Feature ArticlesStandards of medical care in diabetes: focus on updated recommendations in hospitalized patientsAlthough the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in hospitalized patients remains unknown, an estimated one-fourth of inpatients experience hyperglycemia. |  | |
Feature ArticlesMedication underdosing, underprescribing and polypharmacyMedication underdosing and underprescribing are often overlooked and can result in poor patient outcomes. |  | |
Feature ArticlesUnderdosing in obesity--an epidemic: Focus on anticoagulationObesity is a growing problem in the United States. Currently, 68% of adult Americans are overweight. Of those, 35% are obese and 6% are morbidly obese. |  | |
| Focus On... |
Although the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in hospitalized patients remains unknown, an estimated one-fourth of inpatients experience hyperglycemia.1 Hyperglycemia is linked to poor health outcomes, and there is evidence that intensive glucose control in the hospital reduces mortality, need for dialysis, infections, and length of stay.2 The American Diabetes Association (ADA) publishes clinical practice guidelines annually, which offer clinicians, patients, researchers, and payers current, evidence-based recommendations on all components of diabetes care, general treatment goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care. The updated guidelines focus on changes in the recommendations for care of the hospitalized diabetes patient.  |
| CLINICAL NEWS |
FDA is investigating 2 unexplained deaths in patients who received an intramuscular injection of the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate), according to an FDA Drug Safety Communication. Older adults with diabetes mellitus may be at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia following a hypoglycemic event, according to a study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine on June 10th. Total spending on medicines declined by 3.5 percent, according to the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics report, Declining Medicine Use and Costs: For Better or Worse?” report. In addition, nominal pharmaceutical spending reached $325 billion in 2012, or real per capita spending of $898, a decline of one percent. Older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular events with newly prescribed long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) and long-acting anticholinergics (LAAs) and need to be followed closely by their healthcare providers, according to a study published online May 20 for JAMA Internal Medicine. Women taking fourth-generation oral contraceptives, which use a progestin that is antiandrogenic, are at increased heart risk. The drugs significantly lengthen the corrected QT (QTc) by 3.6 milliseconds, according to a recent study in the Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology.  |
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