Nutrition Counseling under utilized in spite of Medicare coverage
There are approximately 15 million people enrolled in Medicare who have diabetes or chronic kidney disease which is eligible for the benefit of personal nutritional counseling.
Medicare pays for the first three hours of dietary counseling during the first year the benefit is used, and two hours in subsequent years.
Only 5% of Medicare beneficiaries receive Medical NutritionTherapy Counseling. Yet, participants who receive counsel from Registered Dietitians have A1c drops of 1-2%.
Kaiser Health News gathered testimonials from people who took advantage of the nutritional counseling referral and people found it help to bring down their blood glucose readings and realize what and what not to eat and portion sizes. One man, Louis Rocco, didn’t realize until seeing a dietitian that eating a lot of bread could be dangerous for him. He said “I’m Italian, and I always eat a lot of bread,” but he could see the difference in his readings after two, hour-long consultations with a dietitian.
The problem may be that not enough physicians know about the Medicare benefit. Doctors have to refer patients to a dietitian. See Kaiser Health News for the full article.
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Metformin Decreases All Cause Mortality
A post-analysis of the SAVOR-TIMI 53 trial and a review of 17 different observational studies showed metformin use is associated with decreased all-cause mortality in people with type 2 diabetes and a high risk of cardiovascular events.
In a previous systematic review of 17 observational studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2017, researchers concluded that metformin use is associated with decreased all-cause mortality in patients with CKD, congestive heart failure, or chronic liver disease with hepatic impairment.
Find out more details about the Harvard Medical School study here.
Want more great medication information? Download our Medication PocketCard for free! We also have this great 8-cards-in-1, laminated, accordion fold PocketCards available with bulk discounts.
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Height May Help Predict Type 2 Diabetes Risk
A recent study, analyzing more than 2,600 German adults, showed an association between height and diabetes risk. Specifically, that tall people may have lower risk for developing Type 2, while shorter people may be at increased risk for developing Type 2.
The study showed that for every 10 cm of greater height, the risk for Type 2 was 41% lower for men and 33% lower for women.
Research found that the association between height and risk for type 2 diabetes was a stronger association in people with normal weight, rather than those experiencing overweight or an elevated BMI above 30.
For men and women with normal weight, every 10 cm of greater height lessened the risk of developing Type 2 by 86% in men and 67% in women.
The study suggested that this association between height and Type 2 diabetes risk may be based on healthier cardiometabolic profiles attributable to height.
For full study details, read more on Healio.
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Free Resource Friday | Medication PocketCards
FREE Updated PocketCards -Download yours today!
Our digital Injectable Meds PocketCard has been updated in the CDCES Coach App and Online to reflect the FDA’s approval of liraglutide (Victoza) for people age 10 and up with type 2 diabetes.
Our physical PocketCards have also been updated! We have reprinted, so you can have the most up-to-date, laminated, accordion-fold PocketCards, which fold down to approximately 4″x6″. Interested in including our PocketCards on your own website as a resource? Our PocketCards are copyright, but we do sell licenses, so you can post our PocketCards on your website for anywhere from 1-3 years!
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Positive Text Messages Improve Diabetes Management
A study in China, examining 502 people from 32 separate clinics, found an association between culturally sensitive text messaging and improved fasting glucose. Participants in the study received usual care and were split into two groups:
The intervention group received six culturally sensitive positive texts throughout the week about blood glucose monitoring, physical activity, dietary advice, and emotional support.
The control group simply received two messages per month thanking them for being part of the study.
The results weren’t surprising. Mobile text messaging offers a cost effective and feasible strategy to enhance diabetes self-management.
The intervention group was more likely to achieve their A1c target than those in the control group (69.3% success, compared to 52.6%). Change in fasting blood glucose was larger in the intervention group (between-group difference: -11 mg/dl or 0.6 mmol/L), but no other outcome differences were observed.
The conclusion of the study was that culturally sensitive positive mobile text messaging may help improve diabetes self-management. You can read the full study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Learn more about psychosocial implications in treating diabetes and how to apply them this December! Nicole Johnson, former Miss America, now National Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), will be a keynote speaker, with her specialty being psychosocial issues, quality of life, and family dynamics.
Nicole will be speaking on “Bringing the Science of Diabetes Home” at the Women Leader’s Conference in Tampa, Florida. See full agenda here.
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Pre-Filled Glucagon Pen Approved by FDA
Xeris Pharmaceuticals new pre-filled glucagon pen, Gvoke, just received FDA’s stamp of approval to treat severely low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
The Gvoke glucagon pen is filled with a liquid stable form of glucagon and is approved for use in people with diabetes, age 2 and above. Xeris will have the pre-filled syringe version available in 4-6 weeks and the auto-injector version available in 2020.
The Xeris glucagon pen was created to simplify glucagon injections. This new Gvoke pen does not require any mixing, since it is filled with liquid stable glucagon.
Availability of a glucagon delivery device is critical to treat severe hypoglycemia and prevent serious consequences of untreated severe hypoglycemia such as cardiovascular events, seizure, coma, or even death.
Read more about the Gvoke Glucagon Pen and auto-injector here .
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Mindful Monday | On Mothering Diabetes: A Poem
Happy Mindful Monday! Below we highlight a beautiful poem by Liezel Graham who has a son living with type 1 diabetes.
In my fridge,
in the shelf that is designed
to hold cheese,
there are vials of hope,
and an emergency kit
in bright orange,
remember, remember
in case you forget
how to breathe,
with pre-filled hormone,
so that when my fingers
fumble with fear
I have a needle
ready
to plunge deep into muscle,
to bring you back
if you should ever slip
too far away
from me.
I keep nocturnal vigils with foxes
and
other moon mothers
who have to keep on keeping on,
until
the
day
breaks
fresh
hope
over
me,
and how tired can a mother
be and still breathe?
I punch a calculator in my head
with every meal,
and
I sing songs of
no, you cannot eat that now
and please,
you must drink this now,
or else…
and in this home we know needles, and
we
know
fear,
and we are the ones with
a yellow sharps container
on our kitchen counter
where
others
have no such things, and
we are intimately familiar
with the fear
that
can
slip
into
a word,
hypo
hyper
ketones
coma
death.
but, I also know this hope that lives in delicate glass vials,
where every drop
holds life
yours,
and also my heart, and
I promise you
that cells might forget
how to keep
you alive,
but I will not forget,
or
give up,
ever.
and
for you,
and for life,
I am grateful.
— on mothering diabetes.
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Free Resource Friday | Top Recommended Diabetes Apps
We are excited to share a list of highly-rated diabetes apps that help build bridges between people living with diabetes and technology. These apps have excellent functionality and user interface drive, according to an extensive review by the technology experts at AADE. Feel free to share these apps with our diabetes community and when you have a minute, take them for a test drive yourself. Each app offers something unique and helpful for different individuals. See what you think!
CDCES® Coach App – FREE for Diabetes Health Care Professionals
Our CDCES Coach App has passed DANA’s (Diabetes Advanced Network Access) most extensive review and received the mWellth certification, including DANA’s stamp of excellence for functionality!
Want to learn more about Diabetes Technology?
Enroll in our Technology Toolkit.
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors, and calculations, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management.
For those who want to feel more comfortable with diabetes technology, Coach Beverly has created a 2-part Technology Toolkit to provide you with critical information on insulin pumps, calculations, and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
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