Effect of bariatric surgery on diabetic nephropathy in obese type 2 diabetes patients in a retrospective 2-year study: A local pilot.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of bariatric surgery on albuminuria in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Retrospective analyses of clinical records of obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had either micro- or macroalbuminuria and had undergone various bariatric surgery were retrieved from a local hospital database. Their clinical data from follow-up appointments including albuminuria were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 46 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 15 subjects had diabetic nephropathy and had pre- and post-bariatric surgery urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio or urine protein-to-creatinine ratio data available for analysis; 13 out of the 15 subjects (86.7%) showed improvement of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio or urine protein-to-creatinine ratio after surgery; 2 showed equivocal results; 9 of 13 subjects (69.2%) showed remission of diabetic nephropathy; 7 of these 9 patients had microalbuminuria before surgery, 2 had macroalbuminuria before surgery. There were significant improvements to glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure and body weight post surgery. The usage of insulin and oral medications dropped significantly post surgery for all subjects. CONCLUSION: This study shows that bariatric surgery significantly improves diabetic nephropathy in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects. The results suggest that in our local type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, it is possible not only to improve metabolic parameters, but also to reverse what may be considered established microvascular complications by means of bariatric surgery.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in adults with type 2 diabetes: an alternative equation for accurate estimation and improved cardiovascular risk classification.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. Despite its limitations, Friedewald-calculated LDL-C (F-LDL-C) remains widely used for LDL-C determination. In this observational study of 1999 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we compare the accuracy of F-LDL-C to directly measured LDL-C (M-LDL-C) and derived and validated a new [SMART2D (Singapore Study of MAcro-angiopathy and Micro-Vascular Reactivity in Type 2 Diabetes)] formula to estimate LDL-C. From 1000 randomly selected patients, M-LDL-C was compared to F-LDL-C. Using multiple linear regression to identify independent predictors for M-LDL-C, the SMART2D equation was derived and subsequently validated in the next 981 patients. F-LDL-C was 0.367 (0.216) mmol/L lower than M-LDL-C. This difference was -0.009 (0.189) for SMART2D-LDL-C. Using F-LDL-C, 27% with M-LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L were classified as LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L, reduced to 2.1% when using SMART2D-LDL-C. With F-LDL-C, misclassification was greater when triglycerides were ≥2.2 mmol/L, especially for the lower LDL-C cut-offs (1.8 and 2.6 mmol/L), and this was markedly improved with SMART2D-LDL-C. In conclusion, in T2DM, F-LDL-C underestimates M-LDL-C, with misclassifications that may potentially have an impact on therapeutic decisions in T2DM. The SMART2D equation improves accuracy of estimate, reducing misclassifications. Trials will be needed to ascertain the clinical significance of these findings.

Osteoprotegerin is independently associated with metabolic syndrome and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a glycoprotein from tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily, responsible for osteoclastogenesis inhibition and associated with arterial calcification and stiffness. We describe the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and OPG in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. METHODOLOGY: We consecutively enrolled 1220 patients from our institution's Diabetes Centre from August 2011. Anthropometric data such as fasting blood/urine were obtained, and OPG was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Mean (standard deviation (SD)) of age and diabetes duration was 57.4 (10.9) years and 11.2 (8.9) years, respectively. Prevalence of MS was 64.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 61.3%-67.2%) and associated with significantly higher OPG (5.44 vs 4.47 pmol/L) and microvascular complications. The presence of microvascular complications was associated with higher OPG: nephropathy (5.54 (2.20) vs 4.65 (1.70) pmol/L, p < 0.0001), neuropathy (6.33 (2.64) vs 5.06 (1.91) pmol/L, p < 0.0001) and retinopathy (6.08 (2.47) vs 5.00 (1.95) pmol/L, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, glucose and microvascular complications, OPG remained an independent predictor of MS: (odds ratio (OR) = 1.102 (95% CI: 1.015-1.196), p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: Higher OPG levels were associated with risk of MS and microvascular complications. Studies are needed to test whether OPG could be a useful biomarker identifying patients at risk of vascular complications and whether further exploration of this pathway may lead novel therapeutic options.