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Youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may require a combination treatment or insulin therapy within a few years after diagnosis, according to a study published online April 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were at twice the risk of infection compared with children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study published May 1 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Current use of warfarin as a stroke prevention therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is associated with a lower rate of residual stroke or systemic embolism compared with previous data, according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

US healthcare costs associated with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) climbed from $39,400 in 2000 to $53,400 in 2009, and state Medicaid programs paid for the majority of the cases. Approximately 3.39 per 1,000 hospital births in 2009 had NAS compared with 1.20 in 2000, according to a report published online from JAMA.

With the aging of the US population, elective total hip and knee replacement operations have become more prevalent, and costs to the healthcare system for these procedures are increasing rapidly. This includes costs related to treatment of venous thromboembolism, which may be a consequence of these operations if appropriate postoperative thromboprophylaxis is not administered.

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Recent FDA action (through April 2012) related to, Dihydroergotamine, Levadex inhalation aerosol, droxidopa, Northera, Amitriptyline 4% ketamine 2% cream, AmiKet, Afilbercept, ZALTRAP, Nav rAAV8 vector, Carbamazepine, Carbatrol, Vancomycin hydrochloride, Vancocin, Irbesartan, irbesartan-hydrochloriderothiazide, Avapro, Avalide, Fluvastatin, Lescol

Patients with coronary heart disease who used statins were at a decreased risk of depression; whether there is a cause-and effect relationship, however, merits further research, according to a study published online February 21 in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Recent FDA Approvals (through April 2012) related to (Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Affymax, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Avioq, Hope Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals)

Private payers have the most experience with managing risk, but each stakeholder must achieve a perfect balance of risk and reward.

In spite of a drug pipeline that produced 34 new drugs moving to the market, U.S. spending on prescription drugs rose a negligible amount in 2011, according to a report from IMS Institute.

The concept of rewarding quality improvement is widely embraced, but implementation is far from perfect.