The Handoff: Your Week in Endocrinology News – 6/9/17

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of endocrinology and general medicine news covering various developments in subspecialties, as well as pharmaceutical industry, association, and society news.

–Can a dose of reality TV fight diabetes?  Most likely not, says a journalist at STAT news, taking a deep dive behind the scenes of Reversed, a reality competition airing this summer on Discovery Life that’s billed as “The Biggest Loser meets diabetes.”

–A JAMA Internal Medicine investigation found that over the past 15 years, significant reductions have been made in the sodium levels found in prepackaged food. However, “excessive sodium density” is still a problem in households across the US.

–The downside to “all these cancer screenings?” They probably won’t help your patients. The Daily Beast examines the trouble with dedicating time and money to regular screening for conditions like thyroid, prostate, and breast cancer.

–Research from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Texas A&M University suggests that a myriad health benefits can be linked to mango consumption, including improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar, and gut health.

–Parents of young children with type 1 diabetes experience elevated levels of stress, according to a study published in Diabetic Medicine. In particular, the burden of care was found to increase in fathers and decrease in mothers.

–New policy in the pipeline is set to drastically impact contraceptive coverage mandates, allowing numerous employers to claim moral and religious objections to providing birth control coverage.

–The Great Vitamin D Debate rages on: do our kids get enough vitamin D? Slate investigates what happens when we slather our children with sunscreen during the summer months.

–In the year following Mylan’s much-maligned EpiPen® price increase, not much has changed. A New York Times report details Mylan’s corporate response — or lack thereof — to the public outcry.

–Bicycling might be good for the soul — and, of course, the heart and the environment — but between 1997 and 2013, medical costs associated with nonfatal cycling crashes have increased by approximately $789 million per year.

–A daily dose of awwww: BuzzFeed shared the story of Alpha Schalk, service dog to a Virginia high schooler with type 1 diabetes.

–Don’t miss Endocrinology Advisor’s ongoing coverage of the American Diabetes Association 77th Scientific Sessions, taking place June 9-13 in sunny San Diego.