In this special episode of Diabetes Core Update, our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik, discusses with two expert guests the recommendations for respiratory vaccinations in people with diabetes, the rise in vaccine hesitancy and some of the possible reasons for this hesitancy, and several ways to address vaccine hesitancy in the office.

This special edition is sponsored by Sanofi. 

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington–Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Abington–Jefferson Health

Aaron Sutton, LCSW, BCD, CAADC, Behavioral Health Faculty at the Family Medicine Residency Program at Abington–Jefferson Health; Chief Wellness Officer for Graduate Medical Education at Abington–Jefferson Health

Select references mentioned in the podcast:

Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2024–25 Influenza Season. MMWR Recomm Rep 2024;73:1–25. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7305a1

Recombinant or Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine in Adults Under 65 Years of Age. N Engl J Med 2023;389:2245–2255. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2302099

Influenza Vaccine as a Coronary Intervention for Prevention of Myocardial Infarction. Heart 2016;102:1953–1956. DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2016-309983

Welcome to the first episode in a special three-part series of the Diabetes Core Update podcast, focused on heart screening in people with diabetes. Sponsored by Roche, this series explores "heart failure with preserved ejection fraction" (HFpEF), providing primary care clinicians and healthcare professionals with essential insights into screening, diagnosis, and management of this increasingly recognized condition.

Episode Summary

In this episode, host Dr. Neil Skolnik introduces the growing importance of HFpEF in diabetes care and is joined by two esteemed experts:

• Rodica Busui, MD, PhD, professor and chief of the division of endocrinology at the Oregon Health and Science University and past president of the American Diabetes Association for Medicine and Science.
• James Jannuzzi, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, staff cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and senior cardiometabolic faculty at Baim Institute for Clinical Research.

The discussion explores:

1. HFpEF Basics: Definition, prevalence, and how it differs from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
2. Pathophysiology: The multifactorial causes of HFpEF, including aging, obesity, diabetes, and more.
3. Diabetes and HFpEF: Why HFpEF should be considered a major complication of diabetes alongside atherosclerotic and microvascular diseases.
4. Screening Recommendations: Insights from the 2022 ADA/ACC Consensus Report, emphasizing early detection through biomarkers like NT-proBNP and annual testing for at-risk patients.

Key Takeaways

• Epidemiology: HFpEF affects at least half of heart failure patients and is increasingly prevalent due to aging, obesity, and diabetes.
• Screening Guidelines: Every person with diabetes, especially those with chronic kidney disease, hypertension, or obesity, should be considered for HFpEF screening.
• Biomarkers: NT-proBNP thresholds are key tools for early diagnosis, with tailored considerations for obesity and other conditions.
• Prevention and Collaboration: Effective risk factor management and team-based care can prevent HFpEF progression and improve outcomes.

Thank you for joining us on this first of a multipart series on early detection and treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In the first part of this series, we focused on basics—epidemiology, pathophysiology, and staging—as well as the critically important new recommendations around screening people with diabetes for heart failure.

In the second part of the series, we’ll explore treatment strategies for HFpEF.

This special edition of Diabetes Core Update is sponsored by Roche.

Diabetes Core Update is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association’s four science and medical journals – Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Clinical Diabetes, and Diabetes Spectrum. Each episode is approximately 25 minutes long and presents 5-6 recently published articles from ADA journals.

Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, Diabetes Core Update   discusses how the latest research and information published in journals of the American Diabetes Association are relevant to clinical practice and can be applied in a treatment setting.

Welcome to diabetes core update where every month we go over the most important articles to come out in the field of diabetes. Articles that are important for practicing clinicians to understand to stay up with the rapid changes in the field. 

This issue will review:

1.     Association of semaglutide with first-time diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with type 2 diabetes

2.     Increasing Medication Use and Polypharmacy in Type 2 Diabetes

3.     Association of Energy Intake and Dietary Glycemic Load in Different Time Periods With Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among U.S. Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

4.     Comparative effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for recurrent nephrolithiasis among patients with pre-existing nephrolithiasis or gout

5.     GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and the Path to Sustainable Obesity Care

 

For more information about each of ADA’s science and medical journals, please visit.www.diabetesjournals.org.

Hosts:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

In this special episode on Root Causes of Obesity, Sugar and Highly Processed Carbs,  our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik will discuss Root Causes of Obesity, Sugar, and Strategies to Decrease Sugar in the Diet with three experts in field – a nutrition epidemiologist, a public health expert and a registered dietician.

This special episode is supported by an independent educational grant from Heartland Food Group, the maker of the Splenda Group of Products.  For more information just go to: www.splenda.com .

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Vasanti Malik, ScD, who is Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto

Sandra Albrecht, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Co-lead, Food Systems and Public Health Certificate Program, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.   

Marina Chaparro, RDN, CDCES, MPH who is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator & Author

In this special episode on Residual Risk: A Focus on Triglycerides, our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik will discuss Residual Risk, Triglycerides and how to reduce residual risk with Dr. Christie Ballantyne, Director of the Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, Baylor College of Medicine.  Based on popular demand this episode, originally aired in August 2023, is being republished for our audience.

This special episode is supported by an independent educational grant from Amarin.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Dr. Christie Ballantyne.  Dr. Ballantyne is a Professor of Medicine-Cardiology, and Director of the Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, Baylor College of Medicine.

Selected references in the Podcast:

Niacin: AIM-HIGH - N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2255-2267

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: STRENGTH trial - JAMA. 2020;324(22):2268-2280

Pemafibrate: PROMINENT - N Engl J Med 2022; 387:1923-1934

Icosapent Ethyl: JELIS - Lancet. 2007;369(9567):1090-1098

Icosapent Ethyl: REDUCE-IT - N Engl J Med 2019; 380:11-22

ADA Standards of Care: Diabetes Care 2023;46(Supplement_1):S158–S190

2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: Circulation. 2023;148. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001168

 

Diabetes Core Update is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association’s four science and medical journals – Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Clinical Diabetes, and Diabetes Spectrum. Each episode is approximately 25 minutes long and presents 5-6 recently published articles from ADA journals.

Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, Diabetes Core Update   discusses how the latest research and information published in journals of the American Diabetes Association are relevant to clinical practice and can be applied in a treatment setting.

Welcome to diabetes core update where every month we go over the most important articles to come out in the field of diabetes. Articles that are important for practicing clinicians to understand to stay up with the rapid changes in the field. 

This issue will review:

1.     Insulin Efsitora versus Degludec in Type 2 Diabetes without Previous Insulin Treatment  

2.     Semaglutide and Opioid Overdose Risk in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Opioid Use Disorder

3.     Associations of Diabetes and Prediabetes with Mortality and Life Expectancy in China: A National Study

4.     GLP-1 Medication Use for Type 2 Diabetes in the US

5.     Healthcare Utilization and Cost Associated with Empagliflozin in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

 

For more information about each of ADA’s science and medical journals, please visitwww.diabetesjournals.org.

Hosts:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

In this special episode on Oral Health our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik will discuss practical approaches to helping patients achieve oral health which is of critical importance for people with diabetes.  His guest for this episode is Dr. Wenche Borgnakke, and expert in public health and dentistry.  This special episode is supported by an independent educational grant from Haleon.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Dr. Wenche Borgnakke.  Dr Borgnakke, DDS, MPH, PhD ,  Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Dentistry in the department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

References:

1) American Dental Association. Gum disease can raise your blood sugar level. J Am Dent Assoc 2013;144(7):860. https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)60555-9/pdf   2) Borgnakke WS. Current scientific evidence for why periodontitis should be included in diabetes management. Front Clin Diabetes Healthc 2024;4:257087. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcdhc.2023.1257087/full   3) Borgnakke WS, Poudel P. Diabetes and oral health: summary of current scientific evidence for why transdisciplinary collaboration is needed. Front Dent Med 2021;2(50):#709831. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdmed.2021.709831/full   4) Simpson TC, Clarkson JE, Worthington HV, et al. Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022;4(4):CD004714. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004714.pub4/full

 

 

Diabetes Core Update is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association’s four science and medical journals – Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Clinical Diabetes, and Diabetes Spectrum. Each episode is approximately 25 minutes long and presents 5-6 recently published articles from ADA journals.

Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, Diabetes Core Update   discusses how the latest research and information published in journals of the American Diabetes Association are relevant to clinical practice and can be applied in a treatment setting.

Welcome to diabetes core update where every month we go over the most important articles to come out in the field of diabetes. Articles that are important for practicing clinicians to understand to stay up with the rapid changes in the field. 

This issue will review:

1.     Finerenone in Heart Failure with Mildly Reduced or Preserved Ejection Fraction

2.     Comprehensive Multiple Risk Factor Control in Type 2 Diabetes to Mitigate Heart Failure

3.     Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg versus placebo in people with obesity and prediabetes (STEP 10)

4.     Diabetes, prediabetes, and brain aging: the role of healthy lifestyle

5.     Sitting Time and Its Interaction with Physical Activity in Relation to All-Cause and Heart Disease Mortality in U.S. Adults With Diabetes

 

For more information about each of ADA’s science and medical journals, please visit www.diabetesjournals.org.

Hosts:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

In this special episode titled “Lipids – Beyond Statins and LDL Cholesterol”, our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik will discuss with two expert guests the details of treatment for LDL-Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and other lipid risk markers.  This special episode is supported by an independent educational grant from Amarin.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

James Underberg, M.D. , Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine and the NYU Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Director of the Bellevue Hospital Lipid Clinic, and Past President of the National Lipid Association.

Layla A. Abushamat, M.D., MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine in the Division of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine,  Houston, Texas

 

Selected references referred to the in the Podcast:

1.     Icosapent Ethyl: REDUCE-IT - N Engl J Med 2019; 380:11-22

2.     Omega-3 Fatty Acids: STRENGTH trial - JAMA. 2020;324(22):2268-2280

3.     Lipoprotein(a) Blood Levels and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction With Icosapent Ethyl. JACC. 2024 Apr, 83 (16) 1529–1539

4.     Icosapent ethyl following acute coronary syndrome. European Heart Journal 2024; 45:1173–1176

5.     Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024. Diabetes Care 2024;47(supp 1): S179–S218

Diabetes Core Update is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association’s four science and medical journals – Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Clinical Diabetes, and Diabetes Spectrum. Each episode is approximately 25 minutes long and presents 5-6 recently published articles from ADA journals.

Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, Diabetes Core Update   discusses how the latest research and information published in journals of the American Diabetes Association are relevant to clinical practice and can be applied in a treatment setting.

Welcome to diabetes core update where every month we go over the most important articles to come out in the field of diabetes. Articles that are important for practicing clinicians to understand to stay up with the rapid changes in the field. 

This issue will review:

1.     Age of diabetes diagnosis and lifetime risk of dementia

2.     Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists and 13 Obesity-Associated Cancers in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

3.     Association of Semaglutide With Tobacco Use Disorder in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Target Trial Emulation Using Real-World Data

4.     Lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg versus less than 140 mm Hg in patients with high cardiovascular risk

5.     Long-Term Neurobehavioral and Metabolic Outcomes in Offspring of Mothers with Diabetes During Pregnancy

 

For more information about each of ADA’s science and medical journals, please visitwww.diabetesjournals.org.

Hosts:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

In this special episode on Low and No Calorie Sweeteners,  our host, Dr. Neil Skolnik will take a deep dive into the randomized evidence about the efficacy of Low and No Calorie Sweeteners. Also discussed will be observational trials on NNS, as well as safety. Finally, there will be a discussion of the World Health Organization recommendations on Nonnutritive sweeteners as well as practical clinical insights.

 

This special episode is supported by an independent educational grant  from Heartland Food Group, the maker of the Splenda Group of Products.  For more information just go to: www.splenda.com .

 

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Kathrine Appleton, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Bournemouth University.

 

Articles discussed:

The effects of low-calorie sweeteners on energy intake and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analyses of sustained intervention studies. Int J Obes (Lond). 2021 Mar;45(3):464-478

Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline

Non-nutritive sweeteners and their impacts on the gut microbiome and host physiology. Front Nutr.2022;9:988144