CBSSM faculty in the news for their Diabetes Treatment Studies

Jeremy Sussman has received much press for a recent study in JAMA about rates of treatment deintensification in diabetes. Dr. Sussman is first author of a study that found that among older diabetes patients whose treatment resulted in very low blood pressure, only a minority (27% or fewer) underwent treatment deintensification for diabetes, which represents a lost opportunity to reduce overtreatment. The study suggests practice guidelines and performance measures should place more focus on reducing overtreatment through deintensification.

Tanner Caverly and other CBSSM faculty co-authored a national survey study in JAMA examining VA primary care health-care professionals' beliefs regarding prescribing for older diabetics. This study found misperceptions about the benefits of stringent blood glucose control and concerns about negative repercussions following deintensification of therapy. This study is also being cited in a number of press articles.

Original studies:

Sussman, Jeremy B., Eve A. Kerr, Sameer D. Saini, Rob G. Holleman, Mandi L. Klamerus, Lillian C. Min, Sandeep Vijan, and Timothy P. Hofer. "Rates of Deintensification of Blood Pressure and Glycemic Medication Treatment Based on Levels of Control and Life Expectancy in Older Patients With Diabetes Mellitus." JAMA Internal Medicine (2015): 1-8.

Caverly, Tanner J., Angela Fagerlin, Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, Susan Kirsh, Jeffrey Todd Kullgren, Katherine Prenovost, and Eve A. Kerr. "Appropriate Prescribing for Patients With Diabetes at High Risk for Hypoglycemia: National Survey of Veterans Affairs Health Care Professionals." JAMA internal medicine (2015): 1-3.