Epidemiology of distal radius fractures in Germany - incidence rates and trends based on inpatient and outpatient data.

We examined incidence rates (IR) for all distal radius fracture (DRF) events based on inpatient and outpatient data from a large statutory health insurance in Germany. Of all DRF, 56% were treated as inpatients, and thus, 44% treated as outpatients. IR were higher in women than in men. PURPOSE: Although a distal radius fracture (DRF) is one of the most common fractures in the elderly population, epidemiological data are limited. Many studies examine only hospitalized patients, do not analyze time trends, or include only small populations. In this retrospective population-based observational study, routine data on inpatient and outpatient care of persons aged ≥ 60 years insured by a large statutory health insurance in Germany were analyzed from 2014 to 2018. METHODS: DRF were identified by ICD-10 codes. All DRF events of an individual were considered with a corresponding individual washout period. Incidence rates (IR) and time trends were estimated assuming a Poisson distribution per 100,000 person-years, with 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] and age-sex standardization to the German population in 2018. Associations of calendar year, age, sex, and comorbidity with IR were examined using Poisson regression estimating incidence rate ratios (IRR) with CI. RESULTS: The study population consists of 974,332 insured individuals, with 16,557 experiencing one or more DRF events during the observation period. A total of 17,705 DRF events occurred, of which 9961 (56.3%) were hospitalized. Standardized IR were 439 [424-453] (inpatient: 240 [230-251], outpatient: 199 [189-209]) in 2014 and 438 [423-452] (inpatient: 238 [227-249], outpatient: 200 [190-210]) in 2018. Female sex, older age, and comorbidity were associated with higher IR and adjusted Poisson regression showed no significant time trend (IRR overall 0.994 [0.983-1.006]). CONCLUSION: A relevant proportion of DRF were treated in outpatient settings, so both inpatient and outpatient data are necessary for a valid estimate.

Herpes zoster incidence in Germany - an indirect validation study for self-reported disease data from pretest studies of the population-based German National Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Until now, herpes zoster (HZ)-related disease burden in Germany has been estimated based on health insurance data and clinical findings. However, the validity of self-reported HZ is unclear. This study investigated the validity of self-reported herpes zoster (HZ) and its complication postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) using data from the pretest studies of the German National Cohort (GNC) in comparison with estimates based on health insurance data. METHODS: Data of 4751 participants aged between 20 and 69 years from two pretest studies of the GNC carried out in 2011 and 2012 were used. Based on self-reports of physician-diagnosed HZ and PHN, age- and sex-specific HZ incidence rates and PHN proportions were estimated. For comparison, estimates based on statutory health insurance data from the German population were considered. RESULTS: Eleven percent (95%-CI, 10.4 to 12.3, n = 539) of the participants reported at least one HZ episode in their lifetime. Our estimated age-specific HZ incidence rates were lower than previous estimates based on statutory health insurance data. The PHN proportion in participants older than 50 years was 5.9% (1.9 to 13.9%), which was in line with estimates based on health insurance data. CONCLUSION: As age- and sex-specific patterns were comparable with that in health insurance data, self-reported diagnosis of HZ seems to be a valid instrument for overall disease trends. Possible reasons for observed differences in incidence rates are recall bias in self-reported data or overestimation in health insurance data.

Association of subclinical inflammation with deterioration of glycaemia before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes: the KORA S4/F4 study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The role of biomarkers of subclinical inflammation in the early deterioration of glycaemia before type 2 diabetes is largely unknown. We hypothesised that increased levels of circulating proinflammatory biomarkers and decreased circulating adiponectin would be associated with 7 year increases of HbA(1c) in non-diabetic individuals. METHODS: This study was based on individuals who participated in the prospective Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) S4 survey (1999-2001) and the 7 year follow-up KORA F4 (2006-2008) survey. Individuals with type 2 diabetes at baseline or with a diagnosis of diabetes in the period between both surveys were excluded, which left a sample of 850 men and women. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to assess associations among baseline values of leucocyte count and levels of acute-phase proteins (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], serum amyloid A [SAA] and fibrinogen), IL-6 and adiponectin with changes in HbA1c between baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: A high leucocyte count and high hsCRP, SAA and IL-6 levels were positively associated with changes in HbA(1c) after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors and baseline HbA(1c). In contrast, the adiponectin level was inversely associated with changes in HbA(1c) (p value between <0.0001 and 0.020). The associations of leucocyte count and levels of hsCRP and SAA with HbA(1c) changes remained significant after additional adjustment for waist circumference and circulating lipids at baseline and for the 7 year change in waist circumference (p value between 0.004 and 0.045). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: An elevated leucocyte count and elevated hsCRP and SAA were associated with early deterioration of glycaemia before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. These associations were largely independent of baseline abdominal adiposity and increases in waist circumference.

Characterization of the peak at 2.06 ppm in (31) P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human liver: phosphoenolpyruvate or phosphatidylcholine?

High field MR scanners can resolve a metabolite resonating at 2.06 ppm in the in vivo proton-decoupled liver (31) P MR spectrum. Traditionally this peak has been assigned to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), the key metabolite for gluconeogenesis. However, recent evidence supported the assignment to biliary phosphatidylcholine (PtdCh), which is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. To elucidate the respective contributions of PtdCh and PEP to the in vivo resonance at 2.06 ppm (PEP-PtdCh), we made phantom measurements that confirmed that both biliary PtdCh and PEP resonate approximately at 2 ppm. The absolute quantification of PEP-PtdCh yielded concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 mmol/l, with mean coefficients of variation of 4.8% for intraday and 7.2% for interday reproducibility in healthy volunteers. The T1 relaxation time of PEP-PtdCh was 0.97 ± 0.30 s in the liver and 0.44 ± 0.11 s in the gallbladder. Ingestion of a mixed meal decreased the concentration of PtdCh-PEP by approximately 12%. In the retrospective analysis, PEP-PtdCh was 68% higher in the liver of subjects with gallbladder infiltration of the volume of interest (VOI) compared with those without gallbladder infiltration. PEP-PtdCh was also significantly higher in the liver of cholecystectomy patients compared with volunteers without gallbladder infiltration, which suggests increased intrahepatic bile fluid as a compensation for gall bladder removal. These results show that liver PtdCh is the major component of the resonance at 2.06 ppm and that careful VOI positioning is mandatory to avoid interference from the gallbladder.

Study protocol for a mixed methods exploratory investigation of aftercare services for gestational diabetes in women to develop a new patient-centred model in Germany: the GestDiNa_basic study.

INTRODUCTION: Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with women who never had GDM. Consequently, the question of structured aftercare for GDM has emerged. In all probability, many women do not receive care according to the guidelines. In particular, the process and interaction between obstetrical, diabetic, gynaecological, paediatric and general practitioner care lacks clear definitions. Thus, our first goal is to analyse the current aftercare situation for women with GDM in Germany, for example, the participation rate in aftercare diabetes screening, as well as reasons and attitudes stated by healthcare providers to offer these services and by patients to participate (or not). Second, we want to develop an appropriate, effective and patient-centred care model. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a population-based mixed methods study using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. In various working packages, we evaluate data of the GestDiab register, of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of North Rhine and the participating insurance companies (AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, BARMER, DAK Gesundheit, IKK classic, pronova BKK). In addition, quantitative (postal surveys) and qualitative (interviews) surveys will be conducted with randomly selected healthcare providers (diabetologists, gynaecologists, paediatricians and midwives) and affected women, to be subsequently analysed. All results will then be jointly examined and evaluated. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf (Ethics Committee No.: 2019-738). Participants of the postal surveys and interviews will be informed in detail about the study and the use of data as well as the underlying data protection regulations before voluntarily participating. The study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and public information. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00020283.

Screening for sickle cell disease in newborns: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder caused by the replacement of normal haemoglobin (HbA) by mutant Hb (sickle Hb, HbS). The sickle-shaped red blood cells lead to haemolysis and vaso-occlusion. Especially in the first years of life, patients with SCD are at high risk of life-threatening complications. SCD prevalence shows large regional variations; the disease predominantly occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to systematically assess the evidence on the benefit of newborn screening for SCD followed by an earlier treatment start. METHODS: We systematically searched bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Databases, and the Health Technology Assessment Database), trial registries, and other sources to identify systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or non-randomised trials on newborn screening for SCD. The last search was in 07/2020. Two reviewers independently reviewed abstracts and full-text articles and assessed the risk of bias of the studies included. Data were extracted by one person and checked by another. As meta-analyses were not possible, a qualitative summary of results was performed. RESULTS: We identified 1 eligible study with direct evidence: a Jamaican retrospective study evaluating newborn screening for SCD followed by preventive measures (prevention of infections and education of parents). The study included 500 patients with SCD (intervention group, 395; historical control group, 105). Although the results showed a high risk of bias, the difference between the intervention and the control group was very large: mortality in children decreased by a factor of about 10 in the first 5 years of life (0.02% in the intervention group vs. 0.19% in the control group, odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval [0.04; 0.22], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results are based on a single retrospective study including historical controls. However, the decrease of mortality by a factor of 10 is unlikely to be explained by bias alone. Therefore, in terms of mortality, data from this single retrospective study included in our systematic review suggest a benefit of newborn screening for SCD (followed by preventive measures) versus no newborn screening for SCD (weak certainty of conclusions).

Circulating triacylglycerols but not pancreatic fat associate with insulin secretion in healthy humans.

BACKGROUND: Loss of adequate insulin secretion for the prevailing insulin resistance is critical for the development of type 2 diabetes and has been suggested to result from circulating lipids (triacylglycerols [TG] or free fatty acids) and/or adipocytokines or from ectopic lipid storage in the pancreas. This study aimed to address whether circulating lipids, adipocytokines or pancreatic fat primarily associates with lower insulin secretion. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Nondiabetic persons (n=73), recruited from the general population, underwent clinical examinations, fasting blood drawing to measure TG and adipocytokines and oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) to assess basal and dynamic insulin secretion and sensitivity indices. Magnetic resonance imaging and 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to measure body fat distribution and ectopic fat content in liver and pancreas. RESULTS: In age-, sex- and BMI-adjusted analyses, total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin were the strongest negative predictors of fasting beta-cell function (BCF; ß=-0.403, p=0.0003 and ß=-0.237, p=0.01, respectively) and adaptation index (AI; ß=-0.210, p=0.006 and ß=-0.133, p=0.02, respectively). Circulating TG, but not pancreatic fat content, related positively to BCF (ß=0.375, p<0.0001) and AI (ß=0.192, p=0.003). Similar results were obtained for the disposition index (DI). CONCLUSIONS: The association of serum lipids and adiponectin with beta-cell function may represent a compensatory response to adapt for lower insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic humans.

Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Levels Affect Hepatic Phosphorus Metabolite Content in Metabolically Healthy Humans.

Objective: Hepatic energy metabolism negatively relates to insulin resistance and liver fat content in patients with type 2 diabetes, but its role in metabolically healthy humans is unclear. We hypothesized that intrahepatocellular γ-adenosine triphosphate (γATP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations exhibit similar associations with insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic, nonobese volunteers. Design: A total of 76 participants underwent a four-point sampling, 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), as well as in vivo31P/1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In 62 of them, targeted plasma metabolomic profiling was performed. Pearson correlation analyses were performed for the dependent variables γATP and Pi. Results: Adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), hepatic γATP and Pi related to 2-hour OGTT glucose (r = 0.25 and r = 0.27, both P < 0.05), and Pi further associated with nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs; r = 0.28, P < 0.05). However, neither γATP nor Pi correlated with several measures of insulin sensitivity. Hepatic γATP correlated with circulating leucine (r = 0.42, P < 0.001) and Pi with C16:1 fatty acids palmitoleic acid and C16:1w5 (r = 0.28 and 0.30, respectively, P < 0.01), as well as with δ-9-desaturase index (r = 0.33, P < 0.05). Only the association of γATP with leucine remained important after correction for multiple testing. Leucine and palmitoleic acid, together with age, sex, and BMI, accounted for 26% and for 15% of the variabilities in γATP and Pi, respectively. Conclusions: Specific circulating amino acids and NEFAs, but not measures of insulin sensitivity, partly affect hepatic phosphorus metabolites, suggesting mutual interaction between hepatic energy metabolism and circulating metabolites in nondiabetic humans.

Specific Metabolic Profiles and Their Relationship to Insulin Resistance in Recent-Onset Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.

CONTEXT: Insulin resistance reflects the inadequate insulin-mediated use of metabolites and predicts type 2 diabetes (T2D) but is also frequently seen in long-standing type 1 diabetes (T1D) and represents a major cardiovascular risk factor. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that plasma metabolome profiles allow the identification of unique and common early biomarkers of insulin resistance in both diabetes types. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Two hundred ninety-five plasma metabolites were analyzed by mass spectrometry from patients of the prospective observational German Diabetes Study with T2D (n = 244) or T1D (n = 127) and known diabetes duration of less than 1 year and glucose-tolerant persons (CON; n = 129). Abundance of metabolites was tested for association with insulin sensitivity as assessed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps and related metabolic phenotypes. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Sixty-two metabolites with phenotype-specific patterns were identified using age, sex, and body mass index as covariates. RESULTS: Compared with CON, the metabolome of T2D and T1D showed similar alterations in various phosphatidylcholine species and amino acids. Only T2D exhibited differences in free fatty acids compared with CON. Pairwise comparison of metabolites revealed alterations of 28 and 49 metabolites in T1D and T2D, respectively, when compared with CON. Eleven metabolites allowed differentiation between both diabetes types and alanine, α-amino-adipic acid, isoleucin, and stearic acid showed an inverse association with insulin sensitivity in both T2D and T1D combined. CONCLUSION: Metabolome analyses from recent-onset T2D and T1D patients enables identification of defined diabetes type-specific differences and detection of biomarkers of insulin sensitivity. These analyses may help to identify novel clinical subphenotypes diabetes.

Comparison of liver fat indices for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance.

CONTEXT: Hepatic steatosis, defined as increased hepatocellular lipid content (HCL), associates with visceral obesity and glucose intolerance. As exact HCL quantification by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is not generally available, various clinical indices are increasingly used to predict steatosis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the accuracy of NAFLD liver fat score (NAFLD-LFS), hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and fatty liver index (FLI) against 1H-MRS and their relationships with insulin sensitivity and secretion. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two non-diabetic, predominantly non-obese humans underwent clinical examination, 1H-MRS and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to calculate insulin sensitivity and ß-cell function. Accuracy of indices was assessed from the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC). RESULTS: Median HCL was 2.49% (0.62;4.23) and correlated with parameters of glycemia across all subjects. NAFLD-LFS, FLI and HSI yielded AROCs of 0.70, 0.72, and 0.79, respectively, and related positively to HCL, insulin resistance, fasting and post-load ß-cell function normalized for insulin resistance. Upon adjustment for age, sex and HCL, regression analysis revealed that NAFLD-LFS, FLI and HSI still independently associated with both insulin sensitivity and ß-cell function. CONCLUSION: The tested indices offer modest efficacy to detect steatosis and cannot substitute for fat quantification by 1H-MRS. However, all indices might serve as surrogate parameters for liver fat content and also as rough clinical estimates of abnormal insulin sensitivity and secretion. Further validation in larger collectives such as epidemiological studies is needed.