LEADER trial shows reduction in cardiovascular risk with liraglutide injection
Last week, Novo Nordisk announced the results of its LEADER trial, which investigated the cardiovascular safety of the company's injectable medication for type 2 diabetes. Results showed that in addition to helping people with type 2 diabetes, Victoza® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) also reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Full detailed results of the LEADER trial will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in June. Learn more

OMA is one of many partnering organizations working to advance obesity-related advocacy efforts on a national scale through the Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN). Last week, OCAN commented on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Draft Quality Measure Development Plan: Supporting the Transition to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Methods. OCAN's comments included recommendations that CMS review OMA's and other organization's clinical practice guidelines; focus its conversations on obesity when identifying quality domains; and prioritize patient care, decision-making, collection of outcomes, access to services, referrals, counseling, and assessment as they related to quality measurement. Read the full letter to CMS containing OCAN's comments.

It's been almost a year since Drs. Krishna Doniparthi and Wickham Simonds pledged to grow their hair in support of the Obesity Treatment Foundation. In April, we'll measure both doctors' hair to determine how many inches of growth they achieved in one year. There's still time to make your pledge for every inch of hair growth. And, to make it even more interesting, both Dr. Doniparthi and Dr. Simonds promised to match the pledges they receive on their hair up to $5,000. Help us unlock $10,000 in total matching gifts by making your pledge--$25 per inch will help us get there! To make your pledge, contact Stacy Schmidt at stacy@obesitytreatmentfoundation.org.

We asked Dr. Wickham Simonds about growing his hair this past year and what, to him, is the most important about the Obesity Treatment Foundation (OTF).

1. How has the hair-growth process been? The process has been funny. I don't look the same, and a lot of patients and friends don't recognize me. I had to get my driver's license and passport photos updated. My female patient population almost always comments on my hair - they seem to love it. Most of my patients want me to keep it.

2. What do you wish other people knew about OTF and/or the field of obesity medicine? I wish other people could see the potential impact OTF could have. In my mind, obesity is the most prevalent and costly disease in the United States, and yet most health care practitioners still view it as a character flaw rather than treating it as a disease. The result is an underwhelming response to a complex disease. I see OTF as an avenue to change this, by educating health care providers about this disease. Once the medical community can agree that obesity is a disease, we can have a much better response to it.

3. What do you think will change about obesity treatment and research over the next five years? I think the role of medication in treating obesity is going to be more widely accepted. The demand for new drugs and devices to treat obesity will lead to more treatment options. I think you will see more clinical research to confirm that the obesity medicine approach is an effective way to treat this disease.