Coding Diabetes: Time To Look At The Coding Guidelines Again

Coding Diabetes: Time to Look at the Coding Guidelines Again

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, prompting coders to review the coding guidelines for this disease suffered by more than 10.9 million U.S. residents.
During November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is raising awareness about diabetes, diabetic eye disease, the importance of early disease detection, and related preventive health services covered by Medicare. According to the CMS website, diabetes can lead to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and amputation, among others, and it’s a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma. People with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza and are more likely to die from these than people who do not have diabetes. Among U.S. residents 65 years and older, 10.9 million (26.9 percent) had diabetes in 2010. Currently, 3.6 million Americans 40 and older suffer from diabetic eye disease. Education and early detection are major components to combating this disease.
Let’s take a look at the coding guidelines for diabetes to ensure that we accurately select and capture the ICD-10-CM code(s) for this disease. As all health information management (HIM) coding professionals know (or should know), the ICD-10-CM Official Coding and Reporting Guidelines have been approved by the four organizations that make up the Cooperating Parties for ICD-10: the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Na Continue reading

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Long daytime naps are 'warning sign' for type-2 diabetes

Napping for more than an hour during the day could be a warning sign for type-2 diabetes, Japanese researchers suggest.
They found the link after analysing observational studies involving more than 300,000 people.
UK experts said people with long-term illnesses and undiagnosed diabetes often felt tired during the day.
But they said there was no evidence that napping caused or increased the risk of diabetes.
The large study, carried out by scientists at the University of Tokyo, is being presented at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Munich.
Their research found there was a link between long daytime naps of more than 60 minutes and a 45% increased risk of type-2 diabetes, compared with no daytime napping - but there was no link with naps of less than 40 minutes.
Sleeping patterns
The researchers said long naps could be a result of disturbed sleep at night, potentially caused by sleep apnoea.
And this sleeping disorder could increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular problems and other metabolic disorders, including type-2 diabetes.
Sleep deprivation, caused by work or social life patterns, could also lead to increased appetite, which could increase the risk of type-2 diabetes.
But it was also possible that people who were less healthy or in the early stages of diabetes were more likely to nap for longer during the day.
Shorter naps, in contrast, were more likely to increase alertness and motor skills, the authors said.
'Early warning sign'
Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, said there w Continue reading

What Exactly is Type 3 Diabetes?

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, a well-known physician/author who focuses on diabetes, heart disease and diet, “10% of 65 year olds, 25% of 75 year olds and 50% of 85 year olds will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.” Along with diabetes and obesity, it is a global epidemic. Alzheimer’s is the top form of dementia and now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that is progressive, often starts with forgetfulness and confusion, in which the brain’s nerve cells degenerate. It can then affect personalities, moods and language leading to behavior issues in the patient. It is not considered “natural aging.” There is gene involvement but only 5% of cases are directly related to genes. The main causes seem to involve oxidative stress as well as systemic inflammation. Some of it is aging but it also encompasses lifestyle which contributes to brain health. “The medical community has yet to identify a specific cause and there is no effective long term treatment.”
Scientists have been referring to Alzheimer’s as type 3 diabetes since 2005 since “people with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s.” The connection seems to be insulin resistance which also relates to lifestyle. According to The Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology “currently there is rapid growth pointing toward insulin resistance as mediators of Alzheimer’s neuro-degeneration.” Experts at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conclude that insulin resistance can be reduced by “limiting added sugars, refine Continue reading

Type 3 Diabetes: The Alarming Link Between Alzheimer’s and Diet

If you haven’t heard of it, type 3 diabetes is what many specialists are now calling Alzheimer’s disease.
The name covers the belief that Alzheimer’s results from insulin resistance of the brain.
Alzheimer’s is a cruel, degenerative condition that devastates millions of lives around the world.
And unfortunately, it’s only increasing in prevalence; as of 2016, 1 in 9 people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s.
Surprisingly, the number of individuals aged 65 and over with the condition is expected to triple by the year 2050 (1).
Could abnormal blood glucose regulation play a role?
This article takes a look at the metabolic theory of type 3 diabetes, and how we might be able to prevent (or potentially halt) the condition.
What is Type 3 Diabetes?
Type 3 diabetes—or Alzheimer’s disease—is a chronic condition in which brain neurons slowly degenerate and die (2, 3).
As a result, we see progressive memory loss and rapid declines in cognitive ability (4).
I’ve personally seen the terrible effects of Alzheimer’s. As a young boy, I remember seeing my great grandfather hospitalized with late-stage Alzheimer’s.
And then from the start of my late teenage years, I saw my granddad—a strong, well-built man—slowly succumb to the disease.
Sadly, the condition can hit anyone.
Someone being physically fit or having an intelligent mind is not relevant; the disease doesn’t discriminate, and it takes no prisoners.
A Cruel Condition
Experiencing a slow deterioration, patients eventually lose the ability to interact with their environment, communicate, and even remembe Continue reading

What every woman should know about menopause and diabetes

When people say you're sweet, it's usually meant as a compliment. But when your blood is too sweet or your blood sugar (glucose) is too high, it's a warning sign for prediabetes or diabetes.
And unless you act quickly, your body won't like it.
According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes, and more than half were women. And of the more than 29 million with diabetes, 21 million were undiagnosed.
It's not surprising that many women in perimenopause and menopause don't realize they have diabetes — the symptoms can be confused with symptoms of menopause. Frequent urination, night sweats, anxiety, mood swings, foggy thinking, dry itchy skin, and vaginal infections are common to both.
It's important to know if you have prediabetes or diabetes because diabetes is one of the most silently dangerous diseases we face. It's the No. 6 killer of women ages 45 to 54 and the No. 4 killer of women ages 55 to 65.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 10 U.S. adults has diabetes now, and if current trends continue, that figure could rise to 1 in 3 by 2050.
Why is diabetes so dangerous? Chronically high blood sugars silently damage blood vessels and nerves, and that can lead to:
Heart disease
Stroke
Nerve damage (neuropathy) that leads to tingling and pain in feet and hands
Kidney disease
Loss of vision
Feet infections and in some severe cases, amputation
Bone and joint problems
Skin infections and wounds that don't heal
Teeth and gum infections
There are two kinds of diabetes.
Type 1 (sometimes called insulin Continue reading