Medicare finalizes substantial improvements that focus on primary care, mental health, and diabetes prevention
Today, the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2017 Physician Fee Schedule final rule that recognizes the importance of primary care by improving payment for chronic care management and behavioral health. The rule also finalizes many of the policies to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program model test to eligible Medicare beneficiaries, the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) expanded model, starting January 1, 2018. (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - April 4, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

New tool reveals insights into maturation of red blood cells
Using detailed genetic data along with a recently developed analytical tool called “population balance analysis” (PBA), investigators have developed models capable of predicting the mature blood cell type of early stage (progenitor) blood cells.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

From body to brain and back again —how the hormone leptin utilizes brain cell circuits to regulate appetite, calorie burning, and glucose levels
Scientists have used a new genetic tool in mice to map out the cellular brain circuits used by the hormone leptin to control energy balance (calories consumed versus calories burned) and blood glucose (sugar) levels.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Diabetes drug alters vitamin D levels, possibly explaining increased bone fracture risk
Scientists found that the diabetes drug canagliflozin reduces vitamin D levels and calcium uptake, which may explain why this drug can increase the risk of bone fractures.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Primarily home-based cognitive behavior therapy as effective as standard therapy for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
New research has shown that a mainly home-based behavior therapy regimen to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is just as effective as a similar, more expensive, strictly clinic-based therapy, and is more effective than an education-only approach.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Finding a new home —how good (and bad) bacteria colonize the gut
Three studies have revealed details of what happens when a community of bacteria inhabiting the gut is disrupted and then rebuilt by a change in diet or by adding bacteria from a healthy donor, providing valuable insights that could help with the design of microbe-based therapies for the treatment of gastrointestinal infections and other digestive diseases. (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Kidney protein could expand the window for developmental nephron production
A study in mice showed that a partial reduction of the protein hamartin in the developing kidney leads to larger numbers of nephrons —the basic functional unit of the kidney.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Understanding calorie burning in early pregnancy —moving toward improving health for mothers and children
New research is shedding light on calorie consumption and calorie burning in early pregnancy in women with obesity, which could inform strategies to promote healthy gestational weight gain and reduce racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Zebrafish employ cellular shield to protect blood stem cells from damaging ultraviolet light
While studying the blood stem cells that reside in the kidney of the zebrafish embryo, researchers observed that cells called melanocytes were positioned above the stem cells in an umbrella pattern, and subsequently showed this umbrella served as a shield protecting stem cells from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Studies show difficulty in treating type 2 diabetes in youth and highlight unique aspects of the disease in young people
New research reveals that the only two medications approved for pediatric type 2 diabetes do not prevent rapid progression of prediabetes or recent onset type 2 diabetes in young people with the disease; however, analyses comparing metabolic tests of adults in a companion study and the youth study participants are helping scientists understand how the disease differs with age, which may one day lead to better treatment approaches. (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Preserving insulin production in people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes
Researchers have discovered that treatment with a medicine that suppresses the immune system, called anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), preserved insulin production and improved blood glucose (sugar) control for at least a year in people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, as compared to placebo (no medicine).  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Treatment for common urinary ailment no longer carved in stone
Newly published results from a large clinical trial indicate that a drug frequently used in the emergency room to treat people with urinary stone disease has no benefit if the stones are below a certain size.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Story of discovery: newborn screening for lysosomal storage diseases
Newborn screening for lysosomal storage diseases (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 22, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

From body to brain and back again —how the hormone leptin utilizes brain cell circuits to regulate appetite, calorie burning, and glucose levels
Scientists have used a new genetic tool in mice to map out the cellular brain circuits used by the hormone leptin to control energy balance (calories consumed versus calories burned) and blood glucose (sugar) levels.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 18, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news

Diabetes drug alters vitamin D levels, possibly explaining increased bone fracture risk
Scientists found that the diabetes drug canagliflozin reduces vitamin D levels and calcium uptake, which may explain why this drug can increase the risk of bone fractures.  (Source: NIDDK News)
Source: NIDDK News - March 18, 2019 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news