Evaluation of preoperative oral carbohydrate administration on insulin resistance in off-pump coronary artery bypass patients: A randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: In fasting cardiac surgery patients, preoperative carbohydrate (CHO) drink intake attenuated insulin resistance and improved cardiac metabolism, although its beneficial effects were not evident after cardiac surgery possibly due to cardiopulmonary bypass-related extreme systemic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate whether preoperative CHO intake affected insulin resistance and free-fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in off-pump coronary revascularisation. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Primary care in a university hospital in Korea from January 2015 to July 2016. PATIENTS: Sixty patients who underwent elective multi-vessel off-pump coronary revascularisation were randomised into two groups. Three patients were excluded from analysis and 57 patients completed study. INTERVENTION: The CHO group received oral CHO (400 ml) the prior evening and 2 to 3 h before surgery, and the control group was fasted from food and water according to standard protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Insulin resistance was assessed twice, after anaesthetic induction and after surgery via short insulin tolerance test. FFA, C-reactive protein and creatine kinase-myocardial band concentrations were determined serially for 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: Insulin sensitivity was greater (P = 0.002) and plasma FFA concentrations were lower (P = 0.001) after anaesthetic induction in the CHO group compared with the Control group, although there were no intergroup differences after surgery. The postoperative peak creatine kinase-myocardial band concentration was significantly lower in the CHO group compared with the Control group [8.8 (5.4 to 18.2) vs. 6.4 (3.5 to 9.7) ng ml, P = 0.031]. CONCLUSION: A preoperative CHO supplement significantly reduced insulin resistance and FFA concentrations compared with fasting at the beginning of the surgery, but these benefits were lost after off-pump coronary revascularisation. Despite their transient nature, these beneficial effects resulted in less myocardial injury, mandating further studies focused on the impact of preoperative CHO on myocardial ischaemia and cardiac function after coronary revascularisation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT 02330263.

Incidence and predictors of post-reperfusion syndrome in living donor liver transplantation.

A characteristic pattern of hemodynamic changes that may occur in reperfusion phase of liver transplantation (LT) is known as post-reperfusion syndrome (PRS). In this study, we determined the frequency of PRS and evaluated possible predictors of PRS. The medical records of 152 patients who underwent living donor LT were reviewed. PRS was defined as a decrease in mean arterial pressure of more than 30% from the baseline value for more than one min during the first five min after reperfusion. The frequency of PRS was determined, and patients were divided into two groups: PRS group and non-PRS group. Donor factors, preoperative and intraoperative recipient factors, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. PRS occurred in 58 recipients (34.2%). Preoperative model for end-stage liver disease scores of recipients and percentage of graft steatotic changes were higher in PRS group. PRS group showed higher heart rates and lower hemoglobin values preoperatively. Before reperfusion, PRS group received more transfusion and their urine output was less than that of non-PRS group. Postoperatively, peak bilirubin during the first five d after LT was higher in PRS group. In conclusion, both severity of liver disease and graft steatosis may increase risk for PRS in LT. Further prospective studies of PRS in its relationship to outcome are indicated.

The association between serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels and bone mineral density in healthy euthyroid men.

OBJECTIVE: Although osteoporosis is increasingly shown to occur in a considerable proportion of men, data on risk factors for male osteoporosis are limited. In this study, we investigated the association between serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentration and bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy euthyroid men. Design A cross-sectional community (health promotion centre)-based survey. SUBJECTS AND MEASUREMENTS: For 1478 apparently healthy euthyroid men who participated in a routine health screening examination, we measured BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and serum TSH concentrations using immunoluminometry. RESULTS: Lumbar spine BMD linearly increased with TSH level after adjustment for age, weight and height (P for trend = 0.002), and statistical significance persisted after additional adjustment for smoking and drinking habits (P for trend = 0.010). When serum alkaline phosphatase was added as a confounding variable, the relationship was still significant (P for trend = 0.016). Femoral neck BMD also tended to increase in higher TSH concentration after adjustment for age, weight and height (P for trend = 0.042), but this association disappeared after additional adjustment for smoking and drinking habits. The odds of lower BMD (i.e. osteopaenia and osteoporosis combined) were significantly increased in subjects with low-normal TSH (i.e. 0.4-1.2 mU/l), when compared to high-normal TSH (i.e. 3.1-5.0 mU/l), after adjustment for confounding factors (odds ratio = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.02-2.10). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a serum TSH concentration at the lower end of the reference range may be associated with low BMD in men.

Effect of improved medication adherence on health care costs in osteoporosis patients.

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that requires continuous health care spending for pharmacotherapy and examinations. Osteoporotic fractures are a major economic burden. However, little is known about the economic effects of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in Korea.The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of osteoporosis-related health care costs and to evaluate the economic effects of fracture prevention through medication adherence among osteoporosis patients.Using the Korea National Health Insurance Claims Database (KNHICD), we identified osteoporosis patients aged 50 years and older from 2011 to 2012. Annual health care costs of osteoporosis were analyzed from the insurer's perspective and compared between patients with fractures and those without fractures. Adherents were defined as patients with a medication possession ratio of ≥80%. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to estimate the predictors of osteoporosis-related health care costs.The major predictors of osteoporosis-related health care costs were age, medication adherence, and the occurrence of fractures (P < .001). The proportion of fractures among non-adherents was approximately 1.1 times the proportion among adherents. Health care costs per patient with fractures were 3.8 times the costs per patient without fractures. Patients with fractures had higher health care costs due to hospitalization and outpatient costs but lower pharmacy costs than non-adherents. We estimated that about $5 million of health insurance expenses could be saved annually if all non-adherents became adherents.Improved osteoporosis medication adherence can reduce osteoporosis-related health care costs by preventing fractures. Persistent pharmacotherapy for osteoporosis is necessary to prevent osteoporotic fractures and to reduce osteoporosis-related health care costs.

An anatomical measurement of medial femoral torsion.

Medial femoral torsion (MFT) can be corrected with derotational osteotomy. Derotational osteotomies can be performed in the proximal or the distal part of the femur. Similar results have been reported for these two procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathologic location of the MFT by measuring the degree of infratrochanteric and supratrochanteric torsion (STT) of the femur using computed tomography (CT) scans. The current study was carried out in patients with the chief complaint of an in-toeing gait because of the MFT. Sixty-seven patients were enrolled in the study. Forty-one patients (72 lower extremities) were included in the intervention group; 20 patients were included in the cerebral palsy (CP) group (35 lower extremities) and 21 patients were included in the developmental MFT group [developmental femoral torsional (DF) group, 37 lower extremities]. The control group included 26 patients (33 lower extremities) with uninjured limbs with a femoral or a tibial fracture. In this study, torsional angles [MFT, STT and infratrochanteric torsion (ITT)] were measured on CT scan using picture archiving and communication system measurement tools. To measure the STT and ITT, the most prominent points of the lesser and the greater trochanter were marked on CT scans; these two points were connected and were defined as the intertrochanteric line (ITL). The angle between the ITL and the axis of the femoral neck was defined as the STT. The angle between the ITL and the axis of the condylar axis was defined as the ITT. Two authors measured the MFT, STT, and ITT angles of each femur independently. The twisting of the femur had occurred in a different location for each case. In all groups, however, STT was reduced with increasing age; this change was statistically significantly. ITT of the each group showed a random distribution. The means of the ITT in the control group and the DF group did not change significantly, and that of the CP group tended to decrease with age. MFT of the control group and the DF group reduced significantly with age (P<0.05). The value of MFT in the CP group was steady, without a significant change with age. The pathology of MFT could occur differently in the supratrochanteric, infratrochanteric region, or for both sites in each patient. To avoid another lever arm disease after surgery, the correction of MFT should be performed in the correct position. In the CP group, derotational osteotomy could be performed safely at a younger age compared with the DF group. In addition, the distal femur is the preferable osteotomy site for older CP patients.