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With 2020 winding down, theres a growing belief that 2021 is going to be a growth year for the stock markets. The US elections have returned a divided government, one unlikely to have the broad majorities or the broad support needed to enact wide-ranging reform legislation from either the right or left, and that bodes well for the economy generally.The COVID vaccines are entering distribution, and while new anti-virus lockdowns are also getting set in place, theres a feeling that the end of the pandemic may be near. According to the analyst community, a few names reflect serious growth plays. These are stocks that have already notched impressive gains year-to-date, and are poised to see the growth keep on coming even after 2020 wraps up.Bearing this in mind, we usedTipRanks databaseto scan the Street for tickers that fall into this category. Locking in on three in particular, the analysts believe that each name, which also happen to boast a Strong Buy consensus rating, can keep the rally alive in 2021.SunOpta (STKL)The first stock on this growth list is a health snack company, SunOpta. The companys line of products includes plant-based beverages, fruit-based snacks, broth and stocks, teas, and sunflower and roasted snacks. The company markets through private label and co-manufacturing distribution, as well as through food service institutions.SunOpta boasts a market cap of $962 million, after a year of stunning share price growth. The stock is up an impressive 328% this year, far outpacing the general markets. The companys Q3 revenues came in at $314.9 million, a 6.4% year-over-year gain. EPS, at a net loss of 1 cent, was better than the 2-cent loss expected and far better than the 11-cent loss reported in the year-ago quarter.The companys solid performance has attracted the attention of Craig-Hallum analyst Alex Fuhrman. The analyst rates STKL a Buy along with a $15 price target. This figure implies a one-year upside of 40% from current levels. (To watch Fuhrmans track record, click here)Backing his stance, Fuhrman wrote, We believe the companys focus on high value plant-based foods and beverages should command a premium valuation with opportunities for upside to estimates as the economy recovers from COVID.In large part, Fuhrmans optimism is based on SunOptas niche. The analyst noted, We expect plant-based food stocks to command a premium valuation to other food companies for the foreseeable future given faster growth trends and compelling environmental benefits. At just $4.5B in sales today, plant-based products are less than 1% of the $695B grocery market, but it is easy to envision it representing a double-digit share of grocery sales over time. Wall Street doesnt always come together in unanimity, but in this case, it does. SunOptas Strong Buy analyst consensus rating is unanimous, based on 3 Buy reviews. The stock is selling for $10.70, and with an average price target of $15, SunOpta has a forward growth potential of 40%. (See STKL stock analysis on TipRanks)Green Brick Partners (GRBK)One bright spot in the economy this past year has been the home construction industry. As people moved out of the cities to avoid COVID, they headed for the suburbs and exurbs and that boosted the demand for single-family homes. Green Brick is a land development and home acquisition company, based in Texas. The company invests in real estate, primarily land, and then provides plots and construction financing for the development projects.The spread of the suburbs not just in this COVID year, but as a general trend, has been good to Green Brick. The companys Q3 revenue was $275.8 million, the best in more than year, beating the forecast by 20% and growing 31% year-over-year. EPS was also strong; the Q3 value, 68 cents, was 54% above expectations, and more than double the year-ago value.Green Bricks share price has been rising along with the companys financial outlook. For the year, GRBK has gained 111%.In his coverage of this stock, JMP analyst Aaron Hecht noted, [We] expect GRBK to capitalize on the trend of apartment renters shifting to single-family homes for safety and changing dynamics brought on by more workers telecommuting. The most important cohort shift within the buyer pool is millennials who have come off the sidelines to buy homes, a trend which we believe has multiple years of runway. The millennial demand trend is magnified in GRBKs case given its outsized exposure to markets, such as Texas & Atlanta, which are the net beneficiaries of migration out of high-priced coastal geographies.To this end, Hecht rates GRBK an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his price target of $30 implies an upside of ~23% for the next 12 months. (To watch Hechts track record, click here)While not unanimous, the Strong Buy consensus rating on Green Brick is decisive, with a 3 to 1 breakdown of Buys versus Hold. The average price target of $27.5 gives a 12.5% upside potential from the current share price of $24.45. (See GRBK stock analysis on TipRanks)Brightcove, Inc. (BCOV)Shifting gears to the software industry, we come to Brightcove, a Boston-based software company. Brightcove offers a range of video platform products, including cloud-based hosting and social and interactive add-ons. The company is a leader in the delivery and monetization of cloud-based online video solutions.The strength of such a business model, during these pandemic days with their massive shift of white-collar workers toward remote offices, telecommuting, and video conferencing, is obvious. Brightcoves earnings hit 11 cents per share in Q3, nearly double the year-ago quarter. At the top line, revenues have been stable, holding between $46 million and $48 million per quarter in 2020, with no discernable COVID impact.Shares in Brightcove have been going up in steps all year, after a minor blip last winter. The pace has accelerated since the end of July, after the Q2 results were released, and the stock is now up 103% for 2020. The general macro headwinds are turning into video niche tailwinds, as noted by Northland Capital analyst Michael Latimore. We believe a market tailwind, BCOV's leading tech platform, and strong sales execution are driving strong bookings. We believe the salesforce is at full productivity. BCOV will add more channel managers this year. Management is focused on process improvements to achieve consistency in revenue retention rates, the 5-star analyst noted.Latimore rates the stock as Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $24 price target indicates confidence in a 36% upside for the year ahead. (To watch Latimores track record, click here)Over the past 3 months, two other analysts have thrown the hat in with a view on the video tech company. The two additional Buy ratings provide Brightcove with a Strong Buy consensus rating. With an average price target of $20.17, investors stand to take home 14% gain, should the target be met over the next months. (See BCOV stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for growth stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Increasing Prevalence of Diabetes Expected to Enhance the Growth of the Global Antidiabetics Market Exclusive Report [150 Pages] by Research Dive -...

December 22, 2020 - 11:22 am

Approximately 34% of Maryland adults are believed to be prediabetic

Frederick, MD (KB) Governor Larry Hogan recently announced a $94 million-dollar investment in the treatment and prevention of diabetes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Maryland Department of Healths Kristi Pier said the percentage of Marylanders with diabetes is slightly higher than the national prevalence.

About 11.1% of Maryland adults have diabetes, so over 10 in 100 have diabetes in Maryland, she explained. Which is a little bit higher than the national prevalence, which is about 10.5%.

Pier said there is a risk for individuals with diabetes who contract the coronavirus.

Diabetes there is a big concern during the pandemic due to the high prevalence of diabetes in the state, she said. As well as the increased risk for serious illness if someone with diabetes contracts COVID-19.

Some early warning signs of diabetes, according to Pier, are feeling hungry or thirsty despite eating, and fatigue.

Individuals who think they may be prediabetic can take a risk assessment online at the either the CDC or American Diabetes Association website. Pier listed the individuals who are most at risk for the disease.

Those that are most at risk are those people who have prediabetes, those adults who are also overweight, who are 45 years and older, or maybe have a parent, a brother, or sister who have Type 2 diabetes.

Link:
COVID-19 Impact On Individuals With Diabetes - WFMD

Guang-Ran Yang,1 Dongmei Li,2 Lin Li3

1Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, Peoples Republic of China; 2Clinical and Translational Science Institute, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14620, USA; 3Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence: Guang-Ran Yang Email gr.yang@ccmu.edu.cn

Objective: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was reported to have higher prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke compared with people without DR. However, whether DR had similar effects on CHD and stroke in US adults with diabetes was not well known. This study was to compare the association between DR, CHD and stroke in US adults with diabetes using the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).Methods: Respondents with diabetes aged over 18 years and undergone a fundus examination over the past 2 years were included in this study. DR, CHD and stroke were self-reported. A weighted hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the association of DR with CHD and stroke.Results: A total of 21,049 respondents with diabetes aged over 18 years having undergone a fundus examination over the past 2 years were included in the analysis. There were 4690 people reported having CHD, accounting for the weighted prevalence 22.1%. The weighted prevalence of stroke was 9.6%. There was 28.3% of CHD people who had DR which was higher than that in people without CHD. Differences in weighted frequency distributions of gender, age category (over 45 years or not), current smoking, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and insulin treatment were significantly different between the CHD and without CHD groups (p< 0.001). Similar results were found in people with stroke. Logistic analysis showed that DR was related to CHD and stroke (crude OR =1.876, 2.263, respectively, p all < 0.001). After adjusting other variables, these associations persisted (Adjusted OR=1.632 (95% CI=1.625 1.639), 1.846 (95% CI=1.836 1.856), respectively, p all< 0.001).Conclusion: The BRFSS 2015 data indicated that DR was not only associated with CHD but also associated with stroke in US adults with diabetes, independently of other risk factor. DR might be more strongly associated with stroke than with CHD.

Keywords: diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, coronary heart disease, stroke, risk factor

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Comparison of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke in Association with Di | DMSO - Dove Medical Press

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Hello, my name is Kamlesh Khunti, Im professor of primary care diabetes and vascular medicine at the University of Leicester.

We are nearly at the end of the year and what a year it's been. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact globally, with 71 million people being infected worldwide, and 1.6 million deaths due to COVID as of mid-December 2020. Little did we know in March that we would expand our vocabulary, with new words and phrases that would be used in daily conversations. These include social distancing, furlough scheme, R reproduction number, social isolation, quarantine, lockdown, and long COVID, are some of them.

Little did we envisage that wearing masks would become mandatory, or that working from home would become the norm for many who would become experts at MS Teams and Zoom virtual meetings, and learn even to change our virtual backgrounds.

Practice Changes

During the COVID-19 pandemic attention has been diverted away from primary cares key roles in early detection of disease and management of long-term conditions. Clinical practice has changed beyond recognition, with the majority of consultations being by telephone or virtually.

Our patients have been very understanding and have embraced the new ways of working.

Some primary care practices have been innovative and seen patients in the carpark to reduce exposure by having the consultations outside.

Unfortunately, this is not ideal for people with chronic long-term conditions, particularly cardiometabolic conditions. Although telehealth reduces patients direct exposures to infection, it cannot entirely replace face-to-face contacts. Physical examinations are still needed to make certain diagnoses and to enhance the human connections between patients and clinicians.

Certain conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been shown to be associated with the increased risk of infection, hospitalisation, and mortality.

However, there have been excess deaths due to also the disruption of services because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, delays in diagnosis and suboptimal management of people with long-term conditions will cause rises in non-COVID mortality going forward as well.

Global surveys have shown that diabetes was the condition most reported impacted by the reduction in healthcare resources due to COVID-19, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, cancer, and depression.

Additionally, the two most common co-occuring chronic conditions for which care was impacted by COVID-19 were diabetes and hypertension.

A lack of access to routine health care is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after disasters, and we've seen this in other disasters. So things such as stroke, acute myocardial infarctions, and diabetes complications are all shown to increase after the immediate threat has been dissipated.

However, there is now some good news on the horizon, with the prospect of a COVID vaccine being our main hope of coming out of this dreaded pandemic.

2021

So what should we be planning for the new year?

Well, the priority will be to vaccinate the most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with chronic conditions. Psychological stress has also increased during the pandemic and many people with chronic long-term conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease have been shielding, and have been unable to continue with routine lifestyle interventions such as exercise.

All these factors and the added burden of mental health will lead to worse risk factor control.

We therefore need to resume normal services and start arranging routine bloods and review clinics for our patients with chronic conditions.

We need to ensure we improve risk factor control for our patients with chronic cardiometabolic conditions, including blood pressure, HbA1c, and lipid control.

We will also have a number of patients who have been affected with COVID, and we will need to monitor these people very closely for consequences of long COVID.

It is too early to predict what the 'new normal' will look like. We must learn the important lessons from COVID-19 and previous pandemics to avoid the suboptimal management of long-term conditions contributing to the avoidable excess mortality in the medium-term.

Practitioners will need to consider ways of proactively identifying these patients with long-term conditions, who are most at risk of suboptimal management, to ensure that the necessary care is maintained urgently after we come out of COVID.

In summary, people with cardiometabolic conditions have been impacted significantly during the pandemic, and now we need to plan to get back to normal services and ensure we reduce the risk of major indirect consequences of COVID in our patients with long-term conditions.

On that note, I wish you a happy, safe, and peaceful festive break. Thank you.

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How 2020 Changed Diabetes and Primary Care - Medscape

The director of clinical research in the Center for Cancer Care at White Plains Hospital explained the design of the study which evaluated diabetic versus nondiabetic patients enrolled in the CONNECT Multiple Myeloma Registry.

A descriptive analysis of the CONNECT Multiple Myeloma Registry, presented at the 2020 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, aimed to evaluate differences in baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients enrolled in the registry.

In an interview with CancerNetwork, Lisa La, director of clinical research in the Center for Cancer Care at White Plains Hospital, explained the design of the study.

Transcription:

Sure, so the Celgene, its actually a Celgene observational study. It's a large multicenter prospective observational study, primarily enrolling newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. So, the sample size that they've enrolled from 2009 to 2016, was about 3011 newly diagnosed myeloma patients across 250 sites. Those sites are community, academic, and government sites across the entire US. And it's pretty accurate in terms of not focusing on certain regions of the US, but across all of the entire so I would say it's pretty representative of the general population. So, patients that were eligible, just as long as you were 18 years and older and had some sort of diagnosis of myeloma, and less than 2 months before you enrolled, so they are they're just being pretty much followed up for treatment and outcomes.

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Lisa La on the Design of a Study Evaluating Diabetes in Patients with Multiple Myeloma - Cancer Network