Trading-Off Transit and Non-Transit Physical Activity among Older People: Evidence from Longitudinal Accelerometer Data of a Natural Experiment Study.

This study used a natural experiment of a new metro line in Hong Kong to examine trade-offs between transit-related and non-transit-related physical activity (PA) among 104 older people (aged ≥ 65 years) based on longitudinal accelerometer data that distinguished transit-related and non-transit-related PA. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis compared PA changes between treatment and control groups. We found that new metro stations have trade-off effects between transit and non-transit PA. After opening metro stations, transit-related PA increased by 12 min per day on average, but non-transit-related PA decreased by 18 min per day. In addition, the proportion of time spent in transit-related PA increased by 6%. The results suggested that new metro stations could generate transit-related PA, but it might shift from non-transit-related PA among older people. Our findings revealed trade-off effects of public transit interventions and have significant implications for transport and healthy ageing studies.

Decline in older adults' daily mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of individual and built environment factors.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted the daily mobility of older adults. However, very little attention has been paid to the role of individual and built environmental factors in decline in older adults' daily mobility during the pandemic. METHODS: Based on a cohort survey of 741 older adults in Hong Kong, we conducted a one-way ANOVA to explore the differences in determinants (individual or environmental factors) of older adults' daily mobility between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, multilevel linear regression was performed to examine how individual characteristics and built environment factors are associated with changes in older adults' daily mobility during the pandemic. RESULTS: Results show that the duration of active travel declined from 174.72 to 76.92 min per week, and that the public transport use frequency decreased from an average of 6.14 to 3.96 trips per week during the COVID-19 pandemic (before the rollout of vaccination programme). We also found residential density (p < 0.05) and the number of bus stop was negatively associated with the decline in their active travel (p < 0.01), while a higher destination mix was associated with more significant decrease in active travel (p < 0.01). A higher availability of recreational facilities in neighbourhoods was associated with a greater decrease in public transport use (p < 0.05). In addition, those who were older or having depressive symptoms, which are considered a vulnerable group, were negatively associated with decrease in their mobility (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining mobility and social interactions are crucial for older adults' health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that individual and environmental factors differentially affected older adults' active travel and public transport use during the pandemic. Our findings contribute to understanding the COVID-19 impact on daily mobility in older adults and support more effective active travel promotion policies in the post-pandemic future.

Differential Diabetogenic Effect of Pitavastatin and Rosuvastatin, in vitro and in vivo.

AIM: Most statins increase the risk of new-onset diabetes. Unlike other statins, pitavastatin is reported to exert neutral effects on serum glucose level, but the precise mechanism is unknown. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice (n=26) were fed high-fat diet (HFD, 45% fat) with 0.01% placebo, rosuvastatin, or pitavastatin for 12 weeks. Cultured HepG2, C2C12, and 3T3-L1 cells and visceral adipocytes from HFD-fed mice were treated with vehicle or 10 µM statins for 24 h. The effects of pitavastatin and rosuvastatin on intracellular insulin signaling and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation were evaluated. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, the fasting blood glucose level was significantly lower in pitavastatin-treated group than in rosuvastatin-treated group (115.2±7.0 versus 137.4±22.3 mg/dL, p=0.024). Insulin tolerance significantly improved in pitavastatin-treated group as compared with rosuvastatin-treated group, and no significant difference was observed in glucose tolerance. Although plasma adiponectin and insulin levels were not different between the two statin treatment groups, the insulin-induced protein kinase B phosphorylation was weakly attenuated in pitavastatin-treated adipocytes than in rosuvastatin-treated adipocytes. Furthermore, minor attenuation in insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane of adipocytes was observed in pitavastatin-treated group. CONCLUSION: Pitavastatin showed lower diabetogenic effects than rosuvastatin in mice that may be mediated by minor attenuations in insulin signaling in adipocytes.

Predictive costs in medical care for Koreans with metabolic syndrome from 2009 to 2013 based on the National Health Insurance claims dataset.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although metabolic syndrome has been associated with increasing medical costs worldwide, there have been no studies using a nationwide and longitudinal South Korean dataset. We investigated trends in subsidized medical costs among Korean adults with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: This study was based on the National Sample Cohort database of South Korea. We used data of national health checkups in 2009 as well as data of subsidized prescription drugs and the Korean Classification of Disease diagnosis codes from claims in 2007 to 2008 to identify underlying diseases. We calculated the direct medical costs, which were subsidized by the Korean National Health Insurance, among 204,768 individuals older than 20 years from 2009 to 2013. RESULTS: The proportion of subjects with metabolic syndrome was 27.2%. Direct medical costs for 5 years differed by a magnitude of 2.16 between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome. The costs increased by approximately 41.8% in the metabolic syndrome group in 5 years. Direct medical costs increased with every additional risk factor, even if a subject had less than three risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome per se and all of its components, except low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, resulted in a significant increase in medical costs. CONCLUSION: The medical costs of subjects with metabolic syndrome were higher than that of those without metabolic syndrome and it increased with the number of risk factors. Further research using cumulative data of more than 10 years, including unsubsidized and indirect costs, is needed in the future.

Epicardial Fat Thickness and Bone Mineral Content: The Healthy Twin Study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The conventional concept of positive association between general obesity and bone health was challenged in recent studies reporting the different effects of specific fat deposition on bone health. In the present study, we investigated the association between epicardial fat and bone health. METHODS: We measured echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and bone mineral content (BMC) in a twin-family cohort of Koreans (n = 1,198; 525 men, 460 pre- and 213 post-menopausal women). A total 121 pairs of monozygotic twin (MZ) and 404 pairs of dizygotic twin and sibling pairs (DZ/Sib) were included. RESULTS: EFT was positively associated with BMC in total, as well as in three subgroups (ß = 0.107, 0.076, and 0.058 for men, pre-, and post-menopausal women, respectively). The positive association between EFT and BMC remained for DZ/Sib difference analysis, but was absent for MZ comparisons. The positive association between BMI and BMC was consistent for DZ/Sib and MZ difference analysis. After adjusting for the effect of general obesity via BMI, the association between BMC and EFT was statistically non-significant (ß = 0.020, 0.000, and -0.009 for men, pre-, and post-menopausal women, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings do not support epicardial fat's beneficial effects on bone health, whereas general adiposity has an osteotropic effect. The association between EFT and BMC is through common genetic component factors.

Waist-to-calf circumstance ratio is an independent predictor of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although a combination of central obesity and decreased skeletal muscle mass has been associated with various cardiometabolic disorders, its influence on the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) is unclear. We investigated whether waist-to-calf circumference ratio (WCR) predicts NAFLD or hepatic fibrosis in T2D. METHODS: Patients with T2D (n = 5507) were enrolled in this study. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasound and predicting score. NAFLD was defined as 'hepatic steatosis absent other causes of chronic liver disease,' such as virus or alcoholism. Degree of hepatic fibrosis was calculated using non-invasive serum biomarker-based models. Insulin resistance was assessed by short insulin tolerance test. RESULTS: The prevalence of NAFLD and obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 , Asian definition) were 46.4% and 38.9%, respectively. NAFLD prevalence was higher with increasing WCR tertiles: lowest tertile (36% in men, 28% in women) versus highest tertile (53.8% in men, 58.2% in women, both P < 0.001 after stratification by insulin resistance status. Increasing WCR tertiles were independently associated with presence of NAFLD: odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22-1.68 and OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.31-1.86, in the middle and highest tertiles, respectively. Furthermore, patients with NAFLD and the highest WCR tertile had significant fibrosis (OR = 8.62, 95% CI = 1.39-53.36, P = 0.021). Also, WCR was correlated with risk of sarcopenia (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 2.50-4.05, P < 0.001, highest tertile). CONCLUSIONS: Higher WCR is associated with increased risk of NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis independent of insulin resistance. This suggests that WCR may be a useful index to predict high risk of hepatic steatosis in T2D.

Increased risk of hip fractures in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes: a 6-year nationwide population-based study.

We compared the incidence and risk of hip fractures in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic subjects in a nationwide population-based study. The study included 17,110 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004 and 34,220 randomly selected age- and sex-matched control subjects drawn from the Korean National Health Insurance Research database. Fracture events occurring between 2004 and 2010 were identified from medical claims data. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for fractures associated with diabetes were calculated. A total of 3855 fractures of any type (3029 in females and 826 in males) and 493 hip fractures (353 in females and 140 in males) were observed in 51,330 subjects over a 6-year follow-up period. The risk of hip fractures was significantly higher in female (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.38-2.16) and male (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.29-2.63) diabetics than in non-diabetic controls after adjusting for multiple confounders. Stratification by age revealed that the adjusted HR for hip fractures was highest in diabetic patients aged 50-64 years (HR 2.54 in females and 2.70 in males) and decreased with increasing age. The risk of other fractures did not differ between the groups. Korean males and females with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of hip fractures compared with non-diabetic individuals. Osteoporosis assessments and fracture prevention strategies are necessary for Koreans with type 2 diabetes.

A genetic variant in GLP1R is associated with response to DPP-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Incretin hormone-based therapy in type 2 diabetes has been widely used, and dipepdityl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, which prevent incretin degradation, have become popular oral hypoglycemic agents. The efficacy of DPP-4 inhibitors varies from individuals, and factors determining responses to DPP-4 inhibitors have not been fully established. We aimed to investigate whether genetic variations in glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor are associated with responses to DPP-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes.Genetic variations of rs3765467 in GLP-1 receptor were explored in 246 patients with type 2 diabetes who received DPP-4 inhibitors treatment for 24 weeks in addition to previous medication. Patients with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) > 7% and who were naive to any DPP-4 inhibitors were enrolled. Responders were defined as those who showed a > 10% reduction in HbA1c after DPP-4 inhibitor treatment.DPP-4 inhibitors improved glycemic parameters and lipid profiles. Compared to the major genotype (GG), a larger proportion of patients with the minor allele genotype (GA/AA) were responders (P = 0.018), and also showing greater HbA1c reductions (1.3 ±â€Š1.1 vs 0.9 ±â€Š1.2%; P = 0.022). This genetic effect remained significant even after adjustment for other confounding factors (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.03-3.89).Polymorphism in the GLP-1 receptor may influence DPP-4 inhibitor response. Further studies in larger population will help determine the association between genetic variation and interindividual differences in DPP-4 inhibitor therapy.

No differences in metabolic outcomes between nadir GH 0.4 and 1.0 ng/mL during OGTT in surgically cured acromegalic patients (observational study).

Metabolic impairment is the common cause for mortality in acromegalic patients. In this study, long-term improvements of metabolic parameters were evaluated according to 2 different remission criteria.This was an observational cohort study before and up to 1 year after transsphenoidal adenomectomy (TSA). Participants were 187 patients with acromegaly. At 6 months after TSA, remitted patients with age- and sex-matched normalized IGF-1 were divided into 2 groups: remission 1 (R1), nadir growth hormone (GH) below 0.4 ng/mL; and remission 2 (R2), nadir GH between 0.4 and 1.0 ng/mL in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Metabolic parameters during serial OGTTs were evaluated for 12 months. Remission was achieved in 157 (R1-136; R2-21) patients. Immediate postoperative metabolic parameters including body weight, body mass index, glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid in OGTT were all significantly improved in R1 and R2. HOMA-%ß and HOMA-IR scores also improved in both R1 and R2. These improvements persisted for duration (12 months) of this study. However, no difference was present in metabolic parameters between R1 and R2. Although the patients with preoperative adrenal insufficiency presented significantly increased HOMA scores before TSA, there was no difference between classifications of deficient pituitary axes and changes of metabolic parameters after TSA. Remitted patients exhibited rapid restoration of metabolic parameters immediate postoperative period. Long-term improvements in metabolic parameters were not different between the 2 different nadir GH cut-offs, 0.4 and 1.0 ng/mL.

Rosiglitazone Use and the Risk of Bladder Cancer in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Patients with diabetes have a higher incidence of bladder cancer; however, the association between thiazolidinedione use and bladder cancer risk has been controversial. We aimed to investigate whether pioglitazone or rosiglitazone use is associated with bladder cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.This nationwide nested case-control study used data set obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort 2002 to 2013. Among the 47,738 patients with incident diabetes, 85 cases of newly diagnosed bladder cancer and 850 controls (1:10 matched by age, sex, index year, and diabetes diagnosis year) were recruited. Type 2 diabetes mellitus and bladder cancer were diagnosed using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision code.More cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed in men (81.2%), and the stratified age peaked at 70 to 79 years old. Exclusive rosiglitazone use raised the incidence of bladder cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI ] = 1.48-6.37). The risk of bladder cancer started to increase after less than 3 months use (OR = 3.30, 95% CI = 1.02-10.70) and peaked at 3 to 12 months of rosiglitazone use (OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 1.51-13.31). Patients were first exposed to exclusive rosiglitazone within 1 year (OR = 11.74, 95% CI = 2.46-56.12) and those who had consistently used it for 1 year (OR = 4.48 95% CI = 1.51-13.31), had higher risks of bladder cancer compared with nonthiazolidinedione users. Neither pioglitazone use nor exclusive pioglitazone use were associated with an increased incidence of bladder cancer.Rosiglitazone use is associated with an increased risk of incident bladder cancer independent of age and sex in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The highest odds of bladder cancer in rosiglitazone users was seen in those with <1 year of exposure.

Effects of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors on Hyperglycemia and Blood Cyclosporine Levels in Renal Transplant Patients with Diabetes: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors is increasing among renal transplant patients with diabetes. However, the glucose-lowering efficacies of various DPP-4 inhibitors and their effects on blood cyclosporine levels have not been fully investigated. We compared the glucose-lowering efficacies of DPP 4 inhibitors and evaluate their effects on the blood levels of cyclosporine in renal transplant recipients with diabetes. METHODS: Sixty-five renal allograft recipients who received treatment with DPP-4 inhibitors (vildagliptin, sitagliptin, or linagliptin) following kidney transplant were enrolled. The glucose-lowering efficacies of the DPP-4 inhibitors were compared according to the changes in the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after 3 months of treatment. Changes in the trough levels of the cyclosporine were also assessed 2 months after treatment with each DPP-4 inhibitor. RESULTS: HbA1c significantly decreased in the linagliptin group in comparison with other DPP-4 inhibitors (vildagliptin -0.38%±1.03%, sitagliptin -0.53%±0.95%, and linagliptin -1.40±1.34; P=0.016). Cyclosporine trough levels were significantly increased in the sitagliptin group compared with vildagliptin group (30.62±81.70 ng/mL vs. -24.22±53.54 ng/mL, P=0.036). Cyclosporine trough levels were minimally changed in patients with linagliptin. CONCLUSION: Linagliptin demonstrates superior glucose-lowering efficacy and minimal effect on cyclosporine trough levels in comparison with other DPP-4 inhibitors in kidney transplant patients with diabetes.

Chronic HMGCR/HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor treatment contributes to dysglycemia by upregulating hepatic gluconeogenesis through autophagy induction.

Statins (HMGCR/HMG-CoA reductase [3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase] inhibitors) are widely used to lower blood cholesterol levels but have been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the molecular mechanism underlying diabetogenic effects remains to be elucidated. Here we show that statins significantly increase the expression of key gluconeogenic enzymes (such as G6PC [glucose-6-phosphatase] and PCK1 (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 [soluble]) in vitro and in vivo and promote hepatic glucose output. Statin treatment activates autophagic flux in HepG2 cells. Acute suppression of autophagy with lysosome inhibitors in statin treated HepG2 cells reduced gluconeogenic enzymes expression and glucose output. Importantly, the ability of statins to increase gluconeogenesis was impaired when ATG7 was deficient and BECN1 was absent, suggesting that autophagy plays a critical role in the diabetogenic effects of statins. Moreover autophagic vacuoles and gluconeogenic genes expression in the liver of diet-induced obese mice were increased by statins, ultimately leading to elevated hepatic glucose production, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Together, these data demonstrate that chronic statin therapy results in insulin resistance through the activation of hepatic gluconeogenesis, which is tightly coupled to hepatic autophagy. These data further contribute to a better understanding of the diabetogenic effects of stains in the context of insulin resistance.

The Effect of DPP-4 Inhibitors on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effects of two dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, sitagliptin and vildagliptin, on metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 170 type 2 diabetes patients treated with sitagliptin or vildagliptin for more than 24 weeks were selected. The patients were separated into two groups, sitagliptin (100 mg once daily, n=93) and vildagliptin (50 mg twice daily, n=77). We compared the effect of each DPP-4 inhibitor on metabolic parameters, including the fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial glucose (PPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and glycated albumin (GA) levels, and lipid parameters at baseline and after 24 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The HbA1c, FPG, and GA levels were similar between the two groups at baseline, but the sitagliptin group displayed a higher PPG level (P=0.03). After 24 weeks of treatment, all of the glucose-related parameters were significantly decreased in both groups (P=0.001). The levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were only reduced in the vildagliptin group (P=0.001), although the sitagliptin group received a larger quantity of statins than the vildagliptin group (P=0.002).The mean change in the glucose- and lipid-related parameters after 24 weeks of treatment were not significantly different between the two groups (P=not significant). Neither sitagliptin nor vildagliptin treatment was associated with a reduction in the high sensitive C-reactive protein level (P=0.714). CONCLUSION: Vildagliptin and sitagliptin exert a similar effect on metabolic parameters, but vildagliptin exerts a more potent beneficial effect on lipid parameters.

Statin therapy is associated with the development of new-onset diabetes after transplantation in liver recipients with high fasting plasma glucose levels.

New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) and dyslipidemia are important metabolic complications after liver transplantation (LT) that can adversely affect both allograft and patient survival. Statins are used as first-line therapies for dyslipidemia because of their effectiveness and safety profile. However, it has recently been reported that statin therapy is associated with new-onset diabetes in the nontransplant population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between statin therapy and the development of NODAT in LT recipients. Three hundred sixty-four LT recipients who underwent transplantation between the ages of 20 and 75 years without a previous history of diabetes were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the incidence of NODAT with respect to statin use as well as other risk factors. The incidence of NODAT was significantly higher in the statin group (31.7%) versus the control group (17.6%, P = 0.03). The mean follow-up period was 37.8 ± 19.0 months for the statin group and 42.7 ± 16.0 months for the control group (P = 0.07). Statin use was significantly associated with NODAT development after adjustments for other risk factors [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-4.39, P = 0.01]. Impaired fasting glucose before transplantation was also a risk factor for NODAT development (HR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.36-3.62, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, cumulative corticosteroid dose, or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels between the groups. Patients with high FPG levels were more likely to develop NODAT when they were placed on statins after LT (P = 0.002). In conclusion, statin treatment could contribute to the development of NODAT in LT recipients, especially if they have high baseline FPG levels.

HMG CoA reductase inhibitor treatment induces dysglycemia in renal allograft recipients.

BACKGROUND: Dysglycemia and dyslipidemia are important metabolic complications of organ transplantation. Statins are widely used to control dyslipidemia; however, long-term use of statins is related to diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of statins on the development of dysglycemia (IFG and/or DM) in renal allograft recipients. METHODS: A total of 394 patients without previously known DM or IFG who underwent kidney transplantation were enrolled. Patients were grouped into the two groups according to the use of statin (control, n=149; statin, n=245). The major statins used were fluvastatin (80 mg/d, n=134) and atorvastatin (20 mg/d, n=111). We compared the incidence of IFG or DM during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The incidence of IFG was higher in the statin group than that in the control group (28.6% vs. 8.7%, P<0.001). The incidence of dysglycemia was significantly higher in the statin group (40.0% vs. 15.4%, P=0.001). Time to development of dysglycemia after transplantation was shorter in the statin group than in the control group (38.8±29.7 vs. 47.2±23.3 months, P=0.002). Statin use was associated with an increased risk for dysglycemia after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, cholesterol levels, hepatitis C infection, and type of immunosuppressant (hazard ratio=3.08, 95% confidence interval=1.91-4.98). The dysglycemic effect was more profound in the patients who used atorvastatin than in those who used fluvastatin (hazard ratio=2.21, 95% confidence interval=1.02-4.76). CONCLUSION: Statin treatment is associated with an elevation in fasting plasma glucose and in the development of dysglycemia in renal allograft recipients.

Analysis of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography findings in patients with pituitary lesions.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a good visual modality for the evaluation of pituitary lesions, it has limited value in the diagnosis of mixed nodules and some cystic lesions. We evaluated the usefulness of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for patients with pituitary lesions. METHODS: (18)F-FDG PET and MRI were performed simultaneously in 32 consecutive patients with pituitary lesions. The relationships between FDG uptake patterns in PET and MRI findings were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 24 patients with piuitary adenomas, 19 (79.2%) showed increased uptake of (18)F-FDG in the pituitary gland on PET scans. All patients with pituitary macroadenomas showed increased (18)F-FDG uptake on PET scans. Meanwhile, only five (50%) of the 10 patients with pituitary microadenomas showed positive PET scans. Interestingly, of two patients with no abnormal MRI findings, one showed increased (18)F-FDG uptake on PET. For positive (18)F-FDG uptake, maximum standardized uptake values (SUV(max)) > 2.4 had 94.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In addition, SUV(max) increased in proportion to the size of pituitary adenomas. Most cystic lesions did not show (18)F-FDG uptake on PET scans. CONCLUSIONS: About 80% of pituitary adenomas showed positivity on PET scans, and SUV(max) was related to the size of the adenomas. PET may be used as an ancillary tool for detection and differentiation of pituitary lesions.

Variants of the adiponectin gene and diabetic microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between common polymorphisms of the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Rs2241766 and rs1501299 of ADIPOQ were genotyped in 708 patients with T2DM. Fundus photography, nerve conducting velocity, and urine analysis were performed to check for the presence of microvascular complications including diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetic nephropathy tended to be different according to rs2241766 genotype (p=0.057) and the GG genotype of rs2241766 was associated with diabetic nephropathy [urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) greater than 30 mg/g] after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, duration of diabetes, HDL-cholesterol, smoking status, and blood pressure (odds ratio=1.96; 95% confidence interval=1.01-3.82, p=0.049). Also, the G allele of rs2241766 demonstrated a trend to be associated with an increase in UACR (p=0.087). Rs2241766 genotype was not associated with diabetic retinopathy (p=0.955) and neuropathy (p=0.104) or any diabetic microvascular complications (p=0.104). There was no significant association between the rs1501299 genotype of ADIPOQ and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy or any diabetic microvascular complications even after adjustment. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the GG genotype at rs2241766 is implicated in the pathogenesis of risk for diabetic nephropathy defined as UACR greater than 30 mg/day in patients with T2DM.