Association of Metformin, Dipeptidyl Dipeptidase-4 Inhibitors, and Insulin with Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Hospital Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of diabetes medications on COVID-19 hospitalization outcomes have not been consistent. We sought to determine the effect of metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), and insulin on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), need for assisted ventilation, development of renal insufficiency, and mortality in patients admitted with COVID-19 infection after controlling for clinical variables and other relevant diabetes-related medications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from a single hospital system. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed that included demographic data, glycated hemoglobin, kidney function, smoking status, insurance, Charlson comorbidity index, number of diabetes medications, and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and statin prior to admission and glucocorticoids during admission. RESULTS: A total of 529 patients with type 2 DM were included in our final analysis. Neither metformin nor DPP4i prescription was associated with ICU admission, need for assisted ventilation, or mortality. Insulin prescription was associated with increased ICU admission but not with need for assisted ventilation or mortality. There was no association of any of these medications with development of renal insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, limited to type 2 DM and controlled for multiple variables that have not been consistently studied (such as a measure of general health, glycated hemoglobin, and insurance status), insulin prescription was associated with increased ICU admission. Metformin and DPP4i prescriptions did not have an association with the outcomes.

Lymphedema vs lipedema: Similar but different.

Lymphedema and lipedema are chronic debilitating disorders that most commonly affect the upper and lower extremities. Although they can appear similar, they differ in important ways, which the authors of this article review and contrast.

Hypercalcemia and vitamin A: A vitamin to keep in mind.

Vitamin A, like many things in life, should be consumed in appropriate amounts. Excessive intake of preformed vitamin A, such as that found in supplements and animal sources (animal liver, fish liver oil, dairy, and eggs), is associated with multisystem effects that can include bone resorption and hypercalcemia. Hence, vitamin A toxicity should be explored in unexplained cases of parathyroid hormone-independent hypercalcemia. Serum retinol levels can be helpful in the diagnosis, but the results must be interpreted with caution since they do not always reflect total body levels. Treatment involves supportive care and withdrawal of vitamin A sources, especially preformed ones. Given the long half-life of retinol, normalization of serum levels can take several months.

The role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in managing type 2 diabetes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, have cardioprotective and renoprotective effects, and do not cause weight gain or significant hypoglycemia. In fact, they have been found to be effective for weight loss in patients with obesity with and without diabetes. They are now the preferred drugs to add to the regimen when oral metformin by itself is not enough to meet the patient's hemoglobin A1c goal.

The use of virtual visits for obesity pharmacotherapy in patients with overweight or obesity compared with in-person encounters.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to demonstrate noninferiority using telehealth in treating obesity with phentermine in patients with BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 with comorbidities or BMI ≥ 30 compared with the standard in-person approach over a 90-day period. METHODS: A 12-week, randomized, prospective, single-center, open label trial compared the use of virtual visits versus in-person visits for the treatment of obesity using phentermine. The primary end point was percentage mean change in body weight from baseline to 12 weeks. A noninferiority approach assuming a 3% noninferiority region was used to assess effect size differences. RESULTS: The weight loss in the virtual visit arm was noninferior to the in-person arm at all time points. At 12 weeks, the mean change in weight was -6.5% among the virtual group and -7.7% among the in-person group. In addition, 65% of virtual patients and 71% of in-person patients demonstrated a weight reduction of at least 5%. There was no difference in medication tolerance, adherence, and compliance. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the virtual obesity pharmacotherapy visits in adults aged 18 to 65 years prescribed phentermine are effective and noninferior in achieving meaningful weight loss after 12 weeks. Future clinical trials are needed to better assess the effectiveness of televisits for obesity pharmacotherapy.

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea as the initial presentation of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma.

Patients with acromegaly usually present with characteristic clinical features or comorbidities associated with excess insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/growth hormone (GH) or may come to medical attention secondary to mass effects causing visual field distortions. Herein, we report a case of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea as the presenting symptom of acromegaly. A 68-year-old man presented to an outside facility with a 2-day history of headache associated with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and clear nasal discharge and underwent 2 attempted repairs of a sphenoid sinus CSF leak. Examination on admission to our hospital was significant for fluctuating level of consciousness. Subsequently, subtle coarse facial features were appreciated. Pituitary function testing showed thyrotropin and gonadotropin deficiencies along with an elevated age- and sex-matched IGF-1 of 285 (normal level, 59-225 ng/mL). Nadir GH during oral glucose tolerance test was 5.5 ng/mL and confirmed the diagnosis of acromegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging showed pneumocephalus, an enlarged sella with an elongated pituitary stalk, and partial erosion of the anterior wall of the sphenoid sinus. A distinct adenoma could not be identified. An endoscopic, transnasal, transsphenoidal exploration and biopsy with multilayered skull base reconstruction were performed. Histologic examination of the biopsy contents was consistent with a GH-producing adenoma. Postoperatively, the patient's fluctuating level of consciousness improved and returned to baseline after his successful skull base repair. During the follow-up period, he had an IGF-1 of 713 ng/mL and started treatment with a somatostatin analogue. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a GH-producing pituitary adenoma presenting with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea. Pituitary adenomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea with abnormal sellar image, and these patients should undergo a thorough hormonal evaluation.

The role of SGLT-2 inhibitors in managing type 2 diabetes.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are an exceptionally versatile class of medication, and their glycemic and nonglycemic benefits could help millions of patients with type 2 diabetes. Of note, they have been shown to improve cardiac and renal outcomes, much-needed benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes, who are at a higher risk for developing cardiac and renal dysfunction than those who do not have diabetes. The indications for SGLT-2 inhibitors may continue to expand as ongoing clinical trials provide more insight into these drugs.

Insulinoma With Concomitant Insulin Antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: The coexistence of insulinoma and insulin antibodies is extremely rare. The aim of this novel case report is to inform physicians of the possibility of an insulinoma with concomitant insulin antibodies. METHODS: In this report, we describe a patient with symptomatic hypoglycemia confirmed with a 72-hour fast, who was subsequently found to have an insulinoma with concomitant elevation in his immunoglobulin G insulin antibody titer. RESULTS: The patient presented with initial symptoms of diaphoresis, confusion, and disorientation and was found unresponsive by a bystander. He had a fingerstick blood glucose of 36 mg/dL (reference 74-99 mg/dL), without exogenous insulin or sulfonylurea use. His symptoms resolved with administration of glucose. He was subsequently admitted for a 72-hour fast in which he developed neuroglycopenic symptoms 4 hours into the fast with fingerstick glucose of 47 mg/dL and serum glucose of 44 mg/dL (reference 74-99 mg/dL), C-peptide of 10.8 ng/mL (reference 0.5-2.7 ng/mL), insulin level of 106 µIU/mL (reference <25 µIU/mL), and a proinsulin level of 675 pmol/mL (reference <22 pmol/mL). His insulin-to-C-peptide ratio was 0.20, in which a ratio <1 is indicative of an insulinoma. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated a 16 x 11 mm biopsy-proven neuroendocrine tumor. He was found to have a high titer insulin antibody titer at 2.4 U/mL (reference <0.4 U/mL), was started on prednisone, and underwent successful radiofrequency ablation. He was able to be successfully tapered off steroids without recurrence. CONCLUSION: The coexistence of insulinoma with insulin antibodies is novel, and to our knowledge, has never been published.

The importance of implementing inpatient virtual coverage in an endocrinology practice: lessons learned thus far from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the landscape of medical care and the healthcare system needs to quickly adapt in order to continue providing optimal medical care to hospitalized patients in an efficient, effective, and safe manner. Endocrinology diseases are commonly present in patients with COVID-19 and often are major risk factors for development of severe disease. The use of electronic consultation and telemedicine have already been well-established in the outpatient setting but yet not commonly implemented in the inpatient arena. This type of remote medical care has the potential to provide a reliable delivery of endocrine care while protecting providers and patients from spreading infection. This short review intends to provide the initial steps for the development of an inpatient telemedicine endocrine service to patients with endocrine diseases. Telehealth will become part of our daily practices and has a potential to provide a safe and efficient method of consultative service.

Diabetes managment: Beyond hemoglobin A1c.

Diabetes management is a tailored affair. Patients live with the disease for decades and need increasingly complicated treatment regimens to attain glycemic goals. But other goals such as cardiovascular risk reduction, weight control, and avoidance of hypoglycemia also need consideration.

A Pilot Assessment of Primary Care Providers' Knowledge of Adrenal Insufficiency Diagnosis and Management.

Background and Objectives: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is one of the most challenging diagnoses in primary care, and misdiagnosis is costly. The aim of this educational needs assessment was to assess primary care physicians' (PCPs) knowledge of AI diagnosis and management as a preliminary step in developing a professional education module to address knowledge of practice gaps. Methods: We developed a 12-item needs assessment and pretested questionnaire items prior to use to gather validity evidence. The questionnaire contained 4 AI knowledge items, 4 needs assessment items, and 4 demographic items. It was administered to 100 PCPs across a single integrated health care system over a 6-month period. Results: Fifty-one of 100 questionnaires were returned. The majority of respondents believed their knowledge of AI diagnosis and management was "average" when compared with peers. Responses indicated that PCPs were fairly comfortable diagnosing, but not managing AI patients. There was no association between respondents' clinical knowledge of AI and respondents' roles as clinical instructors (ie, having trainees assigned to them). A total of 54% of respondents said they utilized online resources to enhance current knowledge of AI and 88% of respondents said they would use a new AI resource, if available. When asked to rank preferences for professional development modalities, 26/38 respondents ranked UpToDate, 21/38 respondents ranked traditional lecture, and 19/38 respondents ranked case discussion among their top 3 choices. Conclusion: Results of this needs assessment showed that PCPs within our health care system both needed and desired professional development targeting AI diagnosis and management. A faculty development session, which included a short lecture and case scenarios, was developed and delivered to PCPs at participating family health centers. Session materials are now available for use by other institutions to meet professional development needs on this important topic.

A unique case of ectopic Cushing's syndrome from a thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production leading to ectopic ACTH syndrome accounts for a small proportion of all Cushing's syndrome (CS) cases. Thymic neuroendocrine tumors are rare neoplasms that may secrete ACTH leading to rapid development of hypercortisolism causing electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension and an increased risk for opportunistic infections. We present a unique case of a patient who presented with a mediastinal mass, revealed to be an ACTH-secreting thymic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) causing ectopic CS. As the diagnosis of CS from ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS) remains challenging, we emphasize the necessity for high clinical suspicion in the appropriate setting, concordance between biochemical, imaging and pathology findings, along with continued vigilant monitoring for recurrence after definitive treatment. Learning points: Functional thymic neuroendocrine tumors are exceedingly rare. Ectopic Cushing's syndrome secondary to thymic neuroendocrine tumors secreting ACTH present with features of hypercortisolism including electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension and hyperglycemia, and opportunistic infections. The ability to undergo surgery and completeness of resection are the strongest prognostic factors for improved overall survival; however, the recurrence rate remains high. A high degree of initial clinical suspicion followed by vigilant monitoring is required for patients with this challenging disease.

Diabetic Myonecrosis: A Diagnostic and Treatment Challenge in Longstanding Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications; the most commonly recognized ones include diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Less well-known complications are equally important, as timely recognition and treatment are essential to decrease short- and long-term morbidity. METHODS: Herein, we describe a case of a 41-year-old female with longstanding, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, who presented with classical findings of diabetic myonecrosis. RESULTS: Our patient underwent extensive laboratory and imaging studies prior to diagnosis due to its rarity and similarity in presentation with other commonly noted musculoskeletal conditions. We emphasize the clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging findings, treatment regimen, and prognosis associated with diabetic myonecrosis. CONCLUSION: Diabetic myonecrosis is a rare complication of longstanding, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. The diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion in the right clinical setting: acute onset nontraumatic muscular pain with associated findings on clinical exam, laboratory studies, and imaging. While the short-term prognosis is good, the recurrence rate remains high and long-term prognosis is poor given underlying uncontrolled diabetes and associated sequelae.