In a study of adult patients at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, nearly one in five had blood test results suggesting they had unrecognized diabetes, investigators report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. "Screening with HbA1c levels, (a measure of blood sugar levels over several weeks), at the time of admission to an acute care hospital may represent an opportunity to identify a high-risk group of patients with unrecognized diabetes and, if coupled with effective follow-up, to promote prevention of subsequent diabetes-related complications," Dr. Deborah J. Wexler and associates conclude. Join discussion...

In this study, we demonstrate that increased body weight, but not diabetes, is associated with greater prostate cancer mortality. Dr. Smith of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues reviewed data on more than 1500 men with locally advanced prostate cancer who were taking part in a clinical trial. After follow-up for an average of more than 8 years, 210 of 765 deaths that occurred were attributed to prostate cancer. Join discussion...