Latest news with #CGM
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
S3 Episode 6: Type 2 Diabetes and Continuous Glucose Monitoring
This transcript has been edited for clarity. For more episodes, download the Medscape app or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast provider. Carol H. Wysham, MD: Welcome to season three of the Medscape Type 2 Diabetes podcast series. Today, we'll discuss continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in practice. First, let me introduce my guest, my dear friend, Dr Grazia Aleppo. Dr Aleppo is a professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. She is also the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Diabetes Training and Education Podcast. Dr Aleppo, welcome to the Medscape InDiscussion Type 2 Diabetes Podcast. Grazia Aleppo, MD: Thank you, Dr Wysham. It's a pleasure to be here with you. Wysham: You have been at the forefront of the use of CGM in patients with diabetes. In the early days, could you even imagine the impact that CGM has made in the care of our patients with diabetes? Aleppo: This might sound so strange to you, but I was a fellow when the first CGM with the cable was introduced to the market. Cupid's arrow struck my heart, and I thought, this is it. This is going to make a humongous difference in people's lives. I had no idea that CGM would become so very useful, user-friendly, and ready to be used without cables. The fact that we could see numbers and trends and make the invisible visible was amazing. I hoped CGM would become better and better. But this really exceeded my expectations. I'm so happy that CGM is going so far in medical care. Wysham: We want to thank you for all the research that you've done to support the use of CGM in our practice. Thank you. So, let's start with the newest recommendations that were outlined in the 2025 ADA Standards of Care for patients with diabetes. Will you review the latest recommendations? Let's start by focusing on the language about patients on insulin. Aleppo: I had the opportunity and the privilege to work on the professional practice committee for the past 3 years. I've seen the development and the changes in the guidelines in the technology section. This last year, we decided that it was time to put together all the insulin users without specifying the type of diabetes they have or whether they are youth or adults. The 7.15 recommendation states that people with diabetes on any type of insulin should use CGM. That is very important because we need to start understanding that CGM isn't going anywhere. Not only that, it's actually expanding. The point is that everybody who uses any type of insulin doesn't have to have multiple belly injections; it can be basal, it can be correction only, and they can and should use a CGM. Wysham: Your last point is really important. Correction-only insulin is common as we pull people off multiple daily injections, and they may be on basal plus a GLP-1 or a GLP-1 alone but still have the insulin for correction. Many people don't think of that population as being appropriate for CGM, and I agree with you. How about changes in the language about using CGM in patients with type 2 diabetes who are not on insulin? Would you review those recommendations? Aleppo: Indeed, I'm very proud of 7.16. It took a while to separate this. I had to dig into the literature to make my case and say there is enough data today to state that CGM is an option. Remember that the recommendation states to consider using CGM, and the recommendation is level B, which is pretty high. Level A grade is the gold standard of randomized controlled trials. Level B is just below it. The reason why we wanted the recommendation was that the data is there. We need to be aware that CGM in people without using any insulin is paramount. It's so important because this patient has never used a glucose meter. They have no idea what their glucose levels are. And here comes the CGM, and they say, oh my gosh, I never thought that this or that could be a response to a meal, stress, sickness, exercise activity. And so that, for me, was a hugely important thing. Now we're hoping, of course, that we could have a recommendation "A." But I also want to mention that these clinical trials better be done soon, because very soon, it won't be fair to do a clinical trial and take people off of CGM. Who would want to do that? Wysham: In my clinical practice, I have a lot of patients who are not on insulin on CGM, and they cannot imagine not having it. They are so in tune with what affects their glucose levels. As you know, patients with type 2 diabetes, not on insulin with no instructions, can improve their glucose control just by what they see on the CGM. Aleppo: More than that, patients in my clinical practice were able to come off of insulin, stay on GLP, and maintain a very high timing range. So I asked a patient, why do you want to stay on CGM? You no longer take insulin. She said, 'Oh, I'm not going to give it away, ever. It really changed my life.' I believe her, because patients really have been able to own their diabetes. It's no longer the doctor, the provider, or the clinical practitioner saying do this or that. The patients are saying it to themselves every day. We see patients twice a year, three times a year. It's not possible to make changes in their motivation with just one meeting. But when they see the immediate feedback in the moment, they can say, I can do this to change and make a better choice for myself. That is huge. Wysham: I agree. I know this isn't in the standards of care, but in your opinion, do you think all patients with gestational diabetes should be on CGM? Aleppo: I think so. I have a strong belief that these patients are at very high risk for everything: macrosomia or the risk of peri labor, but also, when they have delivered, they are at risk for diabetes. Why do we wait for week 28 to give patients this huge amount of sugar, give them a stress test on their beta cells, and then want them to eat nothing without any feedback? It's not possible. We should really try to accomplish what the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes study showed us. The glucose should really be lower. We can't think about these sorts of arbitrary numbers in the oral glucose tolerance test. I'm thinking about the woman with gestational diabetes. This person has so many stressors. They are supposed to have this very strict meal plan without any feedback. That becomes very difficult for them to do, let alone go on insulin. I feel that we should really consider placing gestational diabetes patients on CGM as soon as we can. We'll have better results and better outcomes for the mother and the baby, less macrosomia and fewer complications during labor and delivery, and also knowledge of the person who has the CGM to understand how to manage these very tight glucose levels. It's very hard to achieve. Wysham: I find that CGM helps patients with CGM understand when it is time to start insulin. People accept it more when they actually see it with their own eyes. You are in a university-type setting. Can you describe the patients you see in the clinic who have diabetes? Which patients will you prescribe a CGM or suggest it for your patients? Aleppo: We have a tertiary center, a referral center, but we also see a lot of urban patients because some hospitals closed in Chicago. We have a lot of patients on Medicaid, Medicare, and, of course, commercial insurance. We have a very diverse population with people who don't even speak English. About 99% of our patients with type 1 diabetes are on CGM. For us, that is a given. I don't remember seeing a glucose meter in type 1 diabetes. For type 2 diabetes, we've been very engaged in trying to put a patient on CGM. Mainly because, in Illinois, Medicaid covers CGM for people on insulin. We're trying to maximize the fact that there is coverage. Some patients of mine, even those who don't speak English when they are placed on a CGM, have made such dramatic changes. I have a specific patient that I'm thinking about right now, who told me, 'My family is better, my glucose is fine now; I've changed my meal planning. My wife and I go for walks, and without this tool, I was convinced I couldn't eat any different because of my cultural choices.' So that's one type. Then, I have the patients who start with us with very high A1C. They're placed on CGM because of using insulin. They have never seen their glucose because we have something called the tune-up pathway where we have patients who are with high A1C from primary care coming to us in education for endocrinology, and they've never seen their glucose before, and they don't understand why anyone sees that. And then these patients very often come off of insulin. They go to a GLP, maybe SGLT2, and by the time they see us in the following 6 months, they are not taking any insulin. It becomes a challenge for payers, but we see that they might need PRN, and that's the correction: There's still quote-unquote insulin, but it is not an everyday necessity. They do very well. I have some barriers, and those, of course, are for patients where there is a specific policy in their insurance coverage where they have to be on some insulin. I don't get much resistance from patients except for those who feel that it's not going to be better for them. If they allow me to do a professional CGM, I can prove to them that this is not the case. But I need to work with the patient. And very often, I work with patients over time. Just recently, I had a patient who's been using insulin, a GLP, and an SGLT2, whose A1C is going up. I said you need to go on CGM. I've said this many times. A month ago, he said I need to be on CGM. Can you please write the script? He finally understands that he has no clue why his glucose is fluctuating. He doesn't understand why one day, he wakes up at 220, one day it is 140. And so now, it's going to be so much easier for him to be on CGM. And he actually asked. So, you need to work with the patient. Be patient with your patients, because you need to guide them. They might not know what this is. Sometimes, they come to you and say, 'I want the thing on my arm.' And they come to you with this statement, and you say, sure, no problem. You work with every individual where they're at. Wysham: There are many patients in my practice in whom it took 2 years, 3 years before they would actually agree to go on CGM. One of them came and said, 'This is so helpful. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner.' So I agree. You do have to present the data and the benefits. The professional CGM, which I'd like to get to in a minute, is sometimes really helpful, as you pointed out. Can you explain how and when you use professional CGM in your practice? Aleppo: Right now, because we have so many patients on personal CGM, we use professional CGM when the patient goes for diabetes education. It's a great opportunity. They come to us; we have no idea where the glucose levels are, and there is an expectation to fix them. What am I going to do? I don't have any data. So our educators put the patients on professional CGM themselves, they interpret the data, I look at them, and come up with a plan, and we have a place to start; otherwise, we wouldn't know what to do with them. I try to do them, unblinded as much as I can, with the caveat that sometimes some people shouldn't see their glucose because they're going to get so upset and they're going to feel bad about themselves. In those situations, when I know the patient is going to be really upset where they feel guilty about their diabetes, I would use it blinded, but it's the minority. And then the instructions are don't freak out. Don't be worried. Just look at the numbers for the first few days. And then change a few things. Take notes. When you come back in 10 days, we'll discuss what you've changed. And we can see on the screen the results of your choices. And so that's how I use it. But I use it less than before because of our desire to expand CGM to as many people as possible. Wysham: I think that's appropriate. I have a patient who had a professional CGM, and I tried to convince him just to do his normal things for a few days. He did it for one day. He changed everything in his diet, and his A1C went from 9% to the estimated A1C on the CGM of 6.9%. It was in 2 weeks. We can't see the A1C change in that time, but it was really dramatic. What are some practical tips for using professional CGM in practice? It is helpful. It's well reimbursed by almost everyone. Is there a specific brand of CGM you use? Do you know how the whole ordering process happens? The medical assistants (MA) can put it on in the office. You don't need to be an educator to actually start the process. Aleppo: That's right. We also talk about this with our colleagues in primary care and we say you need to have a champion in your practice. Anybody can place a CGM. Because of the choices of having the ability to do blinded and unblinded, I've been using the G6 Pro. We order them, and we always have them on hand. We order a bunch at a time, and then we make sure we use them all out before they expire, of course. That's what we've chosen to do for the ability to do both blinded and unblinded, because sometimes you want to have the patient see numbers so they can get the knowledge and say, 'Okay, it's what was missing before.' It helps to overcome the resistance when they say, I don't need education, I don't need this, I know better when they, in fact, actually need a lot of help. I would suggest for primary care or any other practice that doesn't have an educator, have an MA understand how to put it on, help the patient to put the app on, and it will be so simple. When the patient comes back, you can bill for that. It's all a billable service. And you get so much more information from your patient. You don't waste 3-6 months just wondering what is happening. You know what's going on, and you can implement a plan. When it comes to patients with diabetes, I always feel I am behind because they come to us already with high A1C, high glucose for a while. I already think of them as at risk. So, I'm always in a hurry to help them out, because I want to try to stop the continuation of the glucose toxicity and the insult to the body that can cause complications later on. To me, it's like the sooner we get there, the better. Therefore, if somebody comes to you with a high number, a high A1C, you need to know what to do. It might be postprandial hyperglycemia, it might be fasting, it might be both. Without that knowledge, you might put a patient on a very high dose of long-acting and get nowhere because their meal time is not covered. So that's where it helps the provider in any setting, any location — whether private, public, primary care, or endo — to get a plan for the patient fast. Wysham: I want to get back to something that you referred to earlier, and that is the state coverage that you have for CGM for patients on insulin. That is a state-by-state regulation, and it behooves all of us to address the people making the decisions on our state Medicaid plans for coverage. People want to hear our voices, and we need to speak for our patients to make sure we can get those. Aleppo: It was a long process, but it was worth it. We really were so dedicated and motivated. We spent a lot of our own free time, but now they can get CGM in primary care on any insulin, and so that is a huge advantage. Our state has been very good at understanding CGM. Wysham: You're very lucky. Now, I want to get to a controversial topic. Do you think CGM could replace traditional testing for diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes? Aleppo: Oh boy, that is such a hot topic. You can have somebody with pre-diabetes and see their progress to diabetes. I do know that you need to get a plasma glucose because sometimes CGM might over-read or under-read. I understand that. But I also feel that people with prediabetes are so lost. They have nothing, only metformin and lifestyle changes, and nowhere to say, my goodness, my glucose is going so high after eating a meal. I think that this should be considered. And if I may say, the over-the-counter biosensors are very helpful for that. They really show you those fluctuations that people without diabetes or prediabetes do not know they have. Is it time to substitute? I would try to remove the A1C if I could for management because it's not helpful. For diagnosis right now, I think 6.5% is too high. We need to do this earlier because 6.5% can have glucose in the 200, 230, and so it depends. It's not just a number. It's the progression of the day, the time they spent between 70-140 rather than 70-180. A very good paper from Nicole Spartano was just published recently. It was like a normative for how much time people spend in glucose level. People without diabetes spend about 3 hours a day over 140. People with prediabetes spend 5 hours a day over 140. That's almost double. And then people with diabetes go to 13 hours. So between 5 and 13 there are a lot of hours you spend above target. So why not try to do this earlier and keep people healthier sooner? Wysham: The information that a person with prediabetes can get is really important even if they wear the unblinded professional for 2 weeks and just start looking at the different aspects of their diet. You can do that periodically throughout the time. Sensors are really helpful for pre-diabetes, but again, getting payment is one thing. Are there any other points that are important for our audience to hear about your use of CGM or your views of CGM in practice? Aleppo: I would like to say that we need to stop comparing CGM to blood glucose monitoring (BGM). They have nothing to do with each other. We should forget that in people with type 2 diabetes, not on insulin, BGM didn't work. Of course, it didn't work. It didn't tell us or the patient anything. CGM is a new frontier, well, not so new. It's 25 years old. So we need to accept that it is really the best way to address glucose management to a patient with type 2 diabetes, especially when they're early in the disease, they can actually go and maybe go into remission. Why do we have to wait until they need insulin? Why are we wasting 5 years of their lives and putting them at risk for complications sooner than just saying, get this done now? We would never think this way about cancer. We need to understand diabetes is a serious disease. The sooner we make our patients healthy, the better their lives will be. Wysham: That is a really important concept. You talked about comparing BGM to CGM, and I always tell patients the accuracy of BGM is very close to that of CGM. There are some specifics where it's maybe a little bit more accurate. However, when people do it in real practice, they have more chance to screw up the results on a BGM by not having the appropriate preparation of their fingers than the CGM. And so I do the same thing. I say just except for low blood sugars or really unexpected highs, just don't even check. It's too confusing. Aleppo: Yes, and just as a way to look at the trend, stay in the zone. The minutia, the number per se, is not what matters. It's the overall pattern. Can you identify a specific pattern that you want to change? That's what matters. Wysham: Yes. That's right. Well, today, we've talked to Dr Grazia Aleppo about the use of CGM in clinical practice. Thank you for tuning in. Please take a moment to download the Medscape app to listen and subscribe to the podcast series on type 2 diabetes. This is Dr Carol Wysham for the Medscape InDiscussion Type 2 Diabetes podcast. Listen to additional seasons of this podcast. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025 7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024 Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Diabetes Requires a Village: Northwestern Medicine's Diabetes Tune-up Pathway Program Testing the Real-World Accuracy of the Dexcom G6 Pro CGM During the Insulin-Only Bionic Pancreas Pivotal Trial Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Prediabetes: What Are the Best Metrics? Defining Continuous Glucose Monitor Time in Range in a Large Community-based Cohort Without Diabetes Medscape © 2025 WebMD, LLC Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape. Cite this: Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Clinical Type 2 Diabetes Practice: Benefits, Accessibility, and Patient Resistance - Medscape - Jun 25, 2025.
Health Line
3 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Ways to Find Help Affording a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Diabetes
Diabetes devices using CGM technology can be costly, even for those with insurance. Consider these tips and ask your doctor, insurer, or device manufacturer about any access or affordability programs that might be available. As much excitement as there is about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology becoming the new standard of diabetes care, the reality is that it's still too expensive for many people. Despite the proven benefits of CGM and the increasing accessibility for some with diabetes, it remains a luxury. This disparity is even more pronounced when considering factors like race, socioeconomics, and types of diabetes, all of which significantly affect access to and use of this important tool. What does a CGM cost? In recent years, some research has shown that CGM tech has become more cost-effective than it once was. However, it remains out of reach for many people with diabetes. A 2021 study confirmed that pricing is one of the biggest barriers to widespread CGM use. This trend is even more pronounced for those in lower-income households. Without the ability to afford or access CGM tech, people lose out on a tool proven to help improve blood sugars, lower A1C levels, and generally help reduce long-term complications tied to diabetes and related health issues. This fits into a larger pattern for people with diabetes, who face high costs and may not be able to afford the medications or supplies they need to best manage their health. Consider that a CGM requires a prescription, so you'll have to work with a healthcare professional to get one — and those healthcare visits cost money too. Once approved, you can buy the system and supplies for some CGMs directly from the manufacturer or a third-party medical equipment supplier like Edgepark. Some are also available in retail pharmacies like Costco, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Average monthly cost of CGM When comparing out-of-pocket prices without insurance factored in, CGM system supplies can range from roughly $160 to $500 per month (based on Healthline research of manufacturer and pharmacy retail prices). Insurance and the costs for each CGM brand can vary widely. Of course, health insurance may ease the financial burden, but it's not easy to assess just how much because health plans and approved benefits vary greatly. High deductibles and coinsurance plans require people to put down large amounts of money before their coverage kicks in. So be sure to check with your insurance plan first to determine your coverage for obtaining a CGM system and the cost of getting the supplies you need over time. Tips to help get CGM access You might consider these other options to help with access or affordability for CGM technology: 1. Buy at the pharmacy Both Abbott Libre and Dexcom CGM supplies are available in pharmacies. This may help you avoid a higher deductible through traditional medical insurance coverage. However, some insurance plans don't allow pharmacy coverage with CGM. Convincing the plan to allow this may also require an appeal or a doctor-initiated push. Check with your insurance and doctor. 2. Seek out samples While it's less common, some doctors' offices and clinics can have extra supplies they keep on hand that they may be willing to share with you. This won't provide a reliable or steady flow of CGM supplies, but it might be something to consider for a start. 3. Try a loaner 'professional' CGM Rather than buying a personal CGM to use at home, some clinics offer a 'professional' CGM that you can wear for short periods to get a snapshot of your glucose data and diabetes management. These loaner units may be 'blinded,' so that only the doctor can initially see the data to review with you afterward. People generally do not receive charges for these beyond the cost of their doctor's visits. 4. Consider a tech vacation While this may not be ideal for everyone, some people take scattered breaks from their diabetes management every so often. This could mean not using a CGM for a brief period of time to conserve supplies and build a backup supply. You can discuss with your healthcare team how this might work. They'll want to make sure you have a glucose meter, test strips, and lancets to use instead of the CGM sensor. An added bonus is that stepping away from diabetes devices briefly could help on the mental health front, to ease any diabetes alert fatigue you may be experiencing. 5. Ask for nonprofit aid Some nonprofit organizations offer grants to families in need, such as Will's Way, created by an Indiana D-Mom and her son Will with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Kyler Cares out of New York also helps families afford insulin pumps and CGM supplies. 6. Find community support People in the community do a lot to help each other out, from sharing surplus supplies to grassroots fundraising. One effort known as Mutual Aid Diabetes (MAD) frequently uses social media to amplify calls for assistance and steer people to aid programs. Is there financial assistance for CGM devices? Yes, the companies that make CGM technology often have programs to help people afford their devices or trial the technology before deciding to buy it. Financial aid programs for CGM Each of the CGM device companies offers official assistance to qualifying customers. Abbott: This manufacturer offers financial assistance and ways for people to try the FreeStyle Libre system before buying it. Those who meet the eligibility requirements can get a voucher for a free 14-day sensor and reader with a $0 copay. Dexcom: This company has a Dexcom Care Patient Assistance Program, which helps reduce or even eliminate out-of-pocket costs by up to 20% for the Dexcom G7 at pharmacies. Call to connect with a specialist to check eligibility: (844) 832-1810. Medtronic: Medtronic makes the MiniMed CGM and offers CGM discount access options that may lower costs for people meeting certain criteria. You can fill out an online form to check for eligibility. Ascensia: The company that sells the Eversense implantable CGM offers a financial aid package, which includes paying as low as $199 per year for the CGM, based on eligibility. Manufacturers' financial aid programs often change, so it's always best to check with them first to determine the available options. They may also be willing to discuss payment plans or other options to make CGM technology more accessible. How healthcare professionals can help 'From the healthcare professional's perspective, CGM is often a cost burden and inaccessible for people who are underinsured, have lapses in health plans or new deductibles, or can't get CGM covered due to not yet meeting insurance requirements,' says diabetes care and education specialist (DCES) Julia Blanchette in Ohio. It's more accessible now, though. Blanchette, who also lives with T1D, says she also faces difficulties affording CGM. That helps inform how she talks with people about this technology. 'I struggled to pay for very costly CGMs for a few years. I maxed out my flex spending and found other ways to pay for the high cost, like charging my credit card until I could pay,' she said. In Washington state, another DCES, Alison Evert, works in primary care and only sees a few people with diabetes in their 17 primary care clinics. However, she's quite familiar with CGM after years of working with the esteemed diabetes tech researcher Dr. Irl Hirsch from the University of Washington Medicine, who lives with T1D himself. When Evert talks with her patients, she says it's important to balance expectations of what CGM tech can offer with how realistic it is for that person to use and access it. 'There's a steep learning curve, and we struggle with assisting healthcare professionals to talk with their patients about CGM,' Evert told Healthline. 'A lot of people decide they want to have it, regardless of talking about the cost and whether it's covered. Some healthcare professionals are less familiar with CGM technology and cannot explain what a system offers to their patients. This can lead to unrealistic expectations, especially if they don't share details upfront on pricing or the nuances of obtaining insurance coverage. It starts with setting realistic expectations. People are so excited about this technology, and we want it to be accessible to them as much as possible.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Axiom 4 and Shubhanshu Shukla lift off: How diabetes and cancer research on board ISS will impact treatment
AAs India's astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has blasted off into space on the Axiom-4 mission, he will be part of several medical experiments in space. These will not just be relevant to space travel but also to the future of therapy on Earth and precision medicine. The first is related to people with insulin-dependent diabetes and whether they can travel to space. As of now, they are not selected to become astronauts. That is because the space environment, particularly micro-gravity conditions, makes it difficult to control and maintain blood sugar levels. But scientists around the world have been working for the last several years to make this possible. Diabetes research One of the astronauts will be wearing Continuous Glucose Meters (CGMs) throughout their stay in space, and their real-time blood sugar measurements will be monitored by the research team on Earth. They will also collect blood samples during their flight which can be tested later to validate the readings of the CGM. The mission will also carry two varieties of insulin pens: one refrigerated, the other in ambient air conditions. These will check whether their integrity remains intact in microgravity conditions. 'The research can be helpful for the management of diabetes on Earth as well,' Mohammad Fityan, the Dubai-based clinical lead for this research project called Suite Ride, said. 'Previous studies on the International Space Station (ISS) for example have shown that the effect of microgravity causes fluid shifts in the astronauts. This kind of situation is similar to long-term bed-ridden patients, whose movement is severely restricted or are in intensive care. The data that we are hoping to get from the Axiom-4 mission might be very helpful in improving the management of diabetes on Earth as well,' he added. These include studies on muscle health, microbial life, and how astronauts interact with technology in microgravity. A key focus will be on diabetes-related research, specifically examining insulin and glucose behavior in space using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Even after the astronauts return, the impact of their journey will continue. Data from CGMs, blood samples, and insulin tests will be analysed in ground-based labs. Muscle health Research will investigate muscle degeneration and identify countermeasures. It will also investigate the effects of space flights on joints and blood flow. Algae as food Studies on cyanobacteria and microalgae will explore their viability for use in life support systems and as a potential food source. Resilient organisms like tardigrades, will be studied for their survival and gene activity in space. Cancer Research Previous research has shown cancer stem cells can regenerate more easily and become more resistant to therapies in microgravity. The study will also look at how microgravity affects stem cell aging. Researchers will use tumour organoids, specifically from triple-negative breast cancer, to validate previous findings on early cancer warning signs and to test potential new drug targets. These studies will be conducted with the help of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute and the JM Foundation. Microgravity allows scientists to identify better drug candidates for faster-progressing cancers. Impact on mental health This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilising computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation and rapid eye movements are affected. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
RFK Jr. Wants Every American to Be Sporting a Wearable Within Four Years
The road to 'make America healthy again' will apparently be paved with Apple Watches. Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just unveiled a campaign that will try to encourage the widespread use of wearables. RFK Jr. announced the initiative Tuesday afternoon during a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee meeting to discuss the HHS' budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. In response to a question from Senator Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) about wearables, Kennedy revealed that HHS will soon conduct one of the agency's largest ever advertising campaigns to promote their use. He added that in his ideal future, every American will be donning a wearable within the next four years. 'It's a key part of our mission to Make America Healthy Again,' RFK Jr. stated in an X post following the question. Some medical experts are excited about the potential for wearables to become an early warning system, alerting users to their personalized risk of many health conditions (even viral infections) well before showing signs of illness. Wearables are also regularly used by people with chronic health conditions for various indications, such as people with diabetes who have continuous glucose monitors (CGM) that measure their blood sugar in real time. Fitbit Data Points to Lingering Physical Changes for Some Covid-19 Sufferers But much of this potential has yet to be validated by large-scale research. While CGM devices can be helpful for people with diabetes, for instance, no published studies seem to have shown any health benefits in those without the condition. Other studies have shown that some wearables aren't quite as accurate as hoped, coming up short to gold-standard tests like the electrocardiograph or even your own self-perception. It's worth noting that the current nominee for the U.S. Surgeon General, Casey Means, is the co-founder of a company that provides continuous glucose monitors and other health trackers to clients. Means has argued that CGM is the 'most powerful technology for generating the data and awareness to rectify our Bad Energy crisis in the Western world.' Overhyping aside, people are also worried about the possible loss of privacy that could come from the mass adoption of wearables. While wearable tech might be able to detect early signs of overheating among outside workers, for instance, privacy advocates and labor rights groups have warned that there are few guardrails in place today that could prevent employers from leveraging the health-related data collected from these devices against workers. Breaches and hacks could also put our personal data in the hands of not-so-scrupulous people. These concerns and challenges aren't insurmountable, but given the current people in charge, any skepticism is understandable. Kennedy has spouted misinformation about a variety of health issues for a long time, vaccines in particular. RFK Jr. Spews Even More Nonsense on Autism, Covid in Latest Interview Earlier this month, for example, RFK Jr. unilaterally fired all 17 members of an outside advisory panel that helps guide vaccine policy in the U.S. He then quickly, without any public review, restocked the panel with new appointees, some of whom have their own reputations for misrepresenting vaccine science. This week, the panel is set to reexamine long-debunked talking points from the anti-vaccination movement, such as the supposed health risks of thimerosal in flu vaccines. There's nothing inherently wrong with wearables. But let's just say I'm not too stoked to take any health recommendations from someone who doesn't seem to be a fan of germ theory.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Continue to Retain Abbott Stock in Your Portfolio Now?
Abbott ABT is witnessing increased global demand for routine diagnostic tests over the past few quarters. The Diabetes Care business continued to benefit from the growing sales of its flagship, sensor-based continuous glucose monitoring system, FreeStyle Libre. Within Established Pharmaceuticals ('EPD'), the company is driving robust growth in key therapeutic areas and advancing in the biosimilar strategy. However, macroeconomic impacts and adverse currency fluctuations may hurt Abbott's financial performance. In the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has rallied 26.4% compared with the 9% rise of the industry and 8.8% growth of the S&P 500 composite. The healthcare giant has a market capitalization of $231.38 billion. The company's earnings yield of 3.9% is well above the industry's 0.5%. Abbott surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and broke even in one, delivering an average earnings surprise of 1.6%. Strong Prospects Within Core Diagnostics: Abbott continues to expand its Diagnostics business foothold (consisting of 20% of the total revenues in the first quarter of 2025). The company is particularly gaining from strong demand for its portfolio of respiratory disease tests used to help diagnose influenza, strep throat and respiratory syncytial virus. Abbott is witnessing the adoption of these platforms under a variety of settings, including hospitals, laboratories, urgent care centers, physician offices, retail pharmacies and blood screening facilities. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Core Laboratory Diagnostics, excluding China, posted solid 6.5% growth in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the underlying strength in routine diagnostics demand across global markets. Looking forward, Abbott's $0.5 billion investment in new manufacturing and R&D facilities in Illinois and Texas aims to expand its U.S. transfusion diagnostics business. Moreover, the upcoming launch of the Alinity m system marks Abbott's entry into the molecular nucleic acid testing segment — a $1 billion market opportunity. Libre Drives Diabetes Care: Of late, the company has been fast gaining momentum, leveraging consistent upgrades of FreeStyle Libre. Earlier in 2024, Abbott obtained FDA approvals for two new over-the-counter continuous glucose monitoring systems called Lingo and Libre Rio, which are based on Libre's technology, which is now used by more than 6 million people around the world. This over-the-counter availability of CGM marks the initiation of a new era in the United States for Abbott. In the first quarter, in Diabetes Care, sales of CGM exceeded $1.7 billion and grew 21.6%. Several products contributed to the strong performance, including FreeStyle Libre, Navitor, TriClip, Amplatzer Amulet and AVEIR. EPD Set for Sustainable Growth: Abbott's EPD operates solely in emerging geographies, with leading positions in many of the largest and fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets for branded generics in the world. Banking on the successful execution of its Branded Generic operating model, EPD is well-positioned for sustained growth in many of these growing pharmaceutical markets. In the first quarter of 2025, EPD sales increased 8% organically. More than half of its top 15 markets posted double-digit gains. Abbott's strategic focus on biosimilars strengthens its prospects, with the company now securing rights to 15 biosimilar products across key therapeutic areas. The recent agreement to commercialize four additional biosimilars across Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa positions Abbott to tap into the high-growth branded generic pharmaceutical market. Choppy Macro Environment to Weigh on Margins: The challenging macroeconomic scenario in the form of the ongoing complex geopolitical situation globally, trade war specifically with countries where Abbott operates, is driving a higher-than-anticipated increase in expenses in terms of raw materials and freight. Industry-wide, it has been seen that the deteriorating global economic environment is reducing demand for several MedTech products, resulting in lower sales and lower product prices while increasing the cost of goods and operating expenses of the businesses of MedTech companies. Foreign Exchange Translation Impacts Sales: Foreign exchange is a major headwind for Abbott due to a considerable percentage of its revenues coming from outside the United States. The strengthening of the euro and some other developed market currencies has constantly been hampering the company's performance in the international markets. In the first quarter of 2025, foreign exchange had an unfavorable year-over-year impact of 2.8% on sales. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ABT's 2025 earnings has remained constant at $5.16 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2025 revenues is pegged at $44.68 billion, suggesting a 6.5% rise from the year-ago reported number. Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Phibro Animal Health PAHC, Hims & Hers Health HIMS and Cencora COR. Phibro Animal Health has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 26% compared with the industry's 15.7%. Its earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 30.6%. Its shares have rallied 39.5% compared with the industry's 9% growth in the past year. PAHC sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Hims & Hers Health, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has an earnings yield of 1.3% against the industry's -10.1% yield. Shares of the company have surged 81.2% compared with the industry's 40.1% gain. HIMS' earnings surpassed estimates in two of the trailing four quarters, matched on one occasion and missed on another, the average surprise being 2.8%. Cencora, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, has an earnings yield of 5.4% compared with the industry's 3.8%. Shares of the company have rallied 23% against the industry's 17.2% decline. COR's earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 6%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Abbott Laboratories (ABT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cencora, Inc. (COR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Phibro Animal Health Corporation (PAHC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (HIMS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
