Tag Archives: health economics

Increase in kidney failure in people with diabetes Diabetes UK has reported ‘concern’ in recently released figures showing a 20% increase in people with diabetes in England needing dialysis or a kidney transplant between 2008–2009. The figures released by the National Diabetes Audit also reveals, for the same period, that a third of people with diabetes did not have their urine tested, half of people with diabetes were found to have not met their blood pressure targets, and more than a third were found to have poor blood glucose control, with the latter more prevalent in younger people with diabetes. Data for the audit was contributed f

Introduction Heart failure is a serious syndrome accounting for around 4% of UK general practitioner (GP) consultations in patients over 45 years.1 Diagnosis is complex with frequent co-existing symptoms; misdiagnosis may lead to inappropriate treatment and inefficient use of scarce healthcare resources.2 The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for chronic heart failure state that the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or natriuretic peptides tests (where available) may be used to help exclude heart failure.3 Abnormal ECGs are usually observed in heart failure cases, although in one study, around 20% of pa