Multidisciplinary Panel Consensus for the Management of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Delphi Study.

AIM: To reach a multidisciplinary consensus on managing patients with type 2 diabetes among specialists in family medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, internal medicine, and nephrology. METHODS: A two-round Delphi study was conducted using a questionnaire with 68 positive/negative statements distributed in four thematic blocks on diabetes management: early diagnosis and prediabetes, referral criteria, treatment and comorbidities, and clinical management. The expert panel was composed of 105 physicians from different specialties (family medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, internal medicine, and nephrology) with experience in managing patients with diabetes and who were members of a diabetes-related society. RESULTS: Response rates for the first and second rounds were 86.7 and 75.2%, respectively. After both rounds, a consensus was reached on 52 (76.5%) items. The recommendations with the highest degree of consensus (median = 10, IQR = 0.00) were related to anti-smoking education, cardiovascular risk factor target control, and diabetic kidney disease. There were significant differences between family physicians and other specialties for some items. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a set of recommendations for diabetes management agreed upon by specialists from different healthcare settings.

Psychometric properties of the Clarke questionnaire for hypoglycemia awareness in the Spanish population with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: The Clarke questionnaire, validated in Spanish language, assesses hypoglycemia awareness in patients with type 1 diabetes. This study aimed to analyze its psychometric properties in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: This was a questionnaire validation study. Patients with T2DM and treated with insulin, sulfonylureas or glinides were consecutively recruited from six endocrinology consultations and six primary care centers. The internal structure of the 8-item Clarke questionnaire was analyzed by exploratory (training sample) and confirmatory (testing sample) factor analysis; the internal consistency using Omega's McDonald coefficient; and goodness of fit with comparative fit index (CFI, cutoff >0.9), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI, cutoff >0.9), and root mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA, cutoff <0.09), as well as unidimensionality indicators. RESULTS: The 265 participants (56.8% men) had a mean age of 67.8 years. Confirmatory factor analysis for one dimension obtained poor indicators: fit test (p < 0.001); CFI = 0.748; RMSEA = 0.122 and SRMR = 0.134. Exploratory factor analysis showed 2 or 3 dimensions with poor adjustment indicators. Omega's McDonald was 0.739. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the Clarke questionnaire was not valid or reliable for assessing hypoglycemia awareness in people with T2DM in Spanish population.

[Cardiovascular preventive recommendations. PAPPS 2022 thematic updates. Working groups of the PAPPS]. / Recomendaciones preventivas cardiovasculares. Actualización PAPPS 2022.

The recommendations of the semFYC's Program for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (PAPPS) for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are presented. The following sections are included: epidemiological review, where the current morbidity and mortality of CVD in Spain and its evolution as well as the main risk factors are described; cardiovascular (CV) risk and recommendations for the calculation of CV risk; main risk factors such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, describing the method for their diagnosis, therapeutic objectives and recommendations for lifestyle measures and pharmacological treatment; indications for antiplatelet therapy, and recommendations for screening of atrial fibrillation, and recommendations for management of chronic conditions. The quality of testing and the strength of the recommendation are included in the main recommendations.

PROSHADE Protocol: Designing and Evaluating a Decision Aid for Promoting Shared Decision Making in Opportunistic Screening for Prostate Cancer: A Mix-Method Study.

Background: Opportunistic prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening may reduce prostate cancer mortality risk but is associated with false positive results, biopsy complications and overdiagnosis. Although different organisations have emphasised the importance of shared decision making (SDM) to assist men in deciding whether to undergo prostate cancer screening, recent evaluations show that the available decision aids fail to facilitate SDM, mainly because they do not consider the patients' perspective in their design. We aim to systematically develop and test a patient decision aid to promote SDM in prostate cancer screening, following the Knowledge to Action framework. Methods: (1) Feasibility study: a quantitative survey evaluating the population and clinician (urologists and general practitioners) knowledge of the benefits and risks derived from PSA determination and the awareness of the available recommendations. Focus groups to explore the challenges patients and clinicians face when discussing prostate cancer screening, the relevance of a decision aid and how best to integrate it into practice. (2) Patient decision aid development: Based on this data, an evidence-based multicomponent SDM patient decision aid will be developed. (3) User-testing: an assessment of the prototype of the initial patient decision aid through a user-testing design based on mix-methods (questionnaire and semi-structured review). The decision aid will be refined through several iterative cycles of feedback and redesign. (4) Validation: an evaluation of the patient decision aid through a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Discussion: The designed patient decision aid will provide balanced information on screening benefits and risks and should help patients to consider their personal preferences and to take a more active role in decision making. Conclusions: The well-designed patient decision aid (PDA) will provide balanced information on screening benefits and risks and help patients consider their personal preferences.

A Retrospective Observational Study Examining the Generalizability of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Cardiovascular Outcome Trials to the Real-World Population with Type 2 Diabetes in Spain: The REPRESENT Study.

INTRODUCTION: The REPRESENT study aims to examine whether participants enrolled in glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) LEADER (liraglutide), REWIND (dulaglutide), and SUSTAIN-6 (injectable semaglutide) are representative of the Spanish population with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: This retrospective observational study used the IQVIA Electronic Medical Records database in Spain to identify adults aged 18 years and older with T2D diagnosed before/between January 2013 and December 2015. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed descriptively. The proportions of individuals in the Spanish cohort who met the key selection criteria of each CVOT were calculated from individuals with available database entries for estimated glomerular filtration rate and body mass index using proxies. RESULTS: A total of 24,268 adults with T2D were identified from the IQVIA database. The Spanish cohort was predominantly male (55.5%) and had a mean (± SD) age of 66.8 ± 12.5 years and HbA1c of 7.2 ± 1.5%, with 14.0% having established cardiovascular disease and 2.9% having prior myocardial infarction. The characteristics of the Spanish cohort were more similar to that of REWIND than LEADER or SUSTAIN-6. The proportions of subjects in the Spanish cohort who met the CVOTs key selection criteria were 10.1% for LEADER, 53.6% for REWIND, and 10.4% for SUSTAIN-6. CONCLUSIONS: Although none of the CVOTs was fully representative of the Spanish cohort, the REWIND population was found to be more representative of the real-world Spanish population with T2D than those of LEADER and SUSTAIN-6. These findings reinforce the applicability of the results of REWIND in clinical practice.

Diabetes Does Not Increase the Risk of Hospitalization Due to COVID-19 in Patients Aged 50 Years or Older in Primary Care-APHOSDIAB-COVID-19 Multicenter Study.

The purpose of this study was to identify clinical, analytical, and sociodemographic variables associated with the need for hospital admission in people over 50 years infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to assess whether diabetes mellitus conditions the risk of hospitalization. A multicenter case-control study analyzing electronic medical records in patients with COVID-19 from 1 March 2020 to 30 April 2021 was conducted. We included 790 patients: 295 cases admitted to the hospital and 495 controls. Under half (n = 386, 48.8%) were women, and 8.5% were active smokers. The main comorbidities were hypertension (50.5%), dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes (37.5%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that hospital admission was associated with age above 65 years (OR from 2.45 to 3.89, ascending with age group); male sex (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.47-3.15), fever (OR 4.31, 95% CI 2.87-6.47), cough (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.28-2.80), asthenia/malaise (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.38-3.03), dyspnea (4.69, 95% CI 3.00-7.33), confusion (OR 8.87, 95% CI 1.68-46.78), and a history of hypertension (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.08-2.41) or immunosuppression (OR 4.97, 95% CI 1.45-17.09). Diabetes was not associated with increased risk of hospital admission (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.80-1.72; p = 0.38). Diabetes did not increase the risk of hospital admission in people over 50 years old, but advanced age, male sex, fever, cough, asthenia, dyspnea/confusion, and hypertension or immunosuppression did.

Clinical Recommendations to Manage Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Patients Treated with Glp-1 Receptor Agonists: A Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are indicated in type 2 diabetes and obesity for their high efficacy in controlling glycaemia and inducing body weight loss, respectively. Patients may develop gastrointestinal adverse events (GI AEs), namely nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or constipation. To minimize their severity and duration, healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients must be aware of appropriate measures to follow while undergoing treatment. An expert panel comprising endocrinologists, nephrologists, primary care physicians, cardiologists, internists and diabetes nurse educators convened across virtual meetings to reach a consensus regarding these compelling recommendations. Firstly, specific guidelines are provided about how to reach the maintenance dose and how to proceed if GI AEs develop during dose-escalation. Secondly, specific directions are set about how to avoid/minimize nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation symptoms. Clinical scenarios representing common situations in daily practice, and infographics useful to guide both HCPs and patients, are included. These recommendations may prevent people with T2D and/or obesity from withdrawing from GLP-1 RAs treatment, thus benefitting from their superior effect on glycaemic control and weight loss.

Sources of psychological distress among primary care physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic's first wave in Spain: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people worldwide. In Spain, the first wave was especially severe. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify sources and levels of distress among Spanish primary care physicians (PCPs) during the first wave of the pandemic (April 2020). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey that included sociodemographic data, a description of working conditions related to distress [such as gaps in training in protective measures, cleaning, and hygiene procedures in work setting, unavailability of personal protective equipments (PPEs) and COVID-19 RT-PCR test, and lack of staff due to be infected] and a validated scale, the 'Self-applied Acute Stress Scale' (EASE). The survey was answered by a non-probability sampling of PCPs working in family healthcare centres from different regions of Spain. Analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: In all, out of 518 PCP participants, 123 (23.7%) obtained high psychological distress scores. Only half of them had received information about the appropriate use of PPE. PCP characteristics associated with higher levels of distress include female gender [1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54, 2.84]; lack of training in protective measures (1.96; 95% CI 0.94, 2.99); unavailable COVID-19 RT-PCR for health care workers after quarantine or COVID-19 treatment (-0.77 (-1.52, -0.02). Reinforcing disinfection of the work environment (P < 0.05), availability of PPEs (P < 0.05), and no healthcare professional was infected (P < 0.05) were related to the lowest distress score. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the sources of distress among PCPs could prevent its effect on future outbreaks.

Renal function and attributable risk of death and cardiovascular hospitalization in participants with diabetes from a registry-based cohort.

AIMS: To estimate the attributable risk of renal function on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with diabetes. METHODS: A prospective cohort study in 19,469 adults with diabetes, free of cardiovascular disease, attending primary care in Spain (2008-2011). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and other variables were collected and patients were followed to the first hospitalization for coronary or stroke event, or death, until the end of 2012. The cumulative incidence of the study endpoints by eGFR categories was graphically displayed and adjusted population attributable risks (PARs) for low eGFR was calculated. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 3.2 years and 506 deaths and 1720 hospitalizations were recorded. The cumulative risk for the individual events increased as eGFR levels decreased. The PAR associated with having an eGFR of 60mL/min/1.73m2 or less was 11.4% (95% CI 4.8-18.3) for all-cause mortality, 9.2% (95% CI 5.3-13.4) for coronary heart disease, and 2.6% (95% CI -1.8 to 7.4) for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced eGFR levels were associated with a larger proportion of avoidable deaths and cardiovascular hospitalizations in people with diabetes compared to previously reported results in people with other cardiovascular risk factors.

Hospital admissions trends for severe hypoglycemia in diabetes patients in Spain, 2005 to 2015.

AIMS: To analyze hospital admissions trends, inpatient mortality, and mean length of hospital stay due to hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes in Spain from 2005 to 2015. METHODS: National Institute of Statistics provided information on hospital discharge and mortality. Hospital admissions due to severe hypoglycemia were identified using ICD-9 codes. Age-adjusted admission and mortality rates were stratified by sex and year. Joinpoint regression models were used to estimate trends. RESULTS: Admissions rates per 100,000 population were higher for men than women in 2005 (30.2, 95%CI:29.3, 31.0 versus 21.5, 95%CI:20.9, 22.1) and 2015 (23.7, 95%CI:23.0, 24.4 versus 13.2, 95%CI:12.7, 13.6). Mortality per 100,000 population was also higher for men in both years (2005: 9.4, 95%CI:7.8, 11.0 versus 8.6, 95%CI:7.4, 9.8; 2015: 6.4, 95%CI:5.3, 7.6 versus 4.1, 95%CI:3.3, 4.8). Mortality dropped 5.2 percentage points annually (95%CI:-8.4, -1.9) in men and 7.0 percentage points annually (95%CI:-8.7, -5.2) in women from 2005 to 2015. Mean length of hospital stay changed only for women: 7.8 days (95%CI:7.5, 8.0) to 6.7 days (95%CI:6.4, 6.9). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital admissions and inpatient mortality due to hypoglycemia in diabetes patients decreased from 2005 to 2015. This trend was more pronounced in women. Mean length of hospital stay decreased in women.

The influence of hemoglobin A1c levels on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in people with diabetes over 70 years of age. A prospective study.

AIM: Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a reliable risk factor of cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients, but information about this relationship in elderly patients is scarce. The aim of this study is to analyze, the relationship between HbA1c levels and the risk of mayor adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with diabetes over 70 years. METHODS: Prospective study of subjects with diabetes using electronic health records from the universal public health system in the Valencian Community, Spain, 2008-2012. We included men and women aged≥70 years with diabetes who underwent routine health examinations in primary care. Primary endpoint was the incidence of MACE: all-cause mortality and/or hospital admission due to coronary heart disease or stroke. A standard Cox and Cox-Aalen models were adjusted. RESULTS: 5016 subjects were included whit a mean age of 75.1 years (46.7% men). During an average follow-up of 49 months (4.1 years), 807 (16.1%) MACE were recorded. The incidence of MACE was 20.6 per 1000-person-years. Variables significantly associated to the incidence of MACE were male gender (HR: 1.61), heart failure (HR: 2.26), antiplatelet therapy (HR: 1.39), oral antidiabetic treatment (HR: 0.74), antithrombotics (HR: 1.79), while age, creatinine, HbA1c and peripheral arterial disease were time-depend associated variables. CONCLUSION: These results highlights the importance of HbA1c level in the incidence of cardiovascular events in older diabetic patients.

[Cardiovascular preventive recommendations. PAPPS 2020 update]. / Recomendaciones preventivas cardiovasculares. Actualización PAPPS 2020.

The recommendations of the semFYC's Program for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (PAPPS) for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are presented. The following sections are included: Epidemiological review, where the current morbidity and mortality of CVD in Spain and its evolution as well as the main risk factors are described; Cardiovascular (CV) risk tables and recommendations for the calculation of CV risk; Main risk factors such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, describing the method for their diagnosis, therapeutic objectives and recommendations for lifestyle measures and pharmacological treatment; Indications for antiplatelet therapy, and recommendations for screening of atrial fibrillation. The quality of testing and the strength of the recommendation are included in the main recommendations.

[Management of hyperglycaemia with non-insulin drugs in adult patients with type 2 diabetes]. / Manejo de la hiperglucemia con fármacos no insulínicos en pacientes adultos con diabetes tipo 2.

Treatment of diabetes mellitus type2 (DM2) includes healthy eating and exercise (150minutes/week) as basic pillars. For pharmacological treatment, metformin is the initial drug except contraindication or intolerance; in case of poor control, 8 therapeutic families are available (6 oral and 2 injectable) as possible combinations. An algorithm and some recommendations for the treatment of DM2 are presented. In secondary cardiovascular prevention, it is recommended to associate an inhibitor of the sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (iSGLT2) or a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (arGLP1) in patients with obesity. In primary prevention if the patient is obese or overweight metformin should be combined with iSGLT2, arGLP1, or inhibitors of type4 dipeptidylpeptidase (iDPP4). If the patient does not present obesity, iDPP4, iSGLT2 or gliclazide, sulfonylurea, recommended due to its lower tendency to hypoglycaemia, may be used.

A Review of Practical Issues on the Use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are well established as effective treatments for patients with type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 RAs augment insulin secretion and suppress glucagon release via the stimulation of GLP-1 receptors. Although all GLP-1 RAs share the same underlying mechanism of action, they differ in terms of formulations, administration, injection devices and dosages. With six GLP-1 RAs currently available in Europe (namely, immediate-release exenatide, lixisenatide, liraglutide; prolonged-release exenatide, dulaglutide and semaglutide), each with its own characteristics and administration requirements, physicians caring for patients in their routine practice face the challenge of being cognizant of all this information so they are able to select the agent that is most suitable for their patient and use it in an efficient and optimal way. The objective of this review is to bring together practical information on the use of these GLP-1 RAs that reflects their approved use.Funding: Eli Lilly and Company.Plain Language Summary: Plain language summary available for this article.

OPENCRONIC Study. Knowledge and Experiences of Spanish Patients and Carers about Chronic Disease.

Background: Chronic diseases are currently the main cause of morbidity and mortality and represent a major challenge to healthcare systems. The objective of this study is to know Spanish public opinion about chronic disease and how it affects their daily lives. Methods: Through a telephone or online survey of 24 questions, data was gathered on the characteristics of the respondents and their knowledge and experiences of chronic diseases. Results: Of the 2522 survey respondents, 325 had a chronic disease and were carers, 1088 had a chronic disease and were not carers, 140 did not have a chronic disease but were carers, and 969 did not have chronic disease and were not carers. The degree of knowledge on these diseases was good or very good for 69.4%, 56.0%, 62.2%, and 46.7%, respectively, for each group. All the groups agreed that chronic diseases mainly affect mood, quality of life and having to make sacrifices. Conclusions: Knowledge about chronic diseases is relatively good, although it can be improved among the Spanish population, especially among patients who report having a chronic disease and play the role of carers. However, it is important to continue maintaining the level of information and training concerning these diseases.

Calculating individualized glycaemic targets using an algorithm based on expert worldwide diabetologists: Implications in real-life clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical implications of calculating an individualized HbA1c target using a recently published algorithm in a real-life clinical setting. METHODS: General practitioners (GPs) from the Spanish Society of Family Medicine Diabetes Expert Group were invited to participate in the study. Each GP selected a random sample of patients with diabetes from his or her practice and submitted their demographic and clinical data for analysis. Individualized glycaemic targets were calculated according to the algorithm. Predictors of good glycaemic control were studied. The rate of patients attaining their individualized glycaemic target or the uniform target of HbA1c  < 7.0% was calculated. RESULTS: Forty GPs included 408 patients in the study. Of the 8 parameters included in the algorithm, "comorbidities," "risk of hypoglycaemia from treatment," and "diabetes duration" had the greatest impact on determining the individualized glycaemic target. Number of glucose-lowering agents and adherence were independently associated with glycaemic control. Overall, 60.5% of patients had good glycaemic control per individualized target, and 56.1% were well controlled per the uniform target of HbA1c  < 7.0% (P = .20). However, 12.8% (23 of 246) of the patients with HbA1c  ≥ 7.0% were adequately controlled per individualized target, and 2.6% (6 of 162) of the patients with HbA1c  < 7.0% were uncontrolled since their individualized target was lower. CONCLUSIONS: In a real-life clinical setting, applying individualized targets did not change the overall rate of patients with good glycaemic control yet led to reclassification of 7.1% (29 of 408) of the patients. More studies are needed to validate these results in different populations.