The Impact of Diabetes Education on Continuous Glucose Monitoring in SUS-Dependent Patients in a Northeastern Brazilian City.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an important chronic disease that occurs worldwide. AIMS: This study aims to investigate how the use of the FreeStyle® Libre system in Unified Health System (SUS) patients impacts diabetes parameters in patients who receive education on proper insulin administration and the use of the continuous monitoring device, as well as how this affects patients without any concomitant multidisciplinary support in Sergipe, Brazil. METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized study in a diabetes clinic in Sergipe, Brazil, using the flash method FreeStyle® Libre (Abbott). The participants were divided into two groups: one receiving diabetes education on CGM (continuous glucose monitoring), while the other did not. Before the intervention, the patient's treatment motivation and quality of life were assessed using a questionnaire, and baseline levels of glycated hemoglobin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the point of care AlereTM Afinion with boronate fixation. We compared first- and second-phase data with respect to glycated hemoglobin, mean interstitial blood glucose, time on and above target for hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events, and mean hypoglycemic duration. RESULTS: In group A, which received the diabetes education intervention, there was a significant reduction in average HbA1c levels from 8.6% to 7.9% after 3 months (p = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in average glycemic values. Time above target decreased significantly from 50.62% to 29.43% (p = 0.0001), while time below target decreased from 22.90% to 20.21% (p = 0.002). There was no significant change in the number of hypoglycemic events, but the duration of hypoglycemia decreased significantly from 130.35 min to 121.18 min after 3 months (p = 0.0001). In Group B, there was no significant difference in mean HbA1c levels before (7.07%) and after (7.28%) sensor installation. This group maintained lower HbA1c levels compared to the other group. Average blood glucose levels also remained similar before (148.37 mg/dL) and after (154.65 mg/dL) the intervention. Although the time above the target glucose level increased significantly from 35.94% to 48.17%, the time at target decreased from 50.40% to 37.97%. No significant changes were observed in the time below target, the number of hypoglycemic events, or the duration of hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that utilizing continuous glucose monitoring technology can enhance glycemic control, particularly in motivated, educated, low-income patients dependent on the SUS. To achieve positive results with FreeStyle Libre, it is imperative to allocate resources for multidisciplinary support.

Recurrent COVID-19 including evidence of reinfection and enhanced severity in thirty Brazilian healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: There is growing concern about individuals reported to suffer repeat COVID-19 disease episodes, these in a small number of cases characterised as de novo infections with distinct sequences, indicative of insufficient protective immunity even in the short term. METHODS: Observational case series and case-control studies reporting 33 cases of recurrent, symptomatic, qRT-PCR positive COVID-19. Recurrent disease was defined as symptomatic recurrence after symptom-free clinical recovery, with release from isolation >14 days from the beginning of symptoms confirmed by qRT-PCR. The case control study-design compared this group of patients with a control group of 62 patients randomly selected from the same COVID-19 database. RESULTS: Of 33 recurrent COVID-19 patients, 26 were female and 30 were HCW. Mean time to recurrence was 50.5 days which was associated with being a HCW (OR 36.4 (p <0.0001)), and blood type A (OR 4.8 (p = 0.002)). SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were signifcantly lower in recurrent patients after initial COVID-19  (2.4 ±â€¯0.610; p<0.0001) and after recurrence (6.4 ±â€¯11.34; p = 0.007).  Virus genome sequencing identified reinfection by a different isolate in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first detailed case series showing COVID-19 recurrence with qRT-PCR positivity. For one individual detection of phylogenetically distinct genomic sequences in the first and second episodes confirmed bona fide renfection, but in most cases the data do not formally distinguish between reinfection and re-emergence of a chronic infection reservoir. These episodes were significantly associated with reduced Ab response during initial disease and argue the need for ongoing vigilance without an assumption of protection after a first episode.

Baseline characteristics and risk factors for ulcer, amputation and severe neuropathy in diabetic foot at risk: the BRAZUPA study.

BACKGROUND: Studies on diabetic foot and its complications involving a significant and representative sample of patients in South American countries are scarce. The main objective of this study was to acquire clinical and epidemiological data on a large cohort of diabetic patients from 19 centers from Brazil and focus on factors that could be associated with the risk of ulcer and amputation. METHODS: This study presents cross sectional, baseline results of the BRAZUPA Study. A total of 1455 patients were included. Parameters recorded included age, gender, ethnicity, diabetes and comorbidity-related records, previous ulcer or amputation, clinical symptomatic score, foot classification and microvascular complications. RESULTS: Patients with ulcer had longer disease duration (17.2 ± 9.9 vs. 13.2 ± 9.4 years; p < 0.001), and poorer glycemic control (HbA1c 9.23 ± 2.03 vs. 8.35 ± 1.99; p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for ulcer were male gender (OR 1.71; 95 % CI 1.2-3.7), smoking (OR 1.78; 95 % CI 1.09-2.89), neuroischemic foot (OR 20.34; 95 % CI 9.31-44.38), region of origin (higher risk for those from developed regions, OR 2.39; 95 % CI 1.47-3.87), presence of retinopathy (OR 1.68; 95 % CI 1.08-2.62) and absence of vibratory sensation (OR 7.95; 95 % CI 4.65-13.59). Risk factors for amputation were male gender (OR 2.12; 95 % CI 1.2-3.73), type 2 diabetes (OR 3.33; 95 % CI 1.01-11.1), foot at risk classification (higher risk for ischemic foot, OR 19.63; 95 % CI 3.43-112.5), hypertension (lower risk, OR 0.3; 95 % CI 0.14-0.63), region of origin (South/Southeast, OR 2.2; 95 % CI 1.1-4.42), previous history of ulcer (OR 9.66; 95 % CI 4.67-19.98) and altered vibratory sensation (OR 3.46; 95 % CI 1.64-7.33). There was no association between either outcome and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Ulcer and amputation rates were high. Age at presentation was low and patients with ulcer presented a higher prevalence of neuropathy compared to ischemic foot at risk. Ischemic disease was more associated with amputations. Ethnical differences were not of great importance in a miscegenated population.

Relação entre a esteatose hepática não alcoólica e as alterações dos componentes da síndrome metabólica e resistência à insulina / Relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and changes of components of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência de esteatose hepática não alcoólica em pacientes que realizaram exame de ultrassonografia abdominal de rotina e sua associação com componentes da síndrome metabólica e da resistência à insulina. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, descritivo, do tipo survey, com abordagem analítica quantitativa. As variáveis numéricas foram expressas como mediana e quartis, e foi utilizado o teste de Kruskal-Wallis, para comparar as variáveis com graus de esteatose. Foi realizada Análise de Covariância com reamostragem por bootstrapping, após correção para sexo, idade e índice de massa corporal. A significância adotada foi de p<0,05, e o programa estatístico utilizado foi o Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), versão 22.0. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 800 indivíduos; destes, 233 (29,1%) foram diagnosticados com esteatose hepática não alcoólica. Nos pacientes com infiltração gordurosa hepática, foram observados valores elevados de circunferência da cintura (95%), de triglicerídeos (46,4%), de glicemia (35,9%) e de Índice do Modelo de Avaliação da Homeostase (HOMA-IR; 33,3%). Os níveis de lipoproteína de alta densidade estavam baixos em 61,1%. Circunferência da cintura, glicemia, triglicerídeos, insulina basal e HOMA-IR apresentaram associação estatisticamente significativa com os graus de esteatose hepática (p<0,05). Entretanto, após análise multivariada, foi obtida significância para triglicerídeos, insulina e HOMA-IR (p<0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Desordens associadas à síndrome metabólica estão fortemente relacionadas à presença de esteatose hepática não alcoólica.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients who underwent routine abdominal ultrasound examination, and its association with componentes of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. METHODS: A prospective, descriptive survey study, using a quantitative analytical approach. Numerical variables were expressed as median and quartiles, and we used Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the variables with degrees of steatosis. Covariance analysis was performed with bootstrapping resampling, after correction for gender, age, and body mass index. The adopted significance was p<0.05, and the software Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 22.0, was used. RESULTS: A total of 800 individuals was evaluated; of these, 233 (29.1%) were diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In patients with fatty liver infiltration, high values for waist circumference (95%), triglycerides (46.4%), glucose (35.9%) and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR, 33.3%) were observed. The high-density lipoprotein levels were low at 61.1%. Waist circumference, glucose, triglycerides, basal insulin and HOMA-IR were significantly associated with the degree of hepatic steatosis (p<0.05). However, after a multivariate analysis, significance was achieved for triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: metabolic syndromeassociated disorders are strongly related to the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Neuropatia vegetativa em pacientes com tolerância diminuida à glicose / Autonomic neuropathy in patients with impaaired glucose tolerance test

Com o objetivo de determinar se tolerância diminuída à glicose (TDG) está associada a neuropatia vegetativa realizamos estudo transversal de que participaram 44 pacientes com intolerância a glicose (Grupo 1)os quais foram comparados com 43 indivíduos controles apresentando teste de tolerância à glicose normal (Grupo 2). Os pacientes de ambos os grupos, após aceitarem participar da pesquisa, eram submetidos a anamnese, exames clínicos e laboratoriais e estudo da funçäo vegetativa (intervalo QT, prova da arritmia sinusal, manobra de Valsalva e teste postural). Os pacientes com TDG apresentaram mais hipertensao arterial sistêmica, obesidade contrípeta, hiperglicemias de jejum e pós-prandiais e dislipidemias que os controles. O teste de arritmia sinusal estava alterado em 54,5 por cento dos grupo 1 e em 32,5 por cento do grupo 2. A manobra de Valsalva foi anormal em 34,1 por cento no grupo 1 e em 7 por cento dos controles (p=0,004). A prova postural näo foi diferente nos dois grupos. O comprometimento do sistema neurovegetativo foi mais frequente nos pacientes com TDG que nos controles. A maior frequência de fatores de risco para doença aterosclerótica cardiovascular e o concomitante comprometimento do sistema nervoso vegetativo nos pacientes com TDG podem ser os responsáveis pelas elevadas taxas de letalidade devida a vasculopatias observadas nessa populaçäo.