Profiles of disordered eating behaviour in type 1 diabetes using the DEPS-R and behaviour and glycaemic outcomes in a real-life setting.

AIMS: The Diabetes Eating Problems Survey - Revised (DEPS-R) is commonly used to assess disordered eating behaviour (DEB) in individuals with type 1 diabetes and has advantages compared to other measures not specifically tailored to diabetes. A score ≥20 on the DEPS-R is used to indicate clinically significant DEB; however, it does not distinguish between eating disorder (ED) phenotypes necessary to guide treatment decisions, limiting clinical utility. METHODS: The current study used latent class analysis to identify distinct person-centred profiles of DEB in adults with type 1 diabetes using the DEPS-R. Analysis of Variance with Games Howell post-hoc comparisons was then conducted to examine the correspondence between the profiles and binge eating, insulin restriction and glycaemic control (HbA1c, mean blood glucose, and percent time spent in hyperglycaemia) during 3 days of assessment in a real-life setting. RESULTS: Latent class analysis indicated a 4-class solution, with patterns of item endorsement suggesting the following profiles: Bulimia, Binge Eating, Overeating and Low Pathology. Differences in binge eating, insulin restriction and glycaemic control were observed between profiles during 3 days of at-home assessment. The Bulimia profile was associated with highest HbA1c and 3-day mean blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: There are common patterns of responses on the DEPS-R that appear to reflect different ED phenotypes. Profiles based on the DEPS-R corresponded with behaviour in the real-life setting as expected and were associated with different glycaemic outcomes. Results may have implications for the use of the DEPS-R in research and clinical settings.

Microvascular Complications Associated With Rapid Improvements in Glycemic Control in Diabetes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Aggressive glycemic control has become the standard clinical approach to diabetes care. Unintended consequences have included the development of microvascular complications that are related to the rapidity of glycemic improvement. RECENT FINDINGS: Diabetic neuropathy may develop in up to 10% of individuals secondary to aggressive glycemic control. The neuropathy is predominantly small fiber sensory and autonomic, and the severity of the neuropathy is tied to the change in the glycosylated hemoglobin A1C. Other microvascular complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy are common and may occur in parallel with the neuropathy. Eating disorders are a common comorbid risk factor. Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes for prolonged periods, particularly those with a history of eating disorders involving insulin restriction for calorie purging, are at high risk for developing treatment-induced microvascular complications. Gradual glycemic improvements should be encouraged but future research is needed to optimize treatment and prevention strategies.

Nutrition therapy and the management of obesity and diabetes: an update.

Diabetes and obesity have each become a national health crisis in recent years. The number of people who have diabetes and prediabetes continues to grow with a predicted number of 336 million people worldwide with type 2 diabetes by 2030. The prevalence of diabetes has risen in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity. The optimal nutrition therapy for the treatment of both diabetes and obesity remains controversial. Health care practitioners are no longer solely prescribing the conventional low-fat, higher-carbohydrate diet approach that was used for over a decade. Lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat, or higher-protein diets are now being viewed as equally or sometimes more effective treatment plans for diabetes and obesity. In addition, there are other aspects of diet beyond macronutrient composition that are currently being investigated. This article will summarize research conducted over the past 2 years examining medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and obesity. It will also describe the unique challenges that come with treating this patient population.

Disturbed eating behaviors and eating disorders in type 1 diabetes: clinical significance and treatment recommendations.

Girls and women with type 1 diabetes have increased rates of disturbed eating behaviors and clinically significant eating disorders than their nondiabetic peers. Type 1 diabetes is strongly associated with several empirically supported eating disorder risk factors (eg, higher body mass index, increased body weight and shape dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and depression, and dietary restraint). It may be that specific aspects of diabetes treatment increase the risk for developing disordered eating. Disturbed eating behaviors and clinical eating disorders predispose women with diabetes to many complex medical risks and increase risk of morbidity and mortality. For this reason, it is critical that diabetes clinicians understand more about eating disorders to improve the likelihood of early risk detection and access to appropriate treatment. This article presents a review of the current scientific literature on eating disturbances in type 1 diabetes and synthesizes the existent findings into recommendations for screening and treatment.

Physical Activity in Obese Type 2 Diabetes After Gastric Bypass or Medical Management.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus a multidisciplinary, group-based medical diabetes and weight management program on physical fitness and behaviors. METHODS: Physical behavior and fitness were assessed in participants of the study Surgery or Lifestyle With Intensive Medical Management in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (SLIMM-T2D) (NCT01073020), a randomized, parallel-group trial conducted at a US academic hospital and diabetes clinic with 18- to 24-month follow-up. Thirty-eight type 2 diabetes patients with hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% and body mass index 30-42 kg/m2 were randomized to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or the medical program. A 6-minute walk test to evaluate fitness, self-reported physical activity, standardized physical surveys, and cardiometabolic risk assessment were performed at baseline and after intervention. RESULTS: Both groups similarly improved 6-minute walk test distance, with greater improvements in oxygen saturation and reduced heart rate after surgery. Self-reported physical activity improved similarly at 18-24 months after interventions, although exercise increased gradually after surgery, whereas early substantial increases in the medical group were not fully sustained. Self-reported total and physical health were similar by Short Form-36 but improved more in the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life survey after surgery. Improvement in cardiovascular risk scores, HbA1c, and body mass index were greater after surgery. CONCLUSION: In this small, randomized study, both interventions led to therapeutic lifestyle changes and improved objective and self-reported physical fitness. Greater improvements in heart rate, oxygen saturation, and perceived impact of weight on health were seen after surgery, which could be attributable to greater weight loss. The clinical importance of these improvements with greater weight loss warrants further investigation.

Long-term effect of intensive lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes in real-world clinical practice: a 5-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated long-term impact of sustained weight loss versus weight regain on cardiovascular risk factors in real-world clinical practice. METHODS: We evaluated 129 obese patients with diabetes enrolled in Weight Achievement and Intensive Treatment (Why WAIT) program, a 12-week clinical model of intensive lifestyle intervention. After 1 year, we divided participants into group A, who maintained <7% weight loss (47.3%) and group B (52.7%), who maintained ≥7% weight loss. We continued to follow them for a total of 5 years. RESULTS: The total cohort lost 23.8 lbs (-9.7%) at 12 weeks and maintained -16.2 lbs (-6.4%) at 5 years (p<0.001). Group A maintained -8.4 lbs (-3.5%) and group B maintained -23.1 lbs (-9.0%) at 5 years. In group A, A1C decreased from 7.5±1.3% to 6.7±0.9% at 12 weeks but increased to 7.7±1.4% at 1 year and 8.0±1.9% at 5 years. In group B, A1C decreased from 7.4±1.2% to 6.4±0.9% at 12 weeks and rose to 6.8±1.2% at 1 year and 7.3±1.5% at 5 years. Despite weight regain, group A maintained improvement in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol with worsening of serum triglycerides and no change in blood pressure (BP). Group B maintained improvement in lipid profile for 5 years and had significantly lower BP for 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Weight reduction in patients with diabetes can be maintained for 5 years and is predicted by patients' ability to maintain ≥7% weight loss at 1 year. A1C and triglycerides deteriorate with weight regain, while other lipid improvements are maintained. Sustained weight loss is associated with significantly lower A1C for 5 years and lowers BP for 18 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01937845.

General quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes: relationship to patient management and diabetes-specific family conflict.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate self-report and parent proxy report of child/teen general quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes, compare their responses with those of a general pediatric population, and identify relationships between diabetes management, diabetes-related family behavior, and diabetes-specific family conflict with quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Study participants included 100 children, 8-17 years of age (12.1 +/- 2.3), with type 1 diabetes for 0.5-6 years (2.7 +/- 1.6). Each child and a parent completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), completed the Diabetes Family Conflict Scale, and provided data on parent involvement in diabetes management. An independent measure of adherence to treatment assessed by the patient's clinician and a measure of glycemic control (HbA(1c)) were also collected. RESULTS: PedsQL responses from youth with type 1 diabetes were stable over 1 year and similar to norms from a healthy standardization sample for all three scales of the PedsQL: total, physical, and psychosocial quality of life. After controlling for age, duration of diabetes, sex, HbA(1c), and family involvement, child report of diabetes-specific family conflict (P < 0.01) was the only significant predictor of child report of quality of life (model R(2) = 0.21, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Youth with type 1 diabetes report remarkably similar quality of life to a nondiabetic youth population. Greater endorsement of diabetes-specific family conflict predicted diminished quality of life for the child. As treatment programs focus on intensifying glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes, interventions should include efforts to reduce diabetes-specific family conflict in order to preserve the child's overall quality of life.

Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery or Medical Management in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

CONTEXT: Recommendations for surgical, compared with lifestyle and pharmacologically based, approaches for type 2 diabetes (T2D) management remain controversial. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to compare laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) to an intensive medical diabetes and weight management (IMWM) program for T2D. DESIGN: This was designed as a prospective, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: The setting was two Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic institutions. INTERVENTIONS AND PARTICIPANTS: A 12-month randomized trial comparing LAGB (n = 23) vs IMWM (n = 22) in persons aged 21-65 years with body mass index of 30-45 kg/m(2), T2D diagnosed more than 1 year earlier, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) ≥ 6.5% on antihyperglycemic medication(s). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The proportion meeting the prespecified primary glycemic endpoint, defined as HbA(1c) < 6.5% and fasting glucose < 7.0 mmol/L at 12 months, on or off medication. RESULTS: After randomization, five participants did not undergo the surgical intervention. Of the 40 initiating intervention (22 males/18 females; age, 51 ± 10 y; body mass index, 36.5 ± 3.7 kg/m(2); diabetes duration, 9 ± 5 y; HbA(1c), 8.2 ± 1.2%; 40% on insulin), the proportion meeting the primary glycemic endpoint was achieved in 33% of the LAGB patients and 23% of the IMWM patients (P = .457). HbA(1c) reduction was similar between groups at both 3 and 12 months (-1.2 ± 0.3 vs -1.0 ± 0.3%; P = .496). Weight loss was similar at 3 months but greater 12 months after LAGB (-13.5 ± 1.7 vs -8.5 ± 1.6 kg; P = .027). Systolic blood pressure reduction was greater after IMWM than LAGB, whereas changes in diastolic blood pressure, lipids, fitness, and cardiovascular risk scores were similar between groups. Patient-reported health status, assessed using the Short Form-36, Impact of Weight on Quality of Life, and Problem Areas in Diabetes, all improved similarly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: LAGB and a multidisciplinary IMWM program have similar 1-year benefits on diabetes control, cardiometabolic risk, and patient satisfaction, which should be considered in the context of other factors, such as personal preference, when selecting treatment options with obese T2D patients. Longer duration studies are important to understand emergent differences.

Identification and treatment of eating disorders in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

A series of case reports in the early 1980s and prevalence studies in the 1990s highlighted the serious medical consequences of coexisting eating disorders and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes-specific treatment issues, such as the need to carefully monitor diet, exercise, and blood glucose, may contribute to the development of eating disorder symptoms among women with diabetes mellitus. The attention to food portions and bodyweight that is part of routine diabetes mellitus management parallels the rigid thinking about food and body image found in women with eating disorders who do not have diabetes mellitus. Additionally, intensive insulin management of diabetes mellitus, the current standard of care, has been shown to be associated with bodyweight gain. Following from this, it may be that the very goals of state-of-the-art diabetes mellitus care increase the risk for developing an eating disorder. Once an eating disorder and recurrent insulin omission becomes entrenched, a pattern develops which is hard to break - one of chronic hyperglycemia, depressed mood, fear of bodyweight gain, and frustration with diabetes management. Eating disorders predispose women with diabetes mellitus to many complex medical risks. For example, insulin omission and reduction, eating disorder symptoms unique to diabetes mellitus, are strongly associated with an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and with microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus such as retinopathy. For this reason, it is critical that diabetes mellitus clinicians understand more about eating disorders so as to improve the likelihood of early detection, appropriate treatment, and prevention of acute and long-term medical complications within this high-risk group of women.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery or lifestyle with intensive medical management in patients with type 2 diabetes: feasibility and 1-year results of a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE: Emerging data support bariatric surgery as a therapeutic strategy for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of methods to conduct a larger multisite trial to determine the long-term effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery compared with an intensive diabetes medical and weight management (Weight Achievement and Intensive Treatment [Why WAIT]) program for type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A 1-year pragmatic randomized clinical trial was conducted in an academic medical institution. Participants included persons aged 21 to 65 years with type 2 diabetes diagnosed more than 1 year before the study; their body mass index was 30 to 42 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was greater than or equal to 6.5%. All participants were receiving antihyperglycemic medications. INTERVENTIONS: RYGB (n = 19) or Why WAIT (n = 19) including 12 weekly multidisciplinary group lifestyle, medical, and educational sessions with monthly follow-up thereafter. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Proportion of patients with fasting plasma glucose levels less than 126 mg/dL and HbA1c less than 6.5%, measures of cardiometabolic health, and patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: At 1 year, the proportion of patients achieving HbA1c below 6.5% and fasting glucose below 126 mg/dL was higher following RYGB than Why WAIT (58% vs 16%, respectively; P = .03). Other outcomes, including HbA1c, weight, waist circumference, fat mass, lean mass, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels, decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased more after RYGB compared with Why WAIT. Improvement in cardiovascular risk scores was greater in the surgical group. At baseline the participants exhibited moderately low self-reported quality-of-life scores reflected by Short Form-36 total, physical health, and mental health, as well as high Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite and Problem Areas in Diabetes health status scores. At 1 year, improvements in Short Form-36 physical and mental health scores and Problem Areas in Diabetes scores did not differ significantly between groups. The Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite score improved more with RYGB and correlated with greater weight loss compared with Why WAIT. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In obese patients with type 2 diabetes, RYGB produces greater weight loss and sustained improvements in HbA1c and cardiometabolic risk factors compared with medical management, with emergent differences over 1 year. Both treatments improve general quality-of-life measures, but RYGB provides greater improvement in the effect of weight on quality of life. These differences may help inform therapeutic decisions for diabetes and weight loss strategies in obese patients with type 2 diabetes until larger randomized trials are performed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01073020.

Improvement and emergence of insulin restriction in women with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the distinguishing characteristics of women who report stopping insulin restriction at 11 years of follow-up from those continuing to endorse insulin restriction as well as those characteristics differing in patients who continue to use insulin appropriately from new insulin restrictors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This is an 11-year follow-up study of 207 women with type 1 diabetes. Insulin restriction, diabetes self-care behaviors, diabetes-specific distress, and psychiatric and eating disorder symptoms were assessed using self-report surveys. RESULTS: Of the original sample, 57% participated in the follow-up study. Mean age was 44 ± 12 years, diabetes duration was 28 ± 11 years, and A1C was 7.9 ± 1.3%. At follow-up, 20 of 60 baseline insulin restrictors had stopped restriction. Women who stopped reported improved diabetes self-care and distress, fewer problems with diabetes self-management, and lower levels of psychologic distress and eating disorder symptoms. Logistic regression indicated that lower levels of fear of weight gain with improved blood glucose and fewer problems with diabetes self-management predicted stopping restriction. At follow-up, 34 women (23%) reported new restriction, and a larger proportion of new insulin restrictors, relative to nonrestrictors, endorsed fear of weight gain with improved blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that fear of weight gain associated with improved blood glucose and problems with diabetes self-care are core issues related to both the emergence and resolution of insulin restriction. Greater attention to these concerns may help treatment teams to better meet the unique treatment needs of women struggling with insulin restriction.

Diabetes and eating disorders.

The problem of insulin restriction is an important women's health issue in type 1 diabetes. This behavior is associated with increased rates of diabetes complications and decreased quality of life. Clinical and technological research is greatly needed to improve treatment tools and strategies for this problem. In this commentary, the author describes the scope of the problem of eating disorders and diabetes, as well as offers ideas about ways technology may be applied to help solve this complex problem.

Insulin restriction and associated morbidity and mortality in women with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether insulin restriction increases morbidity and mortality in women with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This is an 11-year follow-up study of women with type 1 diabetes. A total of 234 women (60% of the original cohort) participated in the follow-up. Mean age was 45 years and mean diabetes duration was 28 years at follow-up. Mean BMI was 25 kg/m(2) and mean A1C was 7.9%. Measures of diabetes self-care behaviors, diabetes-specific distress, fear of hypoglycemia, psychological distress, and eating disorder symptoms were administered at baseline. At follow-up, mortality data were collected through state and national databases. Follow-up data regarding diabetes complications were gathered by self-report. RESULTS: Seventy-one women (30%) reported insulin restriction at baseline. Twenty-six women died during follow-up. Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, insulin restriction conveyed a threefold increased risk of mortality after controlling for baseline age, BMI, and A1C. Mean age of death was younger for insulin restrictors (45 vs. 58 years, P < 0.01). Insulin restrictors reported higher rates of nephropathy and foot problems at follow-up. Deceased women had reported more frequent insulin restriction (P < 0.05) and reported more eating disorder symptoms (P < 0.05) at baseline than their living counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that insulin restriction is associated with increased rates of diabetes complications and increased mortality risk. Mortality associated with insulin restriction appeared to occur in the context of eating disorder symptoms, rather than other psychological distress. We propose a screening question appropriate for routine diabetes care to improve detection of this problem.

Impact of ambulatory, family-focused teamwork intervention on glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an ambulatory, family-focused intervention aimed at optimizing STUDY DESIGN: Study design We randomly assigned 105 children and adolescents, 8 to 17 years of age, with T1DM for < or =6 years, to a family-focused teamwork (TW) intervention or to standard multidisciplinary diabetes care (SC). Patients in both study groups were seen at 3- to 4-month intervals and were followed prospectively for 1 year. Measures of family involvement in diabetes tasks, DFC, and quality of life were performed at baseline and after 1 year. Hemoglobin A1c was measured at each visit. RESULTS: Patients (n = 100) completed follow-up, (50 in TW and 50 in SC). At entry, A1c was 8.4% +/- 1.3% in TW and 8.3% +/- 1.0% in SC. After 1 year, A1c was 8.2% +/- 1.1% in TW compared with 8.7% +/- 1.5% in SC (P <.05). Both groups had similar frequencies of blood glucose monitoring (BGM) and insulin dosing. Families exposed to the TW intervention maintained or increased family involvement significantly more than families exposed to SC (P =.05). In multivariate analysis, the TW intervention and the daily frequency of BGM significantly predicted A1c (R (2) = 0.17, P =.05). Despite increased family involvement, the TW group reported no increase in DFC or decrease in quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The ambulatory TW intervention prevented the expected deterioration in glycemic control seen with SC in youths with T1DM of < or =6 years' duration. Successful family involvement may assist in the preservation of health and the prevention of long-term diabetes complications for youth with diabetes.