Diabetes

ATLANTA The Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review for a diabetic macular edema treatment.

PRINCETON, N.J. Novo Nordisk has launched a mobile dosing app for healthcare professionals that prescribe the drug maker's insulin products.

NovoDose, which is available for download on iTunes, allows physicians to select the type of insulin they want to research and review suggested guidelines for dosing, titration and even blood glucose goals for their patients. The app also provides important safety information on the products, and only those who self-identify as healthcare professionals can download the app.

NEW YORK Those with Type 2 diabetes may be at greater risk of developing the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease, new research suggested.

According to a Japanese study, which appeared in the Aug. 25 online issue of the journal Neurology, those individuals with the highest levels of insulin resistance had nearly six times the odds of developing plaque deposits between the nerves in the brain, after adjusting for other risk factors, compared with those with the lowest levels of fasting insulin.

PITTSBURGH Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that mothers who did not breast-feed their children have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes later in life compared with those who breast-fed.

MERCER ISLAND, Wash. UnitedHealthcare and Affiliated Associations of America on Thursday announced that complimentary at-home health screening kits now are available to the approximate 9,000 AAOA employees and their families.

The kits, developed by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based BioIQ, enable individuals to more easily test for such conditions as diabetes and heart disease, and help patients work with their doctors to more quickly develop appropriate treatment plans.