Beyond A1C: exploring continuous glucose monitoring metrics in managing diabetes.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has long been considered a cornerstone of diabetes mellitus (DM) management, as both an indicator of average glycemia and a predictor of long-term complications among people with DM. However, HbA1c is subject to non-glycemic influences which confound interpretation and as a measure of average glycemia does not provide information regarding glucose trends or about the occurrence of hypoglycemia and/or hyperglycemia episodes. As such, solitary use of HbA1c, without accompanying glucose data, does not confer actionable information that can be harnessed to guide targeted therapy in many patients with DM.

Differences in the sodium content of bread products in the USA and UK: implications for policy.

Objective: Americans consume Na in excess of daily recommendations. Most dietary Na comes from packaged foods, and bread is a major contributor. In the UK, national Na reduction strategies contributed to lower Na levels in packaged foods and lower population Na intake.

Rank reversal in indirect comparisons.

Objective: To describe rank reversal as a source of inconsistent interpretation intrinsic to indirect comparison (Bucher HC, Guyatt GH, Griffith LE, Walter SD. The results of direct and indirect treatment comparisons in meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Epi 1997;50:683-91) of treatments and to propose best practice.