Gianna is an associate editor of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). She has been working on AJMC® since 2019 and has a BA in philosophy and journalism & professional writing from The College of New Jersey.
Comparing Treatment Outcomes in Eyes With Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy and NVE, NVD
Disc neovascularization (NVD) was less frequent among patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy but was associated with more resistance to currently available treatments compared with neovascularization elsewhere (NVE), according to post hoc analysis findings published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Study Finds Monthly Migraine Days Associated With Disturbed Structural Network Integrity
Compared with healthy controls, patients with episodic migraine and patients with chronic migraine exhibited differing structural brain network characteristics, potentially indicating maladaptive reorganizations of headache-related brain circuits which could lead to migraine attacks or secondary alterations to pain.
Fear of COVID-19 Limits Patients’ Uptake of Ophthalmic Care
Fear of exposure to COVID-19 is associated with patients missing ophthalmic care appointments, suggesting the potential importance of conveying practices’ infection-control measures, according to results of a non-validated survey.
20-Year Data Highlight Little Progress in Rural Racial Health Disparities
Between 1999 and 2018, Black adults living in rural regions of the United States experienced high mortality rates due to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke compared with White adults, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Comparing T2D Medication Initiation Patterns Among Medicare Advantage, Commercially Insured Patients
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may be less likely than commercially insured individuals to be treated with newer medications to lower glucose levels, according to results of a retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.
Are Payment Reform Efforts Enough to Fix Future Medicare Financing Woes?
During a session presented at the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) National Health Policy Conference, Michael Chernew, PhD, the director of Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab at Harvard Medical School, and Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, founding director at Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, discussed the potential for Medicare innovation and reforms in 2021 and beyond.
Evaluating Psychiatric Disorders Among Adolescents With Chronic Migraine
More treatment methods focused on reducing functionality loss and adopting multidisciplinary and prospective approaches via psychiatric screening should be developed for adolescents with chronic migraine (CM), researchers writing in BMC Neurology concluded.
How Do Screening Methods for Gestational Diabetes Compare?
When comparing 1-step and 2-step approaches for diagnosing gestational diabetes among pregnant women, researchers found no significant between-group differences in the risks of primary outcomes relating to perinatal and maternal complications.
Program Aims to Increase Genetic Testing for Inherited Retinal Degenerations
Implementation of the free My Retina Tracker Genetic Testing Study program was associated with an increased proportion of patients with inherited retinal degeneration successfully obtaining genetic testing, according to analysis results published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Private-Public Partnerships Aim to Tackle COVID-19 Vaccine Inequity, Distribution Disparities
In a session presented at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP’s) National Health Policy Conference, federal health officials and health plan representatives highlighted successes of the country’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccine rollout, placing particular emphasis on the role equity plays in distribution.
Assessing Posttraumatic Headache With Migraine Phenotype Among Concussed Youth
Posttraumatic headache (PTH) with a migraine phenotype is associated with persistent symptoms following concussion, compared with nonmigraine PTH or no PTH, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open.
Exercise Timing Linked to Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Men With T2D
Timing of bout-related moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular risk among men with type 2 diabetes (T2D), independent of bout-related MVPA volume and intensity, according to research published in Diabetes Care.
Study Supports Preschool-Based Vision Screening Programs to Increase Glasses Wear
Research published in JAMA Ophthalmology supports the continued implementation of preschool-based vision screening programs, as nearly 3 of 4 preschool students consistently wore their glasses at school during the first year of use.
J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine Moves Forward After FDA Panel Vote
An FDA advisory panel Friday unanimously endorsed the third US COVID-19 vaccine, a 1-shot vaccine produced by Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (J&J), and an emergency use authorization by the FDA is expected to follow shortly.
Survey: Thyroid Eye Disease Reduces Quality of Life Beyond Acute Phase
A new survey conducted by Horizon Therapeutics highlighted the negative impacts thyroid eye disease have on patients’ quality of life, finding effects often continue beyond the acute disease phase and into a chronic phase.