b

Vasodilatory Actions of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Are Preserved in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Microvasculature but Not in Conduit Artery in Obese Humans With Vascular Insulin Resistance

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is associated with microvascular insulin resistance, which is characterized by impaired insulin-mediated microvascular recruitment. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) recruits skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, and this action is preserved in insulin-resistant rodents. We aimed to examine whether GLP-1 recruits microvasculature and improves the action of insulin in obese humans.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Fifteen obese adults received intravenous infusion of either saline or GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/min) for 150 min with or without a euglycemic insulin clamp (1 mU/kg/min) superimposed over the last 120 min. Skeletal and cardiac muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), flow velocity and blood flow, brachial artery diameter and blood flow, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were determined.

RESULTS

Insulin failed to change MBV or flow in either skeletal or cardiac muscle, confirming the presence of microvascular insulin resistance. GLP-1 infusion alone increased MBV by ~30% and ~40% in skeletal and cardiac muscle, respectively, with no change in flow velocity, leading to a significant increase in microvascular blood flow in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. Superimposition of insulin to GLP-1 infusion did not further increase MBV or flow in either skeletal or cardiac muscle but raised the steady-state glucose infusion rate by ~20%. Insulin, GLP-1, and GLP-1 + insulin infusion did not alter brachial artery diameter and blood flow or PWV. The vasodilatory actions of GLP-1 are preserved in both skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, which may contribute to improving metabolic insulin responses and cardiovascular outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

In obese humans with microvascular insulin resistance, GLP-1’s vasodilatory actions are preserved in both skeletal and cardiac muscle microvasculature, which may contribute to improving metabolic insulin responses and cardiovascular outcomes.




b

Association of Urine Haptoglobin With Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Transethnic Collaborative Work

OBJECTIVE

Haptoglobin is an acute-phase reactant with pleiotropic functions. We aimed to study whether urine haptoglobin may predict risk of mortality in people with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We employed a transethnic approach with a cohort of Asian origin (Singapore) (N = 2,061) and a cohort of European origin (France) (N = 1,438) included in the study. We used survival analyses to study the association of urine haptoglobin with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 365 and 525 deaths were registered in the Singapore cohort (median follow-up 7.5 years [interquartile range 3.5–12.8]) and French SURDIAGENE cohort (median follow-up 6.8 years [interquartile range 4.3–10.5], respectively. Singapore participants with urine haptoglobin in quartiles 2 to 4 had higher risk for all-cause mortality compared with quartile 1 (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.47 [95% CI 1.02–2.11], 2.28 [1.62–3.21], and 4.64 [3.39–6.35], respectively). The association remained significant in quartile 4 after multiple adjustments (1.68 [1.15–2.45]). Similarly, participants in the French cohort with haptoglobin in quartile 4 had significantly higher hazards for all-cause mortality compared with quartile 1 (unadjusted HR 2.67 [2.09–3.42] and adjusted HR 1.49 [1.14–1.96]). In both cohorts, participants in quartile 4 had a higher risk of mortality attributable to cardiovascular disease and infection but not malignant tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

Urine haptoglobin predicts risk of mortality independent of traditional risk factors, suggesting that it may potentially be a novel biomarker for risk of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.




b

A Multinational, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Cyclical Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers: The TWO2 Study

OBJECTIVE

Topical oxygen has been used for the treatment of chronic wounds for more than 50 years. Its effectiveness remains disputed due to the limited number of robust high-quality investigations. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of multimodality cyclical pressure Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) home care therapy in healing refractory diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that had failed to heal with standard of care (SOC) alone.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with diabetes and chronic DFUs were randomized (double-blind) to either active TWO2 therapy or sham control therapy—both in addition to optimal SOC. The primary outcome was the percentage of ulcers in each group achieving 100% healing at 12 weeks. A group sequential design was used for the study with three predetermined analyses and hard stopping rules once 73, 146, and ultimately 220 patients completed the 12-week treatment phase.

RESULTS

At the first analysis point, the active TWO2 arm was found to be superior to the sham arm, with a closure rate of 41.7% compared with 13.5%. This difference in outcome produced an odds ratio (OR) of 4.57 (97.8% CI 1.19, 17.57), P = 0.010. After adjustment for University of Texas Classification (UTC) ulcer grade, the OR increased to 6.00 (97.8% CI 1.44, 24.93), P = 0.004. Cox proportional hazards modeling, also after adjustment for UTC grade, demonstrated >4.5 times the likelihood to heal DFUs over 12 weeks compared with the sham arm with a hazard ratio of 4.66 (97.8% CI 1.36, 15.98), P = 0.004. At 12 months postenrollment, 56% of active arm ulcers were closed compared with 27% of the sham arm ulcers (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

This sham-controlled, double-blind randomized controlled trial demonstrates that, at both 12 weeks and 12 months, adjunctive cyclical pressurized TWO2 therapy was superior in healing chronic DFUs compared with optimal SOC alone.




b

ACE and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether ACE inhibitors reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes using a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A two-sample MR analysis included 17 independent genetic variants associated with ACE serum concentration in 4,147 participants from the Outcome Reduction with Initial Glargine INtervention (ORIGIN) (clinical trial reg. no. NCT00069784) trial, and their effects on type 2 diabetes risk were estimated from 18 studies of the DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) consortium. A genetic risk score (GRS) underpinning lower ACE concentration was then tested for association with type 2 diabetes prevalence in 341,872 participants, including 16,320 with type 2 diabetes, from the UK Biobank. MR estimates were compared after standardization for blood pressure change, with the estimate obtained from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) meta-analysis of ACE inhibitors versus placebo (n = 31,200).

RESULTS

Genetically lower ACE concentrations were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] per SD 0.92 [95% CI 0.89–0.95]; P = 1.79 x 10–7). This result was replicated in the UK Biobank (OR per SD 0.97 [0.96–0.99]; P = 8.73 x 10–4). After standardization, the ACE GRS was associated with a larger decrease in type 2 diabetes risk per 2.4-mmHg lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) compared with that obtained from an RCT meta-analysis (OR per 2.4-mmHg lower MAP 0.19 [0.07–0.51] vs. 0.76 [0.60–0.97], respectively; P = 0.007 for difference).

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the causal protective effect of ACE inhibitors on type 2 diabetes risk and may guide therapeutic decision making in clinical practice.




b

Leukocyte Telomere Length, DNA Oxidation, and Risk of Lower-Extremity Amputation in Patients With Long-standing Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Telomere shortening and DNA oxidation are associated with premature vascular aging, which may be involved in lower-extremity amputation (LEA). We sought to investigate whether leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and plasma 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of DNA oxidation, were associated with LEA in subjects with type 1 diabetes at high vascular risk.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

LTL (quantitative PCR) and plasma 8-OHdG concentrations (immunoassay method) were assessed at baseline in the GENEDIAB (Génétique de la Néphropathie Diabétique) type 1 diabetes cohort. Logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratio (OR) (at baseline) and hazard ratio (HR) (during follow-up), with related 95% CI, by increasing biomarker tertiles (T1, T2, T3).

RESULTS

Among 478 participants (56% male, mean ± SD age 45 ± 12 years and diabetes duration 29 ± 10 years), 84 patients had LEA at baseline. Baseline history of LEA was associated with shorter LTL (OR for T2 vs. T1 0.62 [95% CI 0.32–1.22] and for T3 vs. T1 0.41 [0.20–0.84]) but not with plasma 8-OHdG (1.16 [0.56–2.39] and 1.24 [0.61–2.55], respectively). New cases of LEA occurred in 34 (12.3%) participants during the 10-year follow-up. LTL were shorter (HR T2 vs. T1 0.25 [95% CI 0.08–0.67] and T3 vs. T1 0.29 [0.10–0.77]) and plasma 8-OHdG higher (2.20 [0.76–7.35] and 3.11 [1.07–10.32]) in participants who developed LEA during follow-up compared with others. No significant interaction was observed between biomarkers on their association with LEA.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the first independent association between LTL shortening and excess risk of LEA in type 1 diabetes. High plasma 8-OHdG was also associated with incident LEA but partly dependent on cofounding variables.




b

Respective Contributions of Glycemic Variability and Mean Daily Glucose as Predictors of Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes: Are They Equivalent?

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the respective contributions of short-term glycemic variability and mean daily glucose (MDG) concentration to the risk of hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

People with type 1 diabetes (n = 100) investigated at the University Hospital of Montpellier (France) underwent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on two consecutive days, providing a total of 200 24-h glycemic profiles. The following parameters were computed: MDG concentration, within-day glycemic variability (coefficient of variation for glucose [%CV]), and risk of hypoglycemia (presented as the percentage of time spent below three glycemic thresholds: 3.9, 3.45, and 3.0 mmol/L).

RESULTS

MDG was significantly higher, and %CV significantly lower (both P < 0.001), when comparing the 24-h glycemic profiles according to whether no time or a certain duration of time was spent below the thresholds. Univariate regression analyses showed that MDG and %CV were the two explanatory variables that entered the model with the outcome variable (time spent below the thresholds). The classification and regression tree procedure indicated that the predominant predictor for hypoglycemia was %CV when the threshold was 3.0 mmol/L. In people with mean glucose ≤7.8 mmol/L, the time spent below 3.0 mmol/L was shortest (P < 0.001) when %CV was below 34%.

CONCLUSIONS

In type 1 diabetes, short-term glycemic variability relative to mean glucose (i.e., %CV) explains more hypoglycemia than does mean glucose alone when the glucose threshold is 3.0 mmol/L. Minimizing the risk of hypoglycemia requires a %CV below 34%.




b

Time Course of Normalization of Functional {beta}-Cell Capacity in the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial After Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To assess functional β-cell capacity in type 2 diabetes during 2 years of remission induced by dietary weight loss.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A Stepped Insulin Secretion Test with Arginine was used to quantify functional β-cell capacity by hyperglycemia and arginine stimulation. Thirty-nine of 57 participants initially achieved remission (HbA1c <6.5% [<48 mmol/mol] and fasting plasma glucose <7 mmol/L on no antidiabetic drug therapy) with a 16.4 ± 7.7 kg weight loss and were followed up with supportive advice on avoidance of weight regain. At 2 years, 20 participants remained in remission in the study. A nondiabetic control (NDC) group, matched for age, sex, and weight after weight loss with the intervention group, was studied once.

RESULTS

During remission, median (interquartile range) maximal rate of insulin secretion increased from 581 (480–811) pmol/min/m2 at baseline to 736 (542–998) pmol/min/m2 at 5 months, 942 (565–1,240) pmol/min/m2 at 12 months (P = 0.028 from baseline), and 936 (635–1,435) pmol/min/m2 at 24 months (P = 0.023 from baseline; n = 20 of 39 of those initially in remission). This was comparable to the NDC group (1,016 [857–1,507] pmol/min/m2) by 12 (P = 0.064) and 24 (P = 0.244) months. Median first-phase insulin response increased from baseline to 5 months (42 [4–67] to 107 [59–163] pmol/min/m2; P < 0.0001) and then remained stable at 12 and 24 months (110 [59–201] and 125 [65–166] pmol/min/m2, respectively; P < 0.0001 vs. baseline) but lower than that of the NDC group (250 [226–429] pmol/min/m2; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

A gradual increase in assessed functional β-cell capacity occurred after weight loss, becoming similar to that of NDC group participants by 12 months. This result was unchanged at 2 years with continuing remission of type 2 diabetes.




b

The Contemporary Prevalence of Diabetic Neuropathy in Type 1 Diabetes: Findings From the T1D Exchange

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the contemporary prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in participants with type 1 diabetes in the T1D Exchange Clinic Registry throughout the U.S.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

DPN was assessed with the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Questionnaire (MNSIQ) in adults with ≥5 years of type 1 diabetes duration. A score of ≥4 defined DPN. Associations of demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors with DPN were assessed.

RESULTS

Among 5,936 T1D Exchange participants (mean ± SD age 39 ± 18 years, median type 1 diabetes duration 18 years [interquartile range 11, 31], 55% female, 88% non-Hispanic white, mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 8.1 ± 1.6% [65.3 ± 17.5 mmol/mol]), DPN prevalence was 11%. Compared with those without DPN, DPN participants were older, had higher HbA1c, had longer duration of diabetes, were more likely to be female, and were less likely to have a college education and private insurance (all P < 0.001). DPN participants also were more likely to have cardiovascular disease (CVD) (P < 0.001), worse CVD risk factors of smoking (P = 0.008), hypertriglyceridemia (P = 0.002), higher BMI (P = 0.009), retinopathy (P = 0.004), reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.02), and Charcot neuroarthropathy (P = 0.002). There were no differences in insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor use, although DPN participants were more likely to have had severe hypoglycemia (P = 0.04) and/or diabetic ketoacidosis (P < 0.001) in the past 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of DPN in this national cohort with type 1 diabetes is lower than in prior published reports but is reflective of current clinical care practices. These data also highlight that nonglycemic risk factors, such as CVD risk factors, severe hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and lower socioeconomic status, may also play a role in DPN development.




b

Caribbean Immigrants in the United States

Caribbean immigrants represent 10 percent of the 44.5 million immigrants in the United States, with the vast majority coming from just five countries: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. Depending on their origin country and period of arrival, immigrants from the Caribbean have varying skill levels, racial composition, language background, and motivations for migration, as this article explores.




b

Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

Approximately 450,000 Brazilian immigrants resided in the United States in 2017, an increase of nearly one-third since 2010. Representing 1 percent of the nation's 44.5 million immigrants, Brazilians tend to have higher educational attainment and household incomes compared to the overall foreign-born population. Get the latest data on Brazilians immigrants, including flows over time, geographic distribution, and more in this Spotlight.




b

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States

The sub-Saharan African immigrant population in the United States is a small, but quickly growing, one. Between 2010 and 2018, the size of the sub-Saharan African population increased 52 percent, far outpacing the overall rise in the foreign born. Immigrants coming from the 51 sub-Saharan countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Somalia, are diverse in their origins and socioeconomic characteristics, as this Spotlight explores.




b

As Governments Build Advanced Surveillance Systems to Push Borders Out, Will Travel and Migration Become Unequal for Some Groups?

As governments seek to push their borders out by amassing ever more data on travelers and migrants, their creation of increasingly complex border surveillance systems and use of risk-assessment technologies could ease mobility for some while rendering other groups immobile based on hypothetical risk profiles and decisions that are not publicly known and cannot be challenged, as this article explores.




b

International Experience Suggests Safe Third-Country Agreement Would Not Solve the U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis

While safe third-country agreements appear to hold the potential of deterring new asylum claims, experience suggests this may be a false promise. As the Trump administration explores the possibility of such agreements with Mexico and Guatemala, this commentary examines the evidence of safe third-country arrangements in Europe, finding them difficult to enforce and playing little role in deterring new claims.




b

As the Trump Administration Seeks to Remove Families, Due-Process Questions over Rocket Dockets Abound

The U.S. government is operating accelerated dockets to handle the rising number of cases of families in immigration court. While it is essential to have timely, fair case processing and removal of those who have truly had their day in court and been found to be removable, using “rocket” dockets to speed up proceedings only heightens the breakdowns that are a recurring feature of the court system on its best day, as this commentary explains.




b

As the United States Resettles Fewer Refugees, Some Countries and Religions Face Bigger Hits than Others

Even as refugee admissions have dropped sharply during the Trump administration, some countries and religions have been significantly more affected than others, as this commentary explores. In fiscal year 2019, 79 percent of refugees were Christian and 16 percent Muslim—as compared to 44 percent Christian and 46 percent Muslim in fiscal year 2016, which was the last full year of the Obama administration.




b

Coronavirus Is Spreading across Borders, But It Is Not a Migration Problem

Travel bans, border closures, and other migration management tools did not prove effective at blocking COVID-19 from spreading across international borders. Yet as governments have shifted from containment to mitigation with the coronavirus now in community transmission in many countries, these restrictions are a logical part of the policy toolkit in the context of social distancing and restricting all forms of human movement, as this commentary explores.




b

As COVID-19 Slows Human Mobility, Can the Global Compact for Migration Meet the Test for a Changed Era?

The coronavirus pandemic dramatically reshaped how human mobility is managed just as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration was beginning to move from paper to implementation. As governments face pressing public-health, economic, and other concerns in responding to COVID-19, this MPI Europe commentary explores whether the first comprehensive global agreement on migration can adjust to a changed reality.




b

Invertir en el Vecindario: Cambios en los Patrones de Migración Entre México y Estados Unidos y Oportunidades para una Cooperación Sostenible

Presentación del reporte que refleja el contenido de encuentros del grupo de estudio sobre la migración México-Estados Unidos convocado por El Colegio de México y el Migration Policy Institute (MPI).




b

“Cubicle Activism”: Companies Face Growing Demands from Workers to Cut Ties with ICE and Others in Immigration Arena

From online petitions to organized walkouts, corporate America is facing increasing employee activism over its business involvement with agencies implementing the federal government's immigration policies. This "cubicle activism," seen at companies ranging from Amazon and Google to Bank of America and Wayfair, has garnered mixed success to date, forcing divestiture from private prison contractors but fewer results in other contexts, as this article explores.




b

Will Supreme Court Ruling on DACA Finally Force Congress to Break the Ice on Immigration Reform?

The fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has ping ponged between all three branches of government. But with the Supreme Court poised to decide DACA's future in spring 2020, Congress may finally be forced to act to resolve the status of DREAMers after nearly two decades of considering various DREAM Act bills. Could this break the long stalemate Congress has had on passing substantive immigration legislation, and pave the way for other actions?




b

Interlocking Set of Trump Administration Policies at the U.S.-Mexico Border Bars Virtually All from Asylum

Through a set of interlocking policies, the Trump administration has walled off the asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border, guaranteeing that only a miniscule few can successfully gain protection. While the Migrant Protection Protocols, more commonly known as Remain in Mexico, have been a key part of throttling asylum applications, two newer, far less visible programs hold the potential to complete the job, as this article explores.




b

Una nueva política migratoria para una nueva era: Una conversación con la Secretaria de Gobernación Olga Sánchez Cordero

Durante su primera visita oficial a Washington, DC, la Secretaria de Gobierno Olga Sánchez Cordero presento un discurso público sobre la nueva política migratoria de México en el Instituto de Políticas Migratorias.




b

Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute

Closing the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off aid to Central America would only feed the crisis unfolding at key points along the U.S.-Mexico border. This commentary outlines a range of immediate and long-term policy responses that would more effectively address the complex mix of factors fueling rising Central American migration to the United States.




b

Policy Options for Responding to Changing Migration Flows at the Southwest Border

Testimony of Andrew Selee, President of MPI, before Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on April 4, 2019 regarding response to changing migration flows at the Southwest border.




b

Is U.S.-Mexico Cooperation on Migration Possible?

Over recent months, the number of Central American migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border has surged, presenting a critical challenge in the relationship between the two neighboring countries. Experts from a Study Group on U.S.-Mexico Migration convened by El Colegio de México and MPI discuss current trends, policies, and politics surrounding migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America and the U.S.-Mexico relationship, ways to improve U.S. and Mexican asylum systems, possible new approaches to labor migration, ways to address smuggling networks, and modernize border management.




b

Beyond Walls and Tariffs: Responding to Migration Challenges at the U.S.-Mexico Border

This event organized by the Migration Policy Institute and American Enterprise Institute features a conversation on U.S.-Mexico border conditions, as well as policy responses and regional cooperation on illegal immigration. 




b

Beyond Walls and Tariffs: Responding to Migration Challenges at the U.S.-Mexico Border

This event features a smart conversation by a range of experts on U.S.-Mexico border conditions, looking at policy responses by both countries and regional cooperation.




b

Stony Brook University opens Center for Implant and Digital Technology

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine opened Dec. 5 its Center for Implant and Digital Technology, which will serve as a state-of-the-art space for digital dentistry-focused education, patient care and research.




b

ADA supports proposed rules to update federal Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law

The American Dental Association supports a new safe harbor for cybersecurity technology and services and modifying the existing safe harbor for electronic health records to add protections for cybersecurity. This was in response to the Office of the Inspector General and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed changes to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law exceptions.




b

New ADA standard, technical report available for comment by Feb. 17

The American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Informatics has approved two documents for circulation and comment.




b

ADA Member Advantage ends two endorsements

ADA Member Advantage announced Jan. 8 the end of its endorsement relationship with two companies.




b

ADA CERP collaboration focuses on dentistry’s role in interprofessional education

The ADA’s Continuing Education Recognition Program, or ADA CERP, announced in December that it is collaborating with Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education, in an effort to offer dentists more opportunities to participate in interprofessional education.




b

Member review, comment solicited for changes to CDT Code

The 2021 Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature — better known as the CDT Code — could include changes or additions to codes regarding oral/oropharyngeal cancer, caries management by risk assessment, laboratory surface scanning for diagnostic purposes, and counseling for the control and prevention of adverse oral, behavioral, and systemic health effects associated with high-risk substance use.




b

Free ADA webinar offers education on how to receive electronic funds transfer payments

Dentists who have had a dental plan payment check lost in the mail could consider a way to receive safe and secure payment through electronic funds transfer payments.




b

Dentists rank No. 2 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Jobs report

Dentists leaped up to No. 2 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the 100 Best Jobs, the magazine revealed on its website Jan. 7.




b

American College of Dentists celebrates centennial anniversary

As the American College of Dentists celebrates its 100th anniversary, its leaders are ready to continue their mission of advancing excellence, ethics, professionalism and leadership in dentistry.




b

ADA Publishing unveils new websites

The ADA Publishing unveiled in December new webpages for four award-winning and well-respected publications — ADA News, The Journal of the American Dental Association, Dental Practice Success and the New Dentist News, giving the journal and magazines a greater presence online.




b

Dr. Loree Bolin is ADA’s 2020 Humanitarian Award recipient

Dr. Loree Bolin’s humanitarian work has drawn accolades from the dental community in her home state of Washington, and now Dr. Bolin is being recognized nationally by being named the recipient of the ADA’s 2020 Humanitarian Award, bestowed by the ADA Board of Trustees.




b

ADA standard on treating biofilm in waterlines available for comment

The American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Products has approved the document for circulation and comment.




b

Dental sealant webinar to stream Feb. 6

The ADA will present a free webinar Feb. 6 on dental sealants, especially designed to help dental providers in communities that do not yet have sealant programs in place.




b

Texas A&M dental school opens new clinic, education building

Texas A&M College of Dentistry announced Jan. 17 it opened it’s a new 160,000-square-foot, nine-story clinic, which enables the dental school to increase underserved patients’ access to care.




b

Special Olympics athletes get dental help thanks to ADA member dentist

As the world gets ready for the Special Olympics Sweden Invitational Games in February, one of the ADA’s member dentists will be watching as the Special Smiles program he founded will be used to screen and attend to the dental needs of the competing athletes.




b

2019 marks big year for Washington office

The Association’s Washington office covered a wide range of advocacy issues in 2019 — from vaping to student loan reform to making sure dentistry was exempt from the U.S. Mexico-Tourism Act.




b

February JADA examines connection between healthy eating habits, untreated caries

Greater compliance with dietary guidelines may reduce the chance of untreated caries in adults, according to a study published in the February issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.




b

ADA House rescinds The Dentist’s Prayer, amends recognition of religious diversity policy to be more inclusive

In an effort to advance the Association’s diversity and inclusion efforts, the ADA House of Delegates voted at its meeting in September to rescind the policy titled “The Dentist’s Prayer,” used by some state and local dental societies during their meetings, and amend its policy on recognition of religious diversity.




b

Dental Quality Alliance to help dentists make connection between everyday dentistry, quality measures

The Dental Quality Alliance will help dentists learn more about how quality measure domains can be best used to drive quality improvement at the practice level through a free webinar in March.




b

Member dentist honored for contributions in SNODENT development

The international group SNOMED International honored ADA member dentist Dr. Mark Jurkovich with the Award of Excellence for spearheading the important work the ADA has done on SNODENT, the group announced Jan. 16.




b

Study clubs ‘enhance the level of care provided’

The Duluth Dental Forum in northeastern Minnesota celebrated its 75th anniversary in late 2019, stating that it was the second-oldest study club of its kind in the United States.




b

ADA urges subcommittee to support Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act

The American Dental Association is asking Congress to pass the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act — legislation that would require all private group and individual health plans to cover medically necessary services that repair or restore congenital anomalies.




b

CDC to offer coronavirus guidance during webinar Jan. 31

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will provide interim guidance to clinicians regarding the coronavirus outbreak during a webinar at 2 p.m. EST Jan. 31.