Tratamiento quirúrgico de las úlceras por radionecrosis con colgajos músculo y fasciocutáneos / Surgical treatment of radionecrosis ulcers with myocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps

Resumen Introducción: La Ulcera con radionecrosis debe ser resecada ampliamente y reparada con colgajos miocutáneos y fasciocutáneos. Objetivo: Presentar el tratamiento quirúrgico de las úlceras por radionecrosis mediante colgajos Miocutáneos y Fasciocutáneos pediculados y microquirúrgicos. Materiales y Método: La casuística es de 31 pacientes portadores de úlceras por radionecrosis resueltas con colgajos miocutáneos y fasciocutáneos. Ellos han sido pediculados y microquirúrgicos. Las edades fluctuaron entre 30 y 75 años operados entre el 2000 y el 2019. Resultados: Se realizaron 19 colgajos musculares o miocutáneos y 12 fasciocutáneos en diferentes zonas del organismo. Los colgajos correspondieron a: temporal, latissimus dorsi de pedículo central y en reversa, latissimus dorsi microquirúrgicos, recto abdominal, escapular microquirúrgico, para escapular, gracilis, gastrocnemius, rectus femoris, cubital microquirúrgico, fasciocutaneos: cone flap y de rotación local. Las complicaciones fueron dehiscencia de herida operatoria suturada y celulitis tratada con antibióticos. No hubo necrosis completa de los colgajos. El seguimiento fue de 3 a 6 meses. Discusión: En esta serie hemos utilizados los colgajos músculo cutáneos de preferencia, los fasciocutáneos los hemos reservados para aquellos casos en los que por razones anatómicas, de localización de las úlceras, era más adecuado usar estos últimos, como en las lesiones planas o poco profundas. Generalmente los colgajos fueron pediculados y en determinados casos, cuando el tejido vecino de reparación no estaba disponible, realizamos colgajos con microcirugía. Conclusión: El tratamiento de las úlceras por radionecrosis es efectivo cuando se realiza desbridamiento exhaustivo con cobertura inmediata con colgajos musculares o músculocutáneos y fasciocutáneos. Fueron colgajos pediculados y microquirúrgicos.

Introduction: The radionecrosis ulcer have to be widely resected and repaired trough flaps with good blood supply who contibute with oxigen, nutrients and antibiotics. Thinking on this the more suitable flaps are the myocutaneous ones and in special conditions the fasciocutaneous. Aim: The objetive of this paper is to show the surgical treatment of radionecrosis ulcers with myocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps. Materials and Method: Casuistic is 31 patients with radionecrosis ulcers treated with, mainly, myocutaneous flaps and in special areas with fasciocutaneous ones. The majority were pedicle flaps and in less number microsurgical flaps. The age of patients were betwee30 and 75 years old. Results: 19 muscle or myocutaneous flaps and 12 fasciocutaneous flaps were made. Flaps were latissimus dorsi, temporal, escapular, para escapular, rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, gracilis, gatrocnemius, cone flap and local fasciocutaneous flaps. Complications were sutured operative wound dehiscence and cellulitis treated with antibiotics. There were no complete necrosis of any flap. Discusion: In this serie we used muscle or myocutaneous flaps because they give good blood supply, oxigen, nutrients and arrival of antibiotic with filling of the deep ulcers. When the ulcers were shallow we use fasciocutaneous flaps. The majority of our flaps were pedicles and microsurgical flaps were used when there was no near avialable tissue. Conclusion: The treatment have to be wide debridement of the ulcer. The surgical treatment is with myocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps sometimes pediculates and in others conditions microsurgicals.

Cierre progresivo de heridas en pacientes con pie diabético / Progressive suture in diabetic foot patients with difficult healing

Resumen Introducción: Los pacientes diabéticos insulino requirientes con heridas del pie, producto de amputaciones con exposición de huesos, cartílagos o tendones, son de difícil manejo por el déficit de irrigación distal. Alternativa de tratamiento a los colgajos pediculados o microquirúrgicos es el cierre progresivo de las heridas. Objetivo: Reportar la técnica de cierre progresivo de heridas de pie en pacientes diabéticos insulino requirientes. Materiales y Método: Con esta técnica se operó a 15 pacientes diabéticos insulino requirientes que, después de amputación, presentaron heridas del pie con exposición de huesos, cartílagos y tendones. Lesiones de talón: 4, lesiones de antepie: 5 y lesiones plantares: 6. Las edades fluctuaron entre 45 y 70 años. Fueron 11 hombres y 4 mujeres operados entre 2014 y 2019. En ambos bordes de la herida se instaló dos placas de Ventrofil® unidas por sutura en U transversa y se tensó cada 3 días hasta obtener cicatrización. Resultados: 14 pacientes obtuvieron cicatrización en un plazo de entre 15 y 21 días y sólo uno presentó sufrimiento de los bordes de la herida por afrontamiento muy seguido. El seguimiento fue de tres meses sin recidiva de las heridas. Discusión: En pacientes diabéticos las heridas, producto de amputaciones y con exposición de huesos, cartílagos y tendones, son de muy difícil tratamiento debido el déficit de irrigación distal. En estas condiciones el uso de complejos colgajos locales o microquirúrgicos es de alto riesgo dada la posibilidad de necrosis. En esta situación, el cierre progresivo con sutura de Ventrofil® es una alternativa viable, segura, reproducible y con buenos resultados. Conclusión: Es un procedimiento rápido, seguro y reproducible.

Introduction: The closure of wounds in diabetic foot patients, after amputation with esposure of bones, is difficult because of lack of blood supply to this area. The progressive suture with Ventrofil® is a good alternative. Aim: Report the technique of progressive closure of foot wounds in insulin-requiring diabetic patients. Materials and Method: 15 patients with diabetic foot were operated on in the Hospital del Salvador, between 2014 and 2019.The ages were among 45 and 70 years. 11 men and 4 women. In those patients two plaques of Ventrofil® were positioned in both borders of the wound an tied through a horizontal suture.This suture was tensioned every 3 days until get the complete wound healing. Results: 14 patients healed very well and in just only one patient there was suffering of the edges of the wound. The follow up was of 3 months without relapse. Discussion: In patients with diabetic foot with wounds after amputation the closure is difficult because of lack of adecuate blood supply. In these case the progressive suture with plaques of Ventrofil® is a good alternative to a more complex flaps like microsurgicals ones. Conclusion: This technique is sure, easy to perfom and safe.

Frailty is associated with in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands: the COVID-OLD study.

BACKGROUND: During the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older patients had an increased risk of hospitalisation and death. Reports on the association of frailty with poor outcome have been conflicting. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the independent association between frailty and in-hospital mortality in older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands. METHODS: This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study in 15 hospitals in the Netherlands, including all patients aged ≥70 years, who were hospitalised with clinically confirmed COVID-19 between February and May 2020. Data were collected on demographics, co-morbidity, disease severity and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1,376 patients were included (median age 78 years (interquartile range 74-84), 60% male). In total, 499 (38%) patients died during hospital admission. Parameters indicating presence of frailty (CFS 6-9) were associated with more co-morbidities, shorter symptom duration upon presentation (median 4 versus 7 days), lower oxygen demand and lower levels of C-reactive protein. In multivariable analyses, the CFS was independently associated with in-hospital mortality: compared with patients with CFS 1-3, patients with CFS 4-5 had a two times higher risk (odds ratio (OR) 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-3.0)) and patients with CFS 6-9 had a three times higher risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 2.8 (95% CI 1.8-4.3)). CONCLUSIONS: The in-hospital mortality of older hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands was 38%. Frailty was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality, even though COVID-19 patients with frailty presented earlier to the hospital with less severe symptoms.

Prognostic factors in patients with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19: Findings from the CORONADO study and other recent reports.

Diabetes mellitus is challenging in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of diabetes patients hospitalized in intensive care units for COVID-19 is two- to threefold higher, and the mortality rate at least double, than that of non-diabetes patients. As the population with diabetes is highly heterogeneous, it is of major interest to determine the risk factors of progression to a more serious life-threatening COVID-19 infection. This brief review discusses the main findings of CORONADO, a prospective observational study in France that specifically addressed this issue as well as related observations from other countries, mainly China and the US. Some prognostic factors beyond old age have been identified: for example, an increased body mass index is a major risk factor for requiring respiratory assistance. Indeed, obesity combines several risk factors, including impaired respiratory mechanics, the presence of other comorbidities and inappropriate inflammatory responses, partly due to ectopic fat deposits. While previous diabetic microvascular (renal) and macrovascular complications also increase risk of death, the quality of past glucose control had no independent influence on hospitalized diabetes patient outcomes, but whether the quality of glucose control might modulate risk of COVID-19 in non-hospitalized diabetes patients is still unknown. In addition, no negative signs regarding the use of RAAS blockers and DPP-4 inhibitors and outcomes of COVID-19 could be identified. Hyperglycaemia at the time of hospital admission is associated with poor outcomes, but it may simply be considered a marker of severity of the infection. Thus, the impact of glucose control during hospitalization on outcomes related to COVID-19, which was not investigated in the CORONADO study, is certainly deserving of specific investigation.

Relationship between renal capacity to reabsorb glucose and renal status in patients with diabetes.

AIMS: Interindividual variability in capacity to reabsorb glucose at the proximal renal tubule could contribute to risk of diabetic kidney disease. Our present study investigated, in patients with diabetes, the association between fractional reabsorption of glucose (FRGLU) and degree of renal disease as assessed by urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). METHODS: FRGLU [1-(glucose clearance/creatinine clearance)] was assessed in 637 diabetes patients attending our tertiary referral centre, looking for correlations between FRGLU and UAE (normo-, micro-, macro-albuminuria) and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) eGFR categories: >90 (G1); 90-60 (G2); 59-30 (G3); and<30-16 (G4) mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients were stratified by admission fasting plasma glucose (FPG) into three groups: low (<6mmol/L); intermediate (6-11mmol/L); and high (>11mmol/L). RESULTS: Median (interquartile range, IQR) FRGLU levels were blood glucose-dependent: 99.90% (0.05) for low (n=106); 99.90% (0.41) for intermediate (n=288); and 96.36% (12.57) for high (n=243) blood glucose categories (P<0.0001). Also, FRGLU increased with renal disease severity in patients in the high FPG group: normoalbuminuria, 93.50% (17.74) (n=135); microalbuminuria, 96.56% (5.94) (n=77); macroalbuminuria, 99.12% (5.44) (n=31; P<0.001); eGFR G1, 94.13% (16.24) (n=111); G2, 96.35% (11.94) (n=72); G3 98.88% (7.59) (n=46); and G4, 99.11% (2.20) (n=14; P<0.01). On multiple regression analyses, FRGLU remained significantly and independently associated with UAE and eGFR in patients in the high blood glucose group. CONCLUSION: High glucose reabsorption capacity in renal proximal tubules is associated with high UAE and low eGFR in patients with diabetes and blood glucose levels>11mmol/L.

Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide 1.0mg vs once-daily liraglutide 1.2mg as add-on to 1-3 oral antidiabetic drugs in subjects with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 10).

AIMS: SUSTAIN 10 compared the efficacy and safety of the anticipated most frequent semaglutide dose (1.0mg) with the current most frequently prescribed liraglutide dose in Europe (1.2mg), reflecting clinical practice. METHODS: In this phase 3b, open-label trial, 577 adults with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 7.0-11.0%) on 1-3 oral antidiabetic drugs were randomized 1:1 to subcutaneous once-weekly semaglutide 1.0mg or subcutaneous once-daily liraglutide 1.2mg. Primary and confirmatory secondary endpoints were changes in HbA1c and body weight from baseline to week 30, respectively. RESULTS: Mean HbA1c (baseline 8.2%) decreased by 1.7% with semaglutide and 1.0% with liraglutide (estimated treatment difference [ETD] -0.69%; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.82 to -0.56, P<0.0001). Mean body weight (baseline 96.9kg) decreased by 5.8kg with semaglutide and 1.9kg with liraglutide (ETD -3.83kg; 95% CI -4.57 to -3.09, P<0.0001). The proportions of subjects achieving glycaemic targets of<7.0% and=6.5%, weight loss of=5% and=10%, and a composite endpoint of HbA1c<7.0% without severe or blood glucose-confirmed symptomatic hypoglycaemia and no weight gain were greater with semaglutide vs liraglutide (all P<0.0001). Both treatments had similar safety profiles, except for more frequent gastrointestinal disorders (the most common adverse events [AEs]) and AEs leading to premature treatment discontinuation with semaglutide vs liraglutide (43.9% vs 38.3% and 11.4% vs 6.6%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Semaglutide was superior to liraglutide in reducing HbA1c and body weight. Safety profiles were generally similar, except for higher rates of gastrointestinal AEs with semaglutide vs liraglutide.

Dairy consumption is associated with lower plasma dihydroceramides in women from the D.E.S.I.R. cohort.

AIM: In the D.E.S.I.R. cohort, higher consumption of dairy products was associated with lower incidence of hyperglycaemia, and dihydroceramide concentrations were higher in those who progressed to diabetes. Our aim here was to study the relationships between dairy consumption and concentrations of dihydroceramides and ceramides. METHODS: In the D.E.S.I.R. cohort, men and women aged 30-65 years, volunteers from West-Central France, were included in a 9-year follow-up with examinations every 3 years, including food-frequency questionnaires. Two items concerned dairy products (cheese, other dairy products except cheese). At each examination, dihydroceramides and ceramides were determined by mass spectrometry in a cohort subset; in the present study, the 105 people who did not progress to type 2 diabetes were analyzed, as the disorder per se might be a confounding factor. RESULTS: Higher consumption of dairy products (except cheese) was associated with total plasma dihydroceramides during the follow-up, but only in women (P=0.01 for gender interaction). In fact, dihydroceramide levels were lower in women with high vs low consumption (P=0.03), and were significantly increased during follow-up (P=0.01) in low consumers only. There was also a trend for lower ceramides in women with high dairy (except cheese) intakes (P=0.08). Cheese was associated with dihydroceramide and ceramide changes during follow-up (P=0.04 for both), but no clear trend was evident in either low or high consumers. CONCLUSION: These results show that, in women, there is an inverse association between fresh dairy product consumption and predictive markers (dihydroceramides) of type 2 diabetes.

Efficacy and adherence of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in real-life settings.

Despite the availability of a large number of therapeutic options throughout the world, rates of optimal glycaemic control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus remain low. Delays in treatment intensification to insulin and low adherence to insulin regimes, which are well-documented contributors to poor glycaemic control, are in many cases driven by fear of hypoglycaemic events, weight gain and injections. Over the last 10 years, injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) have emerged as alternatives to basal insulin for treatment intensification in patients inadequately controlled with oral antidiabetic drugs. As a class, GLP1-RAs are associated with weight loss and fewer hypoglycaemic events than insulin. In addition, some of them are available in once-a-week formulations and therefore require fewer injections. However, as randomized controlled trials are not representative of everyday practice, physicians should consider the results of real-life studies to guide their treatment decisions. In this review, while significant variations in efficacy, tolerability and adherence data were noted from one study to another, rates of glycaemic control overall were low. Indeed, our present analysis has suggested that regular re-evaluations of treatment, including response, tolerability, adherence, cost and quality of life, are necessary.

The impact of level of education on vascular events and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results from the ADVANCE study.

AIMS: The relationship between educational level and the risk of all-cause mortality is well established, whereas the association with vascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes is not well described. Any association may reflect a link with common cardiovascular or lifestyle-based risk factors. METHODS: The relationships between the highest level of educational attainment and major cardiovascular events, microvascular complications and all-cause mortality were explored in a cohort of 11,140 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Completion of formal education before the age of 16 was categorized as a low level of education. Regional differences between Asia, East Europe and Established Market Economies were also assessed. RESULTS: During a median of 5years of follow up, 1031 (9%) patients died, 1147 (10%) experienced a major cardiovascular event and 1136 (10%) a microvascular event. After adjustment for baseline characteristics and risk factors, individuals with lower education had an increased risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio (HR) 1.31, 95% CI 1.16-1.48, p<0.0001), microvascular events (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08-1.39, p=0.0013) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18-1.52, p<0.0001). In regional analyses the increased risk of studied outcomes associated with lower education was weakest in Established Market Economies and strongest in East Europe. CONCLUSIONS: A low level of education is associated with an increased risk of vascular events and death in patients with type 2 diabetes, independently of common lifestyle associated cardiovascular risk factors. The effect size varies between geographical regions.

Evaluation of Adherence to Nutritional Intervention Through Trajectory Analysis.

Classical pre-post intervention studies are often analyzed using traditional statistics. Nevertheless, the nutritional interventions have small effects on the metabolism and traditional statistics are not enough to detect these subtle nutrient effects. Generally, this kind of studies assumes that the participants are adhered to the assigned dietary intervention and directly analyzes its effects over the target parameters. Thus, the evaluation of adherence is generally omitted. Although, sometimes, participants do not effectively adhere to the assigned dietary guidelines. For this reason, the trajectory map is proposed as a visual tool where dietary patterns of individuals can be followed during the intervention and can also be related with nutritional prescriptions. The trajectory analysis is also proposed allowing both analysis: 1) adherence to the intervention and 2) intervention effects. The analysis is made by projecting the differences of the target parameters over the resulting trajectories between states of different time-stamps which might be considered either individually or by groups. The proposal has been applied over a real nutritional study showing that some individuals adhere better than others and some individuals of the control group modify their habits during the intervention. In addition, the intervention effects are different depending on the type of individuals, even some subgroups have opposite response to the same intervention.

Sex hormone levels are not associated with progression of renal disease in male patients with T2DM.

BACKGROUND: Greater renal function decline (RFD) in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been suggested in men compared with women, and imbalances in estrogen/androgen levels have been associated with cardiovascular disease mortality in elderly men, but it remains unclear whether sex hormone disequilibrium is related to diabetic nephropathy (DN) in men with T2DM. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between sex steroid concentrations and renal outcomes in male T2DM patients. POPULATION AND METHODS: Total testosterone (T), total estradiol (E2), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and total and calculated free (cf) E2/T ratios were compared in 735 male T2DM patients with (n=513) and without (n=222) DN, using a cross-sectional approach. Also, in a pilot complementary prospective nested case-control cohort, total E2/total T and cfE2/cfT were evaluated according to a hard renal outcome (HRO): end-stage renal disease/doubling of baseline serum creatinine (36 HRO cases, 72 HRO controls) and rate of eGFR decline (68 rapid vs 68 slow RFD). RESULT: With the cross-sectional approach, E2 and cfE2 were higher in DN cases vs DN controls (95.5 vs 86.8pmol/L [P=0.0246] and 2.59 vs 2.36pmol/L [P=0.005], respectively). The difference in E2 persisted on multivariate analysis. In the prospective approach, E2 and T concentrations, and total E2/total T and cfE2/cfT2 ratios did not differ in HRO cases vs controls or in patients with rapid vs slow RFD. CONCLUSION: Although positively related to DN in the cross-sectional analysis, progression of renal disease in male patients with T2DM was not related to either sex hormone levels or aromatase index as reflected by E2/T ratio.

T-cadherin gene variants are associated with type 2 diabetes and the Fatty Liver Index in the French population.

AIM: Adiponectin is an adipocyte-secreted protein associated with insulin sensitivity. T-cadherin is a receptor for high and medium molecular weight adiponectin. In GWAS, T-cadherin gene (CDH13) polymorphisms are associated with circulating adiponectin levels. This study investigated the associations between genetic variants of CDH13 and type 2 diabetes (T2D), and its related parameters, in a Caucasian population. METHODS: Two polymorphisms of CDH13 (rs11646213 and rs3865188) were genotyped in two French cohorts, a general population from the D.E.S.I.R. study (n=5212) and people with T2D in the DIABHYCAR study (n=3123). Baseline adiponectin levels were measured in D.E.S.I.R. participants who were normoglycaemic at baseline, but hyperglycaemic after 3 years (n=230), and in controls who remained normoglycaemic (n=226) throughout. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional analysis, CDH13 genotype distributions differed between those with and without T2D, with T2D odds ratios (OR) of 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04-1.18; P=0.001) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.98; P=0.01) for rs11646213 and rs3865188, respectively. The rs11646213 variant, associated with a higher OR for T2D, was also associated with higher BMI (P=0.03) and HbA1c (P=0.006), and lower plasma adiponectin levels (P=0.03) in the D.E.S.I.R. PARTICIPANTS: Conversely, the rs3865188 variant, associated with a lower OR for T2D, was also associated with lower BMI (P=0.03), HbA1c (P=0.02) and Fatty Liver Index (FLI; P≤0.01), and higher plasma adiponectin levels (P=0.002). Associations with HbA1c, FLI and adiponectin levels persisted after adjusting for BMI. CONCLUSION: CDH13 polymorphisms are associated with prevalent T2D in this French population study. The association may be mediated through effects on BMI and/or plasma adiponectin.

Interaction between GPR120 p.R270H loss-of-function variant and dietary fat intake on incident type 2 diabetes risk in the D.E.S.I.R. study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: GPR120 (encoded by FFAR4) is a lipid sensor that plays an important role in the control of energy balance. GPR120 is activated by long chain fatty acids (FAs) including omega-3 FAs. In humans, the loss of function p.R270H variant of the gene FFAR4 has been associated with a lower protein activity, an increased risk of obesity and higher fasting plasma glucose levels. The aim of this study was to investigate whether p.R270H interacts with dietary fat intake to modulate the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D, 198 incident; 368 prevalent cases) and overweight (787 incident and 2891 prevalent cases) in the prospective D.E.S.I.R. study (n = 5,212, 9 years follow-up). METHODS AND RESULTS: The association of p.R270H with dietary fat and total calories was assessed by linear mixed models. The interaction between p.R270H and dietary fat on T2D and overweight was assessed by logistic regression analysis. The p.R270H variant had a minor allele frequency of 1.45% and was not significantly associated with total calories intake, fat intake or the total calories derived from fat (%). However, there was a significant interaction between p.R270H and dietary fat modulating the incidence of T2D (Pinteraction = 0.02) where the H-carriers had a higher risk of T2D than RR homozygotes in the low fat intake category only. The interaction between p.R270H and fat intake modulating the incidence and prevalence of overweight was not significant. CONCLUSION: The p.R270H variant of GPR120 modulates the risk of T2D in interaction with dietary fat intake in the D.E.S.I.R.

Intensification of medication and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes - the ADVANCE trial.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess associations between patient characteristics, intensification of blood glucose-lowering treatment through oral glucose-lowering therapy and/or insulin and effective glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: 11 140 patients from the Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: preterAx and diamicroN-MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial who were randomized to intensive glucose control or standard glucose control and followed up for a median of 5 years were categorized into two groups: effective glycaemic control [haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≤ 7.0% or a proportionate reduction in HbA1c over 10%] or ineffective glycaemic control (HbA1c > 7.0% and a proportionate reduction in HbA1c less than or equal to 10%). Therapeutic intensification was defined as addition of an oral glucose-lowering agent or commencement of insulin. Pooled logistic regression models examined the associations between patient factors, intensification and effective glycaemic control. RESULTS: A total of 7768 patients (69.7%), including 3198 in the standard treatment group achieved effective glycaemic control. Compared to patients with ineffective control, patients with effective glycaemic control had shorter duration of diabetes and lower HbA1c at baseline and at the time of treatment intensification. Treatment intensification with addition of an oral agent or commencement of insulin was associated with a 107% [odds ratio, OR: 2.07 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.95-2.20)] and 152% [OR: 2.52 (95% CI: 2.30-2.77)] greater chance of achieving effective glycaemic control, respectively. These associations were robust after adjustment for several baseline characteristics and not modified by the number of oral medications taken at the time of treatment intensification. CONCLUSIONS: Effective glycaemic control was associated with treatment intensification at lower HbA1c levels at all stages of the disease course and in both arms of the ADVANCE trial.

Relation of the Mediterranean diet with the incidence of gestational diabetes.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Some studies document relationships of the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with individual components of the diet, but studies exploring relationships with patterns of eating are lacking. This observational study aimed to explore a possible relationship between the incidence of GDM and the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) pattern of eating. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In 10 Mediterranean countries, 1076 consecutive pregnant women underwent a 75-g OGTT at the 24th-32nd week of gestation, interpreted both by the ADA_2010 and the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG)_2012 criteria. The dietary habits were assessed by a previously validated questionnaire and a Mediterranean Diet Index (MDI) was computed, reflecting the degree of adherence to the MedDiet pattern of eating: a higher MDI denoting better adherence. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, BMI, diabetes in the family, weight gain and energy intake, subjects with GDM, by either criterion, had lower MDI (ADA_2010, 5.8 vs 6.3, P=0.028; IADPSG_2012, 5.9 vs 6.4, P<0.001). Moreover, the incidence of GDM was lower in subjects with better adherence to the MedDiet (higher tertile of MDI distribution), 8.0% vs 12.3%, OR=0.618, P=0.030 by ADA_2010 and 24.3% vs 32.8%, OR=0.655, P=0.004 by IADPSG_2012 criteria. In subjects without GDM, MDI was negatively correlated with both fasting plasma glucose and AUC glucose, P<0.001 for both. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a MedDiet pattern of eating is associated with lower incidence of GDM and better degree of glucose tolerance, even in women without GDM. The possibility to use MedDiet for the prevention of GDM deserves further testing with intervention studies.

Sex-specific associations of variants in regulatory regions of NADPH oxidase-2 (CYBB) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) genes with kidney disease in type 1 diabetes.

Oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. The superoxide-generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase 2 (NOX2, encoded by the CYBB gene) and the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) play opposing roles in the balance of cellular redox status. In the present study, we investigated associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the regulatory regions of CYBB and GPX4 with kidney disease in patients with type 1 diabetes. Two functional SNPs, rs6610650 (CYBB promoter region, chromosome X) and rs713041 (GPX4 3'untranslated region, chromosome 19), were genotyped in 451 patients with type 1 diabetes from a Brazilian cohort (diabetic nephropathy: 44.6%) and in 945 French/Belgian patients with type 1 diabetes from Genesis and GENEDIAB cohorts (diabetic nephropathy: 62.3%). The minor A-allele of CYBB rs6610650 was associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in Brazilian women, and with the prevalence of established/advanced nephropathy in French/Belgian women (odds ratio 1.75, 95% CI 1.11-2.78, p = 0.016). The minor T-allele of GPX4 rs713041 was inversely associated with the prevalence of established/advanced nephropathy in Brazilian men (odds ratio 0.30, 95% CI 0.13-0.68, p = 0.004), and associated with higher eGFR in French/Belgian men. In conclusion, these heterogeneous results suggest that neither CYBB nor GPX4 are major genetic determinants of diabetic nephropathy, but nevertheless, they could modulate in a gender-specific manner the risk for renal disease in patients with type 1 diabetes.

The influence of physical activity on vascular complications and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: There is limited evidence regarding the association between physical activity and vascular complications, particularly microvascular disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: From the 11 140 patients in the ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron modified release Controlled Evaluation) trial, the effect of physical activity, categorized as none, mild, moderate or vigorous, and the number of sessions within a week, was examined in multivariable regression models adjusted for potential confounders. The study end-points were major cardiovascular events, microvascular complications and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of participants reported undertaking moderate to vigorous physical activity for >15 min at least once in the previous week. During a median of 5 years of follow-up, 1031 patients died, 1147 experienced a major cardiovascular event and 1136 a microvascular event. Compared to patients who undertook no or mild physical activity, those reporting moderate to vigorous activity had a decreased risk of cardiovascular events (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69-0.88, p < 0.0001), microvascular events (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96, p = 0.010) and all-cause mortality (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73-0.94, p = 0.0044). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to vigorous, but not mild, physical activity is associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events, microvascular complications and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.