Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors and the Risk for Dialysis and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: No studies have reported the long-term outcomes of initiating sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates less than 20 mL/min/1.73 m2 to predialysis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk for dialysis, cardiovascular events, and death between SGLT2i users and nonusers in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN: Target trial emulation study. SETTING: Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). PARTICIPANTS: By applying sequential target trial emulation principle, 23 854 SGLT2i users and 23 892 SGLT2i nonusers were selected from the NHIRD for patients with T2D and stage 5 CKD from 1 May 2016 to 31 October 2021. MEASUREMENTS: Conditional Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the risks for dialysis, hospitalization for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), acute kidney injury (AKI), and all-cause mortality between SGLT2i users and nonusers. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat model, compared with no SGLT2i use, SGLT2i use was associated with lower risks for dialysis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.34 [95% CI, 0.27 to 0.43]), hospitalization for heart failure (HR, 0.80 [CI, 0.73 to 0.86]), AMI (HR, 0.61 [CI, 0.52 to 0.73]), DKA (HR, 0.78 [CI, 0.71 to 0.85]), and AKI (HR, 0.80 [CI, 0.70 to 0.90]), but there was no difference in the risk for all-cause mortality (HR, 1.11 [CI, 0.99 to 1.24]). The Kaplan-Meier curves and subgroup analyses also showed that initiation of an SGLT2i in stage 5 CKD was associated with a lower risk for long-term dialysis than no SGLT2i use. LIMITATION: This result may not apply to patients without T2D. CONCLUSION: This emulated target trial showed that SGLT2i use was associated with a lower risk for dialysis, cardiovascular events, DKA, and AKI than no SGLT2i use in patients with T2D and stage 5 CKD. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan.

Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on liver-related and cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) tend to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with poorer prognosis. We performed this research to compare the risks of cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis, liver-related mortality, and cardiovascular mortality between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use and no-use in patients with T2D without viral hepatitis. METHODS: From January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018, we used propensity-score matching to identify 31,183 pairs of GLP-1 RA users and nonusers from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the outcomes between the study and control groups. RESULTS: The median (Q1, Q3) follow-up time for GLP-1 RA users and nonusers were 2.19 (1.35, 3.52) and 2.14 (1.19, 3.68) years, respectively. The all-cause mortality incidence rate was 5.67 and 13.06 per 1000 person-years for GLP-1 RA users and nonusers, respectively. Multivariable-adjusted analysis showed that GLP-1 RA use had significantly lower risks of all-cause mortality (aHR 0.48, 95%CI 0.43-0.53), cardiovascular events (aHR 0.92, 95%CI 0.86-0.99), cardiovascular death (aHR 0.57, 95%CI 0.45-0.72), and liver-related death (aHR 0.32, 95%CI 0.13-0.75). However, there was no significant difference in the risk of liver cirrhosis development, hepatic failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma compared to GLP-1 RA no-use. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide cohort study showed that GLP-1 RA use was associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and cardiovascular death in patients with T2D among Taiwan population. More prospective studies are warranted to verify our results.

Real-world effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 100 U/mL plus lixisenatide in adults with type 2 diabetes: An international, multicentre, 12-month, prospective observational study.

AIM: To assess the impact of insulin glargine (100 U/mL) and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) fixed-ratio combination therapy on the overall management of glycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), previously inadequately controlled with oral antidiabetic drugs ± basal insulin or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This 12-month, international, multicentre, prospective, observational study included patients (age ≥ 18 years) with T2D who had initiated iGlarLixi within 1 month prior to study inclusion. Data were collected at study inclusion, month 3, month 6 and month 12 from patient diaries, self-measured plasma glucose, and questionnaires. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c from baseline to month 6. RESULTS: Of the 737 eligible participants (mean age: 57.8 [standard deviation: 11.2] years; male: 49%), 685 had baseline and post-baseline HbA1c data available. The least squares mean change in HbA1c from baseline to month 6 was -1.4% (standard error [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 0.05 [-1.5, -1.3]). The absolute change from baseline at month 12 was -1.7% ± 1.9% (95% CI: -1.9, -1.5). There were 72 hypoglycaemia events reported during the study period, with a very low incidence of severe hypoglycaemia (two participants [rate: 0.003 events per patient-year]). CONCLUSIONS: This real-world observational study shows that initiation of iGlarLixi in people with T2D inadequately controlled on oral antidiabetic drugs ± basal insulin or GLP-1 RAs improves glycaemic control with a low incidence of hypoglycaemia.

Residual risk of cardiovascular complications in statin-using patients with type 2 diabetes: the Taiwan Diabetes Registry Study.

BACKGROUND: The residual risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in statin-treated patients with diabetes remain unclear. This study was conducted to identify factors associated with these residual risks in patients with no prior vascular event. METHODS: Data on 683 statin-using patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the Taiwan Diabetes Registry were used in this study. Patients aged < 25 or > 65 years at the time of diabetes diagnosis and those with diabetes durations ≥ 20 years were excluded. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study risk engine (version 2.01; https://www.dtu.ox.ac.uk/riskengine/ ) was used to calculate 10-year residual nonfatal and fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke risks. Associations of these risks with physical and biochemical variables, including medication use and comorbidity, were examined. RESULTS: The 10-year risks of nonfatal CHD in oral anti-diabetic drug (OAD), insulin and OAD plus insulin groups were 11.8%, 16.0%, and 16.8%, respectively. The 10-year risks of nonfatal stroke in OAD, insulin and OAD plus insulin groups were 3.0%, 3.4%, and 4.3%, respectively. In the multivariate model, chronic kidney disease (CKD), neuropathy, insulin use, calcium-channel blocker (CCB) use, higher body mass indices (BMI), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting glucose, log-triglyceride (TG), and log-alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were associated with an increased CHD risk. The residual risk of stroke was associated with CKD, neuropathy, CCB use, and lower LDL cholesterol levels, higher BMI and diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that insulin was probably a residual risk factor of CHD but not stroke, and that there was a possible presence of obesity paradox in patients with T2DM on statin therapy. In addition to lowering TG and normalizing fasting glucose levels, lower LDL cholesterol level is better for reduction of risk of CHD on statin therapy. On the other hand, lower LDL cholesterol level could potentially be related to higher risk of stroke among populations receiving statin therapy. These findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for residual cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with T2DM on statin therapy.

Determinants of early chronic kidney disease in patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study from the Taiwan Diabetes Registry.

BACKGROUND: We tried to identify the risk factor associate with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients by utilizing real-world data from Taiwan Diabetes Registry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus recently diagnosed within 1 year. We divided the study participants into control group and early CKD group. Early CKD was defined as either CKD stage G1 with albuminuria, CKD stage G2 with albuminuria, or CKD stage G3a regardless of albuminuria (Urine-albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 3 mg/mmol). Control group was defined as CKD G1 or CKD G2 without albuminuria. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare differences in clinical characteristics between the subgroups. Linear regression models were employed to examine the factors predicting estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and UACR. RESULTS: Total 2217 patients with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. 1545 patients were assigned to control group and 618 patients were assigned to the early CKD group. Age (odds ratio (OR) 1.215, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.122-1.316), systolic blood pressure (OR 1.203, 95% CI 1.117-1.296), glycated hemoglobin (OR 1.074, 95% CI 1.023-1.129) and triglyceride (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.485-3.199) were found to be significant risk factors. Further, presence of bidirectional association between UACR and eGFR was found. CONCLUSIONS: We reported factors associated with early CKD in recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Variables that associated with eGFR and UACR were identified respectively, included a mutual influence between UACR and eGFR.

Strategies for subtyping primary aldosteronism.

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is a crucial method for the lateralization of primary aldosteronism (PA). It is advised to halt the use of the patient's antihypertensive medications and correct hypokalemia prior to undergoing AVS. Hospitals equipped to conduct AVS should establish their own diagnostic criteria based on current guidelines. If the patient's antihypertensive medications cannot be discontinued, AVS can be performed as long as the serum renin level is suppressed. The Task Force of Taiwan PA recommends using a combination of adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation, quick cortisol assay, and C-arm cone-beam computed tomography to maximize the success of AVS and minimize errors by using the simultaneous sampling technique. If AVS is not successful, an NP-59 (131 I-6-ß-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol) scan can be used as an alternative method to lateralize PA. We depicted the details of the lateralization procedures (mainly AVS, and alternatively NP-59) and their tips and tricks for confirmed PA patients who would consider to undergo surgical treatment (unilateral adrenalectomy) if the subtyping shows unilateral disease.

The role of confirmatory tests in the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.

Confirmatory tests for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) play an important role in sparing patients with a false-positive aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) screening test from undergoing invasive subtyping procedures. We recommend that patients with a positive ARR test should undergo at least one confirmatory test to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of PA before directly proceeding to subtype studies, except for patients with significant PA phenotypes, including spontaneous hypokalemia, plasma aldosterone concentration >20 ng/dL plus plasma renin activity below a detectable level. Although a gold standard confirmatory test has not been identified, we recommend that saline infusion test and captopril challenge test, which were widely used in Taiwan. Patients with PA have been reported to have a higher prevalence of concurrent autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS). ACS is a biochemical condition of mild cortisol overproduction from adrenal lesions, but without the typical clinical features of overt Cushing's syndrome. Concurrent ACS may result in incorrect interpretation of adrenal venous sampling (AVS) and may lead to adrenal insufficiency after adrenalectomy. We recommend screening for ACS in patients with PA scheduled for AVS examinations as well as for adrenalectomy. We recommend the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test as screening method to detect ACS.

Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis and Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Liver cirrhosis is often associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but research on treatment of T2D in cirrhotic patients is scarce. We investigated the long-term outcomes of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in patients with T2D and cirrhosis. METHODS: Using propensity score matching, we selected 467 matched pairs of GLP-1 RA users and nonusers from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the outcomes between GLP-1 RA users and nonusers. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 3.28 and 3.06 years for GLP-1 RA users and nonusers, respectively. The rates of death were 27.46 and 55.90 per 1000 person-years for GLP-1 RA users and nonusers, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted models showed that GLP-1 RA users had lower risks of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.69), cardiovascular events (aHR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.41-0.87), decompensated cirrhosis (aHR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99), hepatic encephalopathy (aHR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.97), and liver failure (aHR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.34-0.85) than nonusers. A longer cumulative duration of GLP-1 RA use had a lower risk of these outcomes than GLP-1 RA nonuse. CONCLUSIONS: This population-based cohort study showed that GLP-1 RA users exhibited a significantly lower risk of death, cardiovascular events, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver failure in patients with T2D and compensated liver cirrhosis. Additional studies are needed to confirm our results.

Metformin use and the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia cause substantial pain in patients. Persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are prone to zoster infection and postherpetic neuralgia due to compromised immunity. We conducted this study to evaluate the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia between metformin users and nonusers. Propensity score matching was utilized to select 47 472 pairs of metformin users and nonusers from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2017. The Cox proportional hazards models were used for comparing the risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia between metformin users and nonusers in patients with T2D. Compared with no-use of metformin, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for metformin use in herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia were 0.70 (0.66, 0.75) and 0.510 (0.39, 0.68), respectively. A higher cumulative dose of metformin had further lower risks of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia than metformin no-use. This nationwide cohort study demonstrated that metformin use was associated with a significantly lower risk of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia than metformin no-use. Moreover, a higher cumulative dose of metformin was associated with further lower risks of these outcomes.

Impact of individual microvascular disease on the risks of macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality between patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with and without microvascular diseases, and between matched patients with microvascular diseases. METHODS: We identified newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients from National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019. Propensity score matching was applied to construct matched pairs of patients with diabetic kidney disease, retinopathy, or neuropathy. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazard models were adopted to compare the risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Patients with microvascular disease had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular morbidities and mortality than those without microvascular disease. Among the matched cohorts, patients with diabetic retinopathy had a significantly higher risk of stroke development than those with diabetic kidney disease (aHR 1.11, 95%CI 1.03-1.2). Diabetic neuropathy showed a significantly higher risk of stroke development than diabetic kidney disease (aHR 1.17, 95%CI 1.1-1.25) and diabetic retinopathy (aHR 1.12, 95%CI 1.03-1.21). Diabetic retinopathy had a significantly higher risk of incident heart failure than diabetic kidney disease (aHR 1.43, 95%CI 1.3-1.57), and diabetic neuropathy had a significantly lower risk of incident heart failure than diabetic retinopathy (aHR 0.79, 95%CI 0.71-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: T2D patients with microvascular disease have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular morbidities and mortality than those without microvascular disease. In the matched cohorts, diabetic neuropathy was significantly associated with stroke development, and diabetic retinopathy had a significant association with heart failure compared to other microvascular diseases.

ER ribosomal-binding protein 1 regulates blood pressure and potassium homeostasis by modulating intracellular renin trafficking.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have linked RRBP1 (ribosomal-binding protein 1) genetic variants to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and serum lipoprotein levels. However, how RRBP1 regulates blood pressure is unknown. METHODS: To identify genetic variants associated with blood pressure, we performed a genome-wide linkage analysis with regional fine mapping in the Stanford Asia-Pacific Program for Hypertension and Insulin Resistance (SAPPHIRe) cohort. We further investigated the role of the RRBP1 gene using a transgenic mouse model and a human cell model. RESULTS: In the SAPPHIRe cohort, we discovered that genetic variants of the RRBP1 gene were associated with blood pressure variation, which was confirmed by other GWASs for blood pressure. Rrbp1- knockout (KO) mice had lower blood pressure and were more likely to die suddenly from severe hyperkalemia caused by phenotypically hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism than wild-type controls. The survival of Rrbp1-KO mice significantly decreased under high potassium intake due to lethal hyperkalemia-induced arrhythmia and persistent hypoaldosteronism, which could be rescued by fludrocortisone. An immunohistochemical study revealed renin accumulation in the juxtaglomerular cells of Rrbp1-KO mice. In the RRBP1-knockdown Calu-6 cells, a human renin-producing cell line, transmission electron and confocal microscopy revealed that renin was primarily retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and was unable to efficiently target the Golgi apparatus for secretion. CONCLUSIONS: RRBP1 deficiency in mice caused hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism, resulting in lower blood pressure, severe hyperkalemia, and sudden cardiac death. In juxtaglomerular cells, deficiency of RRBP1 reduced renin intracellular trafficking from ER to Golgi apparatus. RRBP1 is a brand-new regulator of blood pressure and potassium homeostasis discovered in this study.

Analytical validation of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for urinary iodine concentration measurements in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) measured by Sandell-Kolthoff spectrophotometric method has been used in the Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan but this method is time consuming and produces toxic waste from arsenic trioxide. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) system to determine UIC in Taiwan. METHODS: Samples and iodine calibrators were diluted 100-fold into an aqueous solution containing Triton X-100, 0.5% ammonia solution, and tellurium (128Te) as an internal standard. Digestion prior to analysis was not necessary. Precision, accuracy, serial dilution, and recovery tests were performed. A total of 1243 urine samples covering a wide range of iodine concentrations were measured by both Sandell-Kolthoff method and ICP-MS. Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare values across methods. RESULTS: The limit for detection and quantification by ICP-MS was 0.95 µg/L and 2.85 µg/L, respectively. The intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients were <10%, with a recovery range of 95%-105%. The results obtained by ICP-MS and the Sandell-Kolthoff method were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation: r = 0.996, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9950-0.9961, p < 0.001). For UIC between 20 and 1000 µg/L, the y-intercept for the Passing-Bablok regression was -1.9 (95% CI: -2.5599 to -1.3500) and the slope was 1.01 (95% CI: 1.0000-1.0206). CONCLUSION: This validated ICP-MS system can be used for measuring UIC.

Diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease development.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare cardiovascular risks among participants with T2DM with and without subsequent HTN and participants with HTN with and without subsequent T2DM. METHODS: From January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2018, we identified 16,236 matched pairs of T2DM participants with and without HTN (T2DM cohorts), 53,509 pairs of HTN participants with and without T2DM (HTN cohorts), and 21,158 pairs of comorbid HTN and T2DM participants with T2DM history or HTN history (comorbid cohorts) from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Cox proportional-hazard models were used to calculate the risk of cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time of this study was 6.75 years. Mean incident rates of coronary artery disease for T2DM cohorts, HTN cohorts, and comorbid cohorts were 16.80, 23.18, and 31.53 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]) for incident coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure in T2DM participants with versus without HTN were 2.22 (2.07-2.37), 1.19 (1.16-1.23), and 0.92 (0.82-1.02), respectively; the adjusted HRs for HTN participants with versus without T2DM were 1.69 (1.55-1.84), 1.25 (1.21-1.30), and 0.98 (0.93-1.05), respectively; the adjusted HRs for comorbid T2DM and HTN participants with previous T2DM versus previous HTN were 2.78 (2.37-3.27), 1.20 (1.13-1.28), and 0.95 (0.88-1.03), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide cohort study demonstrated that both T2DM with subsequent HTN and HTN with subsequent diabetes were associated with higher cardiovascular disease risks.

Metformin use and cirrhotic decompensation in patients with type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis.

AIMS: To compare the risks of all-cause mortality, hepatic outcomes, major adverse cardiovascular events between metformin users and nonusers for patients with diabetes and cirrhosis. METHODS: From the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we selected propensity-score matched metformin users and nonusers from the cohorts of type 2 diabetes mellitus with compensated (n = 26 164) or decompensated liver cirrhosis (n = 15 056) between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2009, and followed them until 31 December 2010. Cox proportional hazards models with robust sandwich standard error estimates were used to assess risk of investigated outcomes for metformin users. RESULTS: The incidence rates of mortality during follow-up were 3.8 and 3.3 per 100 patient-years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.25) for metformin users and nonusers, respectively. The incidence rates of cirrhotic decompensation during follow-up were 5.9 and 4.9 per 100 patient-years (aHR 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.27) for metformin users and nonusers. The risk of death (P for trend <.01) and cirrhotic decompensation (P for trend <.0001) associated with metformin use was significant for those taking metformin for >40 defined daily doses in 90 days or >1000 mg/d. The outcomes of metformin use vs nonuse for type 2 diabetes mellitus with decompensated liver cirrhosis were not statistically different, except that metformin users had higher risk of mortality (aHR 1.15). CONCLUSION: Metformin use was associated with higher risks of mortality and cirrhotic decompensation in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis. Prospective studies are required to confirm our results.

Increased serum levels of advanced glycation end products are negatively associated with relative muscle strength in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated whether serum levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) independently correlated with relative muscle strength after adjustment for clinical variables including diabetic peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Relative muscle strength was defined as muscle strength (in decinewtons, dN) divided by total muscle mass (in kg). METHODS: We enrolled 152 ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes. Each participant underwent measurements of muscle strength and total muscle mass. Serum levels of AGEs were determined. The Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Physical Examination (MNSI-PE) was performed to assess diabetic peripheral neuropathy. RESULTS: The participants were divided into three groups on the basis of tertiles of serum AGEs levels. Significant differences were observed among the three groups in relative handgrip strength (71.03 ± 18.22, 63.17 ± 13.82, and 61.47 ± 13.95 dN/kg in the low-tertile, mid-tertile, and high-tertile groups, respectively, P = 0.005). The relative muscle strength of the ankle plantar flexors was higher in the low-tertile group than in the mid-tertile and high-tertile groups (107.60 ± 26.53, 94.97 ± 19.72, and 94.18 ± 16.09 dN/kg in the low-tertile, mid-tertile, and high-tertile groups, respectively, P = 0.002). After adjustment for MNSI-PE score and other clinical variables in partial correlation analysis, the correlations between serum levels of AGEs and the relative muscle strength of handgrip, ankle dorsiflexor, and ankle plantar flexor remained significant. Serum AGEs level was the only variable that remained significantly related to the relative muscle strength of handgrip, ankle dorsiflexor, and ankle plantar flexor when AGEs level, fasting plasma glucose, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were entered into multiple regression models simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for multiple factors including diabetic peripheral neuropathy, this study demonstrated that increased serum levels of AGEs were independently associated with decreased relative muscle strength in patients with type 2 diabetes. Compared with fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c, serum level of AGEs is more strongly associated with relative muscle strength.

Multi-omics analysis identifies CpGs near G6PC2 mediating the effects of genetic variants on fasting glucose.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: An elevated fasting glucose level in non-diabetic individuals is a key predictor of type 2 diabetes. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of SNPs for fasting glucose but most of their functional roles in influencing the trait are unclear. This study aimed to identify the mediation effects of DNA methylation between SNPs identified as significant from GWAS and fasting glucose using Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses. METHODS: We first performed GWAS analyses for three cohorts (Taiwan Biobank with 18,122 individuals, the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan with 1989 individuals and the Stanford Asia-Pacific Program for Hypertension and Insulin Resistance with 416 individuals) with individuals of Han Chinese ancestry in Taiwan, followed by a meta-analysis for combining the three GWAS analysis results to identify significant and independent SNPs for fasting glucose. We determined whether these SNPs were methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) by testing their associations with DNA methylation levels at nearby CpG sites using a subsample of 1775 individuals from the Taiwan Biobank. The MR analysis was performed to identify DNA methylation with causal effects on fasting glucose using meQTLs as instrumental variables based on the 1775 individuals. We also used a two-sample MR strategy to perform replication analysis for CpG sites with significant MR effects based on literature data. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis identified 18 significant (p < 5 × 10-8) and independent SNPs for fasting glucose. Interestingly, all 18 SNPs were meQTLs. The MR analysis identified seven CpGs near the G6PC2 gene that mediated the effects of a significant SNP (rs2232326) in the gene on fasting glucose. The MR effects for two CpGs were replicated using summary data based on the European population, using an exonic SNP rs2232328 in G6PC2 as the instrument. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our analysis results suggest that rs2232326 and rs2232328 in G6PC2 may affect DNA methylation at CpGs near the gene and that the methylation may have downstream effects on fasting glucose. Therefore, SNPs in G6PC2 and CpGs near G6PC2 may reside along the pathway that influences fasting glucose levels. This is the first study to report CpGs near G6PC2, an important gene for regulating insulin secretion, mediating the effects of GWAS-significant SNPs on fasting glucose.

Thiazolidinediones were associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND& AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management in patients with cirrhosis is complicated. No clinical trials have investigated appropriate antidiabetic drug use in these patients. This study compared the risks of all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and hepatic outcomes between patients with T2DM and cirrhosis using and not using thiazolidinedione (TZD). METHODS: We selected 1,705 propensity score-matched TZD users and nonusers from a Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database cohort of T2DM patients with compensated cirrhosis between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012 and followed them until December 31, 2013. Cox proportional hazards models with robust sandwich standard error estimates were used to assess risks of investigated outcomes for TZD users. RESULTS: MACE incidence rates during follow-up were 2.14 and 1.30 per 100 patient-years for TZD users and nonusers, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-2.19). On the basis of TZD use, the aHRs (95% CIs) for stroke, ischemic heart disease and heart failure were 1.81 (1.28-2.55), 1.59 (1.03-2.44) and 2.09 (1.22-3.60) respectively. Compared with TZD nonusers, rosiglitazone users had significantly higher aHR [1.67 (1.26-2.20)] and pioglitazone users had no significant difference of aHR [1.12 (0.90-1.64)]. All-cause mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis and hepatic failure risks did not differ significantly between TZD users and nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with nonuser, TZD users demonstrated significantly higher MACE risks. Therefore, the risks of cardiovascular complications should be considered when prescribing TZDs to patients with T2DM and cirrhosis.

Is insulin the preferred treatment in persons with type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis?

BACKGROUND: Insulin is highly recommended for diabetes management in persons with liver cirrhosis. However, few studies have evaluated its long-term effects in these persons. We conducted this study to compare the risks of mortality, liver-related complications, and cardiovascular events in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and compensated liver cirrhosis. METHODS: From January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2012, we selected 2047 insulin users and 4094 propensity score-matched nonusers from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risks of outcomes. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 5.84 years. The death rate during the follow-up period was 5.28 and 4.07 per 100 person-years for insulin users and nonusers, respectively. In insulin users, the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatic failure, major cardiovascular events, and hypoglycemia were 1.31 (1.18-1.45), 1.18 (1.05-1.34), 1.53 (1.35-1.72), 1.26 (1.42-1.86), 1.41 (1.23-1.62), and 3.33 (2.45-4.53), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective cohort study indicated that among persons with T2DM and compensated liver cirrhosis, insulin users were associated with higher risks of death, liver-related complications, cardiovascular events, and hypoglycemia compared with insulin nonusers.

Long-term outcomes of adding alpha-glucosidase inhibitors in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: In insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), glycemic control is usually suboptimal. METHODS: This study compared the risks of mortality and cardiovascular events in insulin-treated patients adding or not adding alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs). RESULTS: This cohort study included data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In total, 17,417 patients newly diagnosed as having T2DM and undergoing insulin therapy during 2000-2012 were enrolled. Overall incidence rates of all-cause mortality, hospitalized coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and heart failure were compared between 4165 AGI users and 4165 matched nonusers. The incidence rates of all-cause mortality were 17.10 and 19.61 per 1000 person-years in AGI nonusers and users, respectively. Compared with nonusers, AGI users had a higher mortality risk [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.40; p = 0.01]. Regarding AGI use, aHRs (95% CI) for cardiovascular death, non-cardiovascular death, hospitalized CAD, stroke, and heart failure were 1.20 (0.83-1.74), 1.27 (1.07-1.50), 1.12 (0.95-1.31), 0.98 (0.85-1.14), and 1.03 (0.87-1.22) respectively. CONCLUSION: AGI use was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality and non-cardiovascular death in insulin-treated patients with T2DM. Therefore, adding AGIs in insulin-treated patients may not be appropriate.

Urate-lowering Therapy and Chronic Kidney Disease Development in Patients with Gout.

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a global health concern. Many studies have identified an association between hyperuricemia and CKD, and some studies have revealed that urate-lowering therapy (ULT) can attenuate CKD progression. However, only a few studies have explored the role of ULT in the prevention of new onset CKD. Methods: To compare the risk of incident CKD between users and nonusers of ULT in patients with gout, we conducted a 13-year population-based retrospective cohort study. Overall incidence of CKD was compared between 7126 ULT users and 7126 matched ULT nonusers. Results: The CKD incidence rate for both the users and nonusers of ULT was 1.7 per 100 person-years, after adjusting for sex, age, region of residence, comorbidities, and medications used. No significant difference in CKD risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-1.07) was noted between the ULT users and nonusers. In the subgroup of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and without hypertension (HT), ULT tended to be associated with lower risk of incident CKD (aHR: 0.52; 0.95% CI: 0.28-0.97). Compared with the risk of new onset CKD in patients receiving xanthine oxidase inhibitors, those receiving uricosuric agents seemed to have a lower risk of developing CKD (aHR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.99). Conclusion: This population-based cohort study indicated that ULT is not associated with lower risk of CKD development. However, in the subgroup of patients with DM and without HT, ULT is associated with significantly lower risk of incident CKD.