Inadequate insurance coverage for overweight/obesity management.

OBJECTIVES: To discuss the social, psychological, and access barriers that inhibit weight loss, and to propose steps and initiatives for addressing the growing obesity epidemic. STUDY DESIGN: Narrative review of the obesity epidemic in the US and associated racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. METHODS: An internet search of relevant studies and government reports was conducted. RESULTS: Obesity is a significant health crisis affecting more than 123 million adults and children/adolescents in the US. An estimated 1 in 5 deaths in Black and White individuals aged 40 to 85 years in the US is attributable to obesity. Obesity puts individuals at elevated risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, respiratory ailments, dementia/Alzheimer disease, and other disorders. In the US, significantly more Black (49.9%) and Hispanic (45.6%) individuals are affected by obesity than White (41.4%) and Asian (16.1%) individuals. Health care costs for obesity account for more than $260 billion of annual US health care spending-more than 50% greater in excess annual medical costs per person than individuals with normal weight. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing the obesity epidemic will require a multifaceted approach that focuses on prevention, treatment, and reducing the impact of stigma. Continued advocacy and education efforts are necessary to make progress and improve the health and well-being of individuals affected by obesity.

Long-Term Improvements in Glycemic Control with Dexcom CGM Use in Adults with Noninsulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes.

Aims: The objective of this real-world, observational study was to evaluate change in continuing glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics for 1 year after CGM initiation in adults with noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Data were analyzed from Dexcom G6 and G7 users who self-reported: T2D, ≥18 years, gender, no insulin use, and had a baseline percent time in range (TIR) 70-180 mg/dL of ≤70%. Outcomes were change in CGM metrics from baseline to 6 and 12 months overall and for younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) cohorts. Additional analyses explored the relationship between use of the high alert feature and change in TIR and time in tight range (TITR) 70-140 mg/dL. Results: CGM users (n = 3,840) were mean (SD) 52.5 (11.2) years, 47.9% female, mean TIR was 41.7% (21.4%), and 12.4% of participants were ≥65 years. Significant improvement in all CGM metrics not meeting target values at baseline was observed at 6 months, with continued improvement at 12 months. Mean baseline TIR increased by 17.3% (32.1%) from 41.7% (21.4%) to 59.0% (28.9%), and mean glucose management indicator decreased by 0.5% (1.2%) from 8.1% (0.9%) to 7.6% (1.1%) (both P < 0.001). Participants who maintained or customized the high alert default setting of 250 mg/dL had a greater increase in TIR and TITR compared with participants who disabled the alert. Days of CGM use over 12 months were high in 84.7% (15.9%). Conclusion: In this large, real-world study of adults with suboptimally controlled T2D not using insulin, Dexcom CGM use was associated with meaningful improvements in glycemic control over 12 months. Use of the high alert system feature was positively associated with glycemic outcomes. High use of CGM over 12 months suggests benefits related to consistent CGM use in this population.

Towards the standardisation of adult person-reported outcome domains in diabetes research: A Consensus Statement development panel.

Diabetes is unique among chronic diseases because clinical outcomes are intimately tied to how the person living with diabetes reacts to and implements treatment recommendations. It is further characterised by widespread social stigma, judgement and paternalism. This physical, social and psychological burden collectively influences self-management behaviours. It is widely recognised that the individual's perspective about the impact of trying to manage the disease and the burden that self-management confers must be addressed to achieve optimal health outcomes. Standardised, rigorous assessment of mental and behavioural health status, in interaction with physical health outcomes is crucial to aid understanding of person-reported outcomes (PROs). Whilst tempting to conceptualise PROs as an issue of perceived quality of life (QoL), in fact health-related QoL is multi-dimensional and covers indicators of physical or functional health status, psychological and social well-being. This complexity is illuminated by the large number of person reported outcome measures (PROMs) that have been developed across multiple psychosocial domains. Often measures are used inappropriately or because they have been used in the scientific literature rather than based on methodological or outcome assessment rigour. Given the broad nature of psychosocial functioning/mental health, it is important to broadly define PROs that are evaluated in the context of therapeutic interventions, real-life and observational studies. This report summarises the central themes and lessons derived in the assessment and use of PROMs amongst adults with diabetes. Effective assessment of PROMs routinely in clinical research is crucial to understanding the true impact of any intervention. Selecting appropriate measures, relevant to the specific factors of PROs important in the research study will provide valuable data alongside physical health data.

The Current and Future Role of Insulin Therapy in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review.

Early initiation of intensive insulin therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling glycemia and possibly preserving beta-cell function. Innovations in insulin formulations and delivery systems continue. However, we have seen an acceleration in the development of new classes of diabetes medications for individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity, such as, for example, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). These formulations have been shown to confer significant benefits in achieving good glycemic control with reduced hypoglycemia risk, weight loss, and cardiorenal protection. Therefore, it is reasonable to question whether there is still a role for insulin therapy in the management of type 2 diabetes. However, there are clear limitations inherent to GLP-1 RA therapy, including high rates of suboptimal adherence and treatment discontinuation due to high cost and side effects, which diminish long-term efficacy, and supply issues. In addition, newer formulations have shown improvements in convenience and tolerability, and have been shown to be even more effective when used in conjunction with basal insulin. In this narrative review, we discuss current evidence that supports GLP-1 RA use in combination with insulin therapy and the potential pitfalls of reliance on GLP-1 RAs as a substitute for insulin therapy.

Disparities in prevalence and treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases - Recommendations from the taskforce of the guideline workshop.

There is a mounting clinical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic burden worldwide as the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to rise. Despite the introduction of therapeutic interventions with demonstrated efficacy to prevent the development or progression of these common chronic diseases, many individuals have limited access to these innovations due to their race/ethnicity, and/or socioeconomic status (SES). However, practical guidance to providers and healthcare systems for addressing these disparities is often lacking. In this article, we review the prevalence and impact of healthcare disparities derived from the above-mentioned chronic conditions and present broad-based recommendations for improving access to quality care and health outcomes within the most vulnerable populations.

Comparison of Control-IQ and open-source AndroidAPS automated insulin delivery systems in adults with type 1 diabetes: The CODIAC study.

AIM: To compare open-source AndroidAPS (AAPS) and commercially available Control-IQ (CIQ) automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in a prospective, open-label, single-arm clinical trial. METHODS: Adults with type 1 diabetes who had been using AAPS by their own decision entered the first 3-month AAPS phase then were switched to CIQ for 3 months. The results of this treatment were compared with those after the 3-month AAPS phase. The primary endpoint was the change in time in range (% TIR; 70-80 mg/dL). RESULTS: Twenty-five people with diabetes (mean age 34.32 ± 11.07 years; HbA1c 6.4% ± 3%) participated in this study. CIQ was comparable with AAPS in achieving TIR (85.72% ± 7.64% vs. 84.24% ± 8.46%; P = .12). Similarly, there were no differences in percentage time above range (> 180 and > 250 mg/dL), mean sensor glucose (130.3 ± 13.9 vs. 128.3 ± 16.9 mg/dL; P = .21) or HbA1c (6.3% ± 2.1% vs. 6.4% ± 3.1%; P = .59). Percentage time below range (< 70 and < 54 mg/dL) was significantly lower using CIQ than AAPS. Even although participants were mostly satisfied with CIQ (63.6% mostly agreed, 9.1% strongly agreed), they did not plan to switch to CIQ. CONCLUSIONS: The CODIAC study is the first prospective study investigating the switch between open-source and commercially available AID systems. CIQ and AAPS were comparable in achieving TIR. However, hypoglycaemia was significantly lower with CIQ.