Treatment for Gum Disease Can Lower Medical Costs for People With Diabetes

United Concordia Dental offers innovative program in response to study findings

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 23, 2012 - Medical costs are lower for people with diabetes who receive treatment for gum disease, according to a study presented today to the American Association for Dental Research by Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat of the University of Pennsylvania. The study was done in collaboration with United Concordia Dental and Highmark Inc.

"The study showed that periodontal treatment and ongoing maintenance is associated with a significant decrease in the cost of medical care for people with diabetes – in the amount of $1,800 per year," said James Bramson, D.D.S., chief dental officer for United Concordia. "The findings also showed that hospitalizations decreased by 33 percent and physician visits by 13 percent across the entire study population of diabetics when gum disease is treated and managed afterward." Findings related to pharmacy costs in the study population will be released in the near future.

More than 25.8 million adults and children are living with diabetes in 2011 – a number that has more than doubled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is really a landmark study because of its size and three-year duration. These numbers clearly demonstrate the importance of the study's findings for people with diabetes, as well as the impact the treatment of gum disease can have on the rising medical costs associated with diabetes," said. Dr. Bramson.
 
F.G. Merkel, United Concordia president and chief operating officer, said the dental insurer and its parent company, Highmark Inc., funded the study by Professor and Dean Emeritus Marjorie Jeffcoat, D.M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, because of United Concordia's increasing concern with the importance of oral health on overall health and to underscore both companies' commitment to wellness.

"The study points to the ability to lower medical costs among patients with diabetes through appropriate dental care," said Merkel. "Because of what we now know, United Concordia is introducing a group product that provides additional coverage for treatment of periodontal disease for members with diabetes. We believe that employers will realize reduced medical costs when their employees with diabetes receive appropriate periodontal care."

As a result of the study's findings, United Concordia will offer UCWellness, a disease-specific program that provides 100 percent coverage for maintenance following periodontal treatment, certain surgical procedures that treat gum disease and removal of plaque and tartar in patients with gum disease. An important component of UCWellness is targeted education geared toward covered members with diabetes.

"What makes UCWellness different than others on the market is the enhanced surgical benefit we are offering," said Merkel. "United Concordia is the first to offer this type and level of coverage to people with diabetes."

"A considerable amount of literature exists pointing to an association between dental disease and certain medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature or low birth weight infants," said Dr. Jeffcoat. "The number of individuals' data in this study makes it the largest of its kind and is clinically significant in my opinion." 

The information being released related to diabetes is the first in a series of findings which will demonstrate that appropriate dental treatment and maintenance can actually help lower medical costs for individuals with certain medical conditions. 

"We hope these additional findings will show medically related cost savings as well. What's clear now is that appropriate dental treatment and maintenance for diabetics can predict lower medical costs," said Dr. Bramson.

The University of Pennsylvania study analyzed data over a three-year period from nearly 1.7 million individuals with United Concordia dental and Highmark medical coverage. It focused on determining if dental cleanings and/or treatment of gum disease would decrease the cost of medical care in patients who have diabetes. The study will also analyze other chronic diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, strokes and pregnancy with pre-term birth.

Dr. Jeffcoat presented the diabetes findings today to more than 2,500 attendees at the American Association for Dental Research annual meeting in Tampa, Florida. United Concordia expects to release the finding for the other diseases and conditions when the analysis is complete and will use the information to help employers drive down group benefit costs.

About United Concordia
United Concordia is a leading national dental carrier and delivers high-quality, cost-effective dental programs. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., the company has more than 8 million members, a network of more than 76,000 dentists at over 163,000 access points nationwide and is licensed in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. United Concordia has a companywide dedication and commitment to superior customer service, which is evident in the design, implementation, administration and servicing of its dental benefits programs.

Simple method of producing stem cell developed: Kalam

Hyderabad (India), Mar 2, 2012 - Two teams of researchers, one in Japan and the other in USA, have succeeded in developing a simple method of producing stem cell from human skin that eliminates the hassle of using human reproductive material, former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam said here today.
 He said the latest discovery eliminates the hassle of using human reproductive material altogether - no egg, no embryo and no cloning technique at all.

 ÒUsing re-activated viruses, the scientists managed to transport 4 key genes in the nucleus of the skin cells which re-programmed them into cells virtually identical to embryonic stem cells,Ó Kalam said in his speech at the inauguration of International Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research organized by the Federation of Asian Biotechnology Association (FABA) here.

 These stem cells will help people suffering from cardio-vascular and Parkinson's disease. The use of the cell from a person's own skin would eliminate the danger of immune system rejection, he explained.
 Stem cells are the master cells which have the capacity to transform into any of the body's entire repertoire of heart, liver, brain, bone and muscle cells.

 Union Health Ministry has formed the National Apex Committee for stem cell research and therapy. It will facilitate intensive stem cell research, cell based therapies and promote Indian enterprises in this evolving business, Kalam said.

 ÒI was happy to see that a focus had been given to stem cell research and a road map was emerging and the experts group promised me that they submit the road map in a month's time for development, production and clinical application of stem cell,Ó he added.

Meth use during pregnancy may affect baby's behaviour: Study

Washington, Mar 21 - Women who use methamphetamine during pregnancy may be placing their unborn children at risk of developing behavioural problems during childhood, a new study has claimed.
 Studies of children exposed to the cocaine-like stimulant drug in their mothers' womb have already linked the exposure

to stunting foetal growth, increasing newborns' stress level and affecting their motor development.
 Now, a team at the Brown University in the US who looked at babies of meth-using mothers since birth found that the drug's exposure could also take a toll on a child's mood and behaviour.

 They are more likely to suffer from anxious and depressed moods by age three, and at five years, these meth-exposed kids are more likely to Òact outÓ behaviourally and show symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the team reported in the journal Pediatrics.

 These findings are alarming, because behaviours seen at these young ages tend to persist, said study researcher Linda LaGasse, an assistant professor of pediatrics, said.

 ÒIt is not just about 3 to 5, it's setting the groundwork potentially for the future unless something interrupts it,Ó LaGasse told LiveScience.
 Methamphetamines, also known as speed or ice, create a feeling of energy and euphoria. According to a 2009 estimate, some 1.2 million Americans aged 12 and over had used meth at least once that year. Nearly 7 per cent were pregnant women.

 For the new study, the researchers used data from public health studies that had recruited mothers and their babies, and examined the behaviours of children who had been exposed to meth in utero. Mothers reported whether they had taken meth during pregnancy, and the babies' first stools were tested for signs of meth exposure.

 At follow-up interviews when the children were 3 and 5 years old, the caregivers responded to questions about the children's behaviours and moods.
 In addition, the 204 meth-exposed babies in the sample were matched with babies who had not been exposed to meth but were similar in other characteristics, including age, birth weight and mother's education.

At three years of age, the children exposed to meth seemed no different from unexposed children in measures of so-called ÒexternalisingÓ behaviours.

 These are acting-out behaviours such as bullying and other forms of aggression, and restlessness and other behaviours linked to ADHD. But, by age five, the unexposed children were maturing and showing fewer acting-out behaviours. On the other hand, the exposed kids seemed to be in a state of arrested development, the researchers said.

 ÒIt's like they don't make that transitional step. They are not getting worse, they're just staying,Ó LaGasse said.
 But of even more concern, LaGasse said, is what the researchers found out about ÒinternalisingÓ behaviours, or mood problems such as anxiety and depression.

 Kids exposed to meth before birth had a higher rate of these problems than unexposed kids at age three, and that difference persisted to age five,Ó LaGasse added.