Page 28 - 2017 V1 InsideOut

Membrane Upgraded to Organ
A mighty membrane that twists and turns through the gut is starting the NewYear with a new classification: the structure, called the mesentery, has been upgraded to an organ.
Scientists have long known about the structure, which connects a per- son’s small and large intestines to the abdominal wall and anchors them in place; however, until now, most sci- entists considered the mesentery to be a number of distinct membranes. Interestingly, Leonardo da Vinci, in one of the earliest descriptions, identified the membranes as a single structure.
Reclassification of the mesentery resulted from a study led by Dr. Calvin Coffey, a professor of surgery at the
High Cost of Diabetes
Diabetes leads a list of just 20 diseases and conditions that account for more than half of all spending on health- care in the U.S., according to a new comprehensive financial analysis. U.S. spending on diabetes diagnosis and treatment totaled $101 billion in 2013, and has grown 36 times faster than spending on heart disease,
the country’s No. 1 cause of death, researchers reported.
“After adjusting for inflation, we see that every year the U.S. is spend- ing 6 percent more than we spent the year before on diabetes,” said lead researcher Joseph Dieleman, assistant professor at the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “That's really a remarkable growth rate, notably faster than the economy is growing or healthcare spending as a whole.”
The annual rate of growth in healthcare spending between 1996 and 2013 has been 3.5 percent on average. During that 18-year period, spending on diabetes grew twice as fast as all conditions combined.
Americans spent $2.1 trillion in 2013 (the most recent year data was available) on diagnosis and treatment of health problems, which amounts to
University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry Medical School in Ireland. He and colleagues reviewed past studies, anatomy books and literature, which described the mesentery as a series of fragmented membranes associated with differing parts of the intestines. Recent studies, which involved pa- tients undergoing colorectal surgery and in cadavers, led Coffey’s team to conclude the mesentery is actually its own, continuous organ.
Dr. Coffey said that recognizing the mesentery as an organ will encour- age researchers to further explore its anatomy, structure and functions. Understanding those norms will help identify the abnormal, or diseases.
more than 17 percent of the total U.S. economy, the researchers concluded from their analysis of federal data.
Dieleman and colleagues broke down the $2.1 trillion spent in 2013 across 155 different health conditions, to see which diseases were drawing in the most dollars.
Cancer did not make the list because the researchers split the category into all different types of
In addition, researchers may look to the mesentery for new approaches to surgery.
Currently, many anatomical and other features of the mesentery still need description. For example, the scientists are uncertain if the mes- entery should be classified as part
of the intestinal, vascular, endocrine, cardiovascular or immunological systems, as it has important roles in all of those bodily systems. While many organs maintain distinct func- tions in the body, Dr. Coffey said the distinct function of the mesentery cur- rently remains unknown.
Source: Sara G. Miller, Gut Decision: Scientists Identify New Organ in Humans, January 3, 2017, accessed January 2017 at livescience.com
cancers, such as breast cancer and colon cancer. Combined, cancer care cost about $115 billion.
Findings were published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study only looked at total dollars spent on health care and not whether the dollars were spent wisely. A follow- up report will connect the money to risk factors that cause illness.
The top 10 most costly health expenses in 2013, according to the analysis, were:
Diabetes
$101.4 billion
Ischemic heart disease
$88.1 billion
Low back and neck pain
$87.6 billion
High blood pressure
$83.9 billion
Injuries from falls
$76.3 billion
Depression
$71.1 billion
Dental care
$66.4 billion
Vision and hearing problems
$59 billion
Skin-related problems
$55.7 billion
Pregnancy and postpartum care
$55.6 billion
The first five conditions alone comprised 18 percent of all personal healthcare spending and totaled $437 billion in 2013.
Source: Joseph Dieleman, PhD, Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, Diabetes Takes Biggest Bite Out of U.S. Health Care Spending, December 28, 2016, accessed January 2017 at medlineplus.gov
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