past evidence from in silico modeling validated by the Food and Drug Administration, we associated changes in SMBG error to changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and separately, changes in severe hypoglycemia requiring an inpatient stay. In phase 2, using Markov cohort simulation modeling, we estimated clinical and economic outcomes from the Canadian payer perspective. The primary comparison was a SMBG device with strip price $0.73 Canadian dollars (CAD) and 10% error (exceeding accuracy requirements by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15197:2013) versus a SMBG device with strip price $0.60 CAD and 15% error (accuracy meeting ISO 15197:2013). Outcomes for the average patient, were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and budget impact.

Results:

Assuming benefits translate into HbA1c improvements only, the ICER with 10% error versus 15% was $11 500 CAD per QALY. Assuming the benefits translate into reduced severe hypoglycemia requiring an inpatient stay only, an SMBG device with 10% error dominated (ie, less costly, more effective) an SMBG device with 15% error. The 3-year budget impact findings ranged from $0.004 CAD per member per month for HbA1c improvements to cost-savings for severe hypoglycemia reductions.

Conclusions:

From efficiency (cost-effectiveness) and affordability (budget impact) payer perspectives, investing in devices with improved accuracy (less error) appears to be an efficient and affordable strategy.     

The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association vs Hypertension Canada High Blood Pressure Guidelines and Potential Implications

In this report we examine the differences between the 2017 Hypertension Canada and 2017 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) blood pressure (BP) guidelines regarding the proportions of individuals with a diagnosis of hypertension, BP above thresholds for treatment initiation, and BP below targets using the CARTaGENE cohort. Compared with the 2017 Canadian guidelines, the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines would result in increases of 8.7% in hypertension diagnosis and 3.4% of individuals needing treatment, with 17.2% having a different BP target. In conclusion, implementing the 2017 ACC/AHA hypertension guidelines in Canada could result in major effects for millions of Canadians.     

Diabetes in Montana's Indians: The epidemiology of diabetes in the Indians of the northern plains and Canada

The prevalence of diabetes is two- to threefold higher in American Indians in Montana compared with the non-Indian population. High rates of diabetes have also been described in Canadian aboriginal populations closely related to the tribes in Montana. Diabetes in pregnancy has increased among Indian mothers and high-birth-weight babies are increasingly likely to be born to Indian mothers with diabetes in pregnancy. Over 70% of the incident cases of diabetes in youth less than 20 years of age on the reservations have the clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease mortality rates are high among Indians in Montana, and the prevalence of smoking in the Indian populations of Montana and the neighboring tribes in Canada is remarkably high. Indians in Montana are more likely than non-Indians of similar age to believe that diabetes is preventable and to recall advice about diabetes risk.