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.FITNESS & WELLNESS
Exercise matters to health and well-being, regardless of your size
Harvard Health Publishing
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in our daily lives. Regardless of who you are, your life has been impacted in some way. Stress is mounting, and you may need to find a way to decompress while social distancing. Enter stage left my favorite pastime: exercise!
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You're not being a hypochondriac: How to manage your very real health anxiety
InsideHook
Every year, winter brings numerous challenges to our bodies. We wake up with sore throats simply because our heaters are blasting. Our skin is dry, red and unbearably itchy. The cold air brings on annoying runny and stuffy noses. You’ll probably catch a head cold or even the flu.
But this winter is obviously different. We’re still dealing with a novel virus that’s continuing to reach record infection and death rates.
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How 'exercise snacks' can combat the effects of sitting all day
TODAY
If you spend many, many hours essentially chained to your office chair you might be worried about the health impact of so much sitting and wondering what you can do about it — especially if you don’t have a lot of time to go to the gym and work out.
A new study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that 30 to 40 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity mostly counteracts the damage done by lots of time sitting and better yet, that the exercise can be done in short spurts.
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.DIET & NUTRITION
How to choose a diet
U.S. News & World Report
Choosing a new diet can feel like rocket science. Net carbs, nutrient density, acid-forming foods, inflammation-promoting hormones: What does it all mean? Weight loss or overall health: What's most important? Celebrity endorser or nutrition expert: Who do you believe? Mediterranean, DASH, vegan, paleo, keto: Where do you begin?
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Is the green Mediterranean diet healthier than regular Mediterranean?
U.S. News & World Report
What is the green Mediterranean diet?
"The green Mediterranean diet is a fairly new tweak to the current Mediterranean diet," says Maggie Michalczyk, a registered dietitian based in Chicago who represents California walnuts. "It involves opting for even more fiber from plant-based foods and less red meat. It focuses on eating more plant-based sources of protein."
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Reverse dieting: How it could cure an unhealthy relationship with food
Cosmopolitan
With little else to distract us, the past year’s lockdowns have led many of us to pay more attention to our food, exercise and bodies than we usually would. One method that many young women are using to take back control of their health is "reverse dieting", a concept that’s become ubiquitous among the fitness community – posts tagged #reversedieting or #reversediet are ballooning on Instagram.
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.RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
No limit to benefits of exercise when it comes to cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
CNN
It has long been understood that being physically active is good for you, particularly when it comes to preventing things like heart attacks and strokes.
Physical exercise may be even more important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease than previously known — and the more activity the better, a new large study led by the University of Oxford has suggested.
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Short term low carbohydrate diet linked to remission of type 2 diabetes
BMJ via ScienceDaily
Patients with type 2 diabetes who follow a strict low carbohydrate diet for six months may experience greater rates of remission compared with other recommended diets without adverse effects, suggests a study published by The BMJ.
The researchers acknowledge that most benefits diminished at 12 months, but say doctors might consider short term strict low carbohydrate diets for managing type 2 diabetes, while actively monitoring and adjusting diabetes medication as needed.
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Exercise at midlife linked to better brain health in late life
Medscape
Higher levels of leisure-time physical activity in midlife are associated with a lower risk for cerebrovascular problems in later life, an analysis of data from a prospective cohort study suggests.
Persistently high levels of physical activity at midlife were associated with more intact white matter integrity and fewer lacunar strokes later in life, the authors report, although there was no such association with gray matter volumes.
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.VITAMINS & PHARMACEUTICALS
Vitamin K: A little-known but noteworthy nutrient
EcoWatch
When Danish scientist Henrik Dam fed a cholesterol-free diet to baby chicks in his lab about 90 years ago, he noticed excessive bleeding in some of them. It did not stop after he replaced the cholesterol. Dam ultimately concluded the bleeding was related to a "depletion of an anti-hemorrhagic compound," which he called vitamin K. For that discovery, Dam won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943.
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.NAMCP UPDATES
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| Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc., a dermatology therapeutics company developing medications for skin diseases requiring medical interventions, today announced that it has resubmitted the New Drug Application (NDA) for VP-102 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (molluscum) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NDA for VP-102 was resubmitted based on the outcome and final minutes of a Type A meeting with the FDA, which was conducted to obtain clarity on the Complete Response Letter (CRL) issued by the FDA in July 2020. Click here to view the full press release.
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| Biodesix, Inc., a leading data-driven diagnostic solutions company with a focus in lung disease, today announced publication of an analysis of the company’s Nodify XL2® lung nodule test. The test supports clinical decision-making for suspicious nodules by more accurately identifying patients with a very low risk of malignancy and shifting those patients into surveillance, thereby minimizing invasive procedures on those with benign nodules. Please click here to view the full press release.
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| LivaNova PLC, a market-leading medical technology and innovation company, today announced the publication of a new study in the International Journal of Bipolar Disorders that showed adding Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy (VNS Therapy®) to treatment as usual (TAU) significantly improves outcomes in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBD). The study examined patients from a five-year prospective registry and found 63% of TRBD patients treated with adjunctive VNS Therapy in addition to TAU had a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, as measured by a 50% or greater reduction in the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), compared with 39% of patients in the TAU alone group. Click here to view the entire press release. Click here to view the entire press release.
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| Additionally, LivaNova PLC announced a publication in Contemporary Clinical Trials, which details the design for “A Prospective, Multi-center, Randomized Controlled Blinded Trial Demonstrating the Safety and Effectiveness of VNS Therapy® System as Adjunctive Therapy Versus a No Stimulation Control in Subjects With Treatment-Resistant Depression” or the RECOVER clinical study. RECOVER is currently under way as part of a Coverage with Evidence Development framework of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) National Coverage Determination process. Click here to view the entire press release.
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| In late 2018, the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP) decided to create the Value Based Care Council (VBCC). The VBCC mission supports empowering medical directors with information and resources to assist them in making value based decisions that support achieving the Triple AIM of improved outcomes and the patient experience while reducing overall costs. The goal is to improve the integration of cost, quality, and access in the clinical decision making process so as to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of extracting value from the associated spend in order to optimize outcomes.
Pursuant to the above, and in response to an unmet need in the marketplace, the VBCC developed a short form in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency with which value propositions can be shared between industry and the medical leadership of various payers throughout the country. This same short form provides a concise and consistent manner with which value propositions can be shared and provides the ability to align expectations prior to actually conducting conversations or having a meeting regarding a product or service.
The Product Value Proposition Customer Engagement Short Form can be found on the NAMCP website (www.namcp.org) in the Value Based Care Council subsection of the Councils tab, under tools and resources. Please contact Will Williams at wwilliams@namcp.org with questions or for additional information.
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| Jazz Pharmaceuticals is excited to announce the approval of ZEPZELCA™ (lurbinectedin) for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. ZEPZELCA is a second-line therapy that has been studied in both platinum-sensitive and -resistant SCLC patients. Please click here for more information.
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| Takeda Pharmaceuticals is part of, "The Fight Is In Us", an initiative to maximize the individual and societal benefit of COVID-19 plasma. The campaign will focus on recruiting COVID-19 survivors to donate their plasma at licensed blood and plasma donor centers.- If you’ve recovered from #COVID19, your immune system has antibodies that could be used as a treatment. See if you can help others by donating plasma www.TheFightIsInUs.org. #TheFightIsInUS
- The antibodies that helped you or someone you know fight off COVID-19 may be able to help others. Visit www.TheFightIsInUs.org to see if you qualify to donate plasma. #TheFightIsInUs
You are a survivor, now you could be a hero. Plasma from recovered #COVID19 patients could play a key role in creating a potential therapy for coronavirus. Learn how you can donate at www.TheFightIsInUs.org #TheFightIsInUs
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| Biodesix, Inc., a leading diagnostic company in lung disease, recently announced a partnership with Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) to bring a COVID-19 Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) test to the FDA for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approval to support the escalating need for testing in the U.S. Two studies published this month, ahead of peer review, reported that ddPCR testing showed superior sensitivity and precision for clinical detection of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) compared to existing test methods that are performed using qPCR. Biodesix currently has a focus on lung disease and offers other diagnostic testing for lung cancer utilizing the ddPCR platform.Click here for more information.
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| "Modeling Cost-Effectiveness of On-Demand Treatment for Hereditary Angioedema Attack" was recently published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy's February 2020 issue. Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease that causes painful and potentially fatal episodes of swelling (attacks). HAE attacks can be unpredictable and the need to treat sudden attacks promptly and effectively is critical to minimize risk of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. A cost-effectiveness model was evaluated that considers evaluation of on-demand medications, healthcare utilization and patient well-being. For access to the publication, please click here.
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| Biodesix, Inc. announced initiation of the next phase of their biomarker development program with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer Inc. The companies have completed initial discovery and development of a new proteomic test that identifies likely responders to the anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor (BAVENCIO®) (avelumab). Development efforts will now focus on transferring the test into Biodesix's CLIA lab in Boulder, CO for clinical phase test validation. The new test was developed through retrospective analysis of the circulating proteome of cancer patients treated with the investigational drug candidate, utilizing the proprietary Biodesix Diagnostic Cortex™ artificial intelligence (AI) platform. Click here to read the full press release.
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| The NAMCP Medical Directors Institute recently held the first meeting of its Executive Leadership Council (ELC) at the recent Fall Managed Care Forum. The NAMCP Medical Directors Institute decided in late 2018 to create the Value Based Care Council (VBCC) with a mission to empower medical directors with information and resources to assist them in making value based decisions that support achieving the Triple AIM of improved outcomes and the patient experience while reducing overall costs. Click here to view an overview of the genesis, formation, and work of NAMCP's Value Based Care Council. Please click here to view the press release.
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| LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN), a market-leading medical technology and innovation company, today announced the first patient enrolled in "A Prospective, Multi-center, Randomized Controlled Blinded Trial Demonstrating the Safety and Effectiveness of VNS Therapy® System as Adjunctive Therapy Versus a No Stimulation Control in Subjects With Treatment-Resistant Depression" (RECOVER). The study will evaluate Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy (VNS Therapy) for Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) in accordance with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Coverage Determination as part of its Coverage with Evidence Development Program. The first patient was enrolled by Dr. Azfar Malik in St. Louis. Click here to read the full press release.
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| Biodesix, Inc. this week highlighted findings from multiple studies demonstrating the significance and clinical utility of its VeriStrat® blood-based proteomic test as a predictive biomarker for patient survival outcomes and as a diagnostic tool to improve the clinical management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This information is vital to implementing optimal treatment strategies for patients and supports disease state monitoring. To date, VeriStrat testing has helped more than 50,000 patients in determining the best treatment for their lung cancer. Click here to see the full press release. | |
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