Diabetes

NEW YORK — Women with ovarian cancer and diabetes who took the generic diabetes drug metformin showed better survival rates than those who did not take the drug, according to a new study led by the Mayo Clinic.

The study, published in the journal Cancer, enrolled 61 patients who took metformin and 178 who didn't. Of those who took the drug, 67% were surviving after five years, compared with 47% of those who didn't take it. Further analysis indicated that patients taking metformin were almost four times likelier to survive than those not taking it.

DALLAS — Personal care company Naterra has announced the national launch of Phase+, a skin care line designed to address the cosmetic effects that diabetes has on the skin. 

Phase+, which is now available at all Walgreens stores, is infused with anti-microbial ingredients to help prevent such skin care problems as cracked heels and ultra-dry skin from becoming a larger problem for diabetics, the company stated.    

Use of electronic health records 
improves medical outcomes among patients with diabetes, according to a recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente.


PRINCETON, N.J. — Novo Nordisk has launched a mobile app for hemophilia patients, the drug maker said.

HemaGo — available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices — is designed to track hemophilia treatment, bleeding episodes and life events, helping people with the condition and their caregivers monitor the details of treatment, including medications, dosing, bleeding information and the disease's effects on life events.

SAN DIEGO — A study published last week by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has found a correlation between vitamin D3 serum levels and subsequent incidence of Type 1 diabetes. The six-year study of blood levels of nearly 2,000 individuals suggests a preventative role for vitamin D3 in this disease. The research appears the December issue of Diabetologia, a publication of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

NEW YORK — Walgreens and JDRF on Friday announced that Walgreens' community-based programs helped raise more than $1.3 million in 2012 for JDRF. The year marked the 21st anniversary of Walgreens' participation in JDRF's nationwide campaign to raise funds for research to put an end to diabetes.

During the month of July, as part of the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment, customers at more than 7,500 Walgreens stores could make donations of $1 or more at checkout. 

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens and Take Care Clinics on Friday announced the offer of free health testing for hemoglobin A1C and blood glucose at more than 3,000 U.S. locations through the end of November as part of American Diabetes Month and the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment. 

CLEVELAND — People with diabetes in Cleveland enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored health plans can obtain free diabetes management services from Rite Aid, the retail pharmacy chain said Friday.

The chain's pharmacists are participating in the Diabetes Control Program, part of UnitedHealth Group's Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, which is aimed at addressing the problem of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.