INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Almost one-third of Americans who have not had enough money to pay for health care and/or medicine in the past 12 months are smokers, according to the October 2011 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The percentage of smokers is cut in half (14.2%) when it comes to the population that can afford to pay for health care and/or medicine in the past 12 months. Of the Americans without a personal doctor, 27.5% smoke.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A drug made by Amgen delayed the spread of prostate cancer to the bones in men with the disease and prolonged the survival of men with the condition, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial.

BOSTON — Factor Nutrition Labs on Monday presented a study supporting supplementation with its FocusFactor product to improve brain function before the Gerontological Society of America.

WASHINGTON — Holiday shoppers are expected to spend $155.43 on average for gift cards this season, while total gift card spending is projected to reach $27.8 billion, according to a survey released Friday by the National Retail Federation.

NRF’s 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that 8-out-of-10 shoppers will give gift cards this year, thanks to e-gifting, instant delivery through Facebook, personalized video and mobile giving options. Average spending is expected to be the highest since 2007.

WASHINGTON — Online retailers this year are putting a heavy emphasis on promotions during the Thanksgiving holiday through Cyber Monday, according to a new Shop.org survey.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Catalina Health’s latest program and two previous studies illustrate the ways in which electronic health records and e-prescribing open the door for new ways to monitor medication nonadherence and, along with them, new ways to combat it.

(THE NEWS: Catalina Health addresses medication nonadherence with Health Consumer Journey. For the full story, click here.)

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — If there are 366 million diabetics worldwide, that means that the U.S. piece of that sugar-free pie is 7.1%. And if the U.S. diabetes population grows by more than 50.8% over the next two decades, as the International Diabetes Foundation attests, that'll mean there will be 38.6 million diabetics in this country by 2030. That's a lot of diabetes education that needs to happen between now and then, and what better place to have that happen than at the neighborhood drug store?

NEW YORK — Citi Investment Research & Analysis is projecting that the peak of flu season may occur beyond last season's peak of January/February, a factor that may place a negative drag on retail same-store sales results over first quarter 2012.