Natural history and surgical outcomes of Rathke's cleft cysts: a Spanish multicenter study.

Rathke's cleft cysts (RCC) are a common type of lesion found in the sellar or suprasellar area. They are usually monitored clinically, but in some cases, surgery may be required. However, their natural progression is not yet well understood, and the outcomes of surgery are uncertain. The objective of this study is to evaluate the natural history of Rathke's cleft cysts in patients who are clinically monitored without treatment, and to determine the outcomes of surgery and the incidence of recurrences over time. Design and patients: National multicentric study of patients diagnosed of Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC- Spain) from 2000 onwards and followed in 15 tertiary centers of Spain. A total of 177 patients diagnosed of RCC followed for 67.3 months (6-215) and 88 patients who underwent surgery, (81 patients underwent immediate surgery after diagnosis and 7 later for subsequent growth) followed for 68.8 months (3-235). Results: The cyst size remained stable or decreased in 73.5% (133) of the patients. Only 44 patients (24.3%) experienced a cyst increase and 9 of them (5.1%) experienced an increase greater than 3 mm. In most of the patients who underwent surgery headaches and visual alterations improved, recurrence was observed in 8 (9.1%) after a median time of 96 months, and no predictors of recurrence were discovered. Conclusions: Rathke's cleft cysts without initial compressive symptoms have a low probability of growth, so conservative management is recommended. Patients who undergo transsphenoidal surgery experience rapid clinical improvement, and recurrences are infrequent. However, they can occur after a long period of time, although no predictors of recurrence have been identified.

Iodine status in pregnant women in northern Spain. Effect of iodised salt and iodine supplements on thyroid function.

INTRODUCTION: Iodine deficiency is linked to thyroid dysfunction, particularly in pregnant women. The objective of this study was to ascertain the iodine levels of women in the second trimester of pregnancy, analysing the influence of iodine ingestion on urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and maternal thyroid function. METHODS: A prospective observational study of pregnant women from Health Area IV of Asturias (northern Spain) recruited before 13 weeks of gestation between May and June 2017. A questionnaire on iodine intake was completed at the first visit, and urine and serum samples were collected at baseline and again during the second trimester. UIC, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) obtained in the second trimester of gestation were analysed and related to iodine intake. Thyroid autoimmunity was also analysed in half of the pregnant women at baseline. RESULTS: A total of 241 pregnant women were studied. Of these, 56.7% used iodised salt, 46.7% consumed ≥2 servings of dairy products daily and 88.1% took iodine supplements. Median UIC was 191µg/l (135.3-294µg/l), with 68.1% of the women having UIC ≥150µg/l. Only iodised salt consumption provided protection against iodine deficiency (odds ratio 0.35 [0.20-0.63], p=0.001). In women with no autoimmune thyroid disease (n=88), mean levels of TSH were lower in those that consumed iodised salt than in those that did not (respectively, 2.08±0.89mIU/l vs. 2.56±1.02mIU/l, p=0.025). In women with autoimmune thyroid disease (n=30), mean levels of TSH were higher in those that took iodine supplements than in those that did not (respectively, 2.97±1.25mIU/l vs. 1.16±0.41mIU/l, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The pregnant women studied from Health Area IV in Asturias maintain adequate nutritional iodine status in the second trimester of gestation. In our sample, only the consumption of iodised salt was associated with adequate iodine nutrition, without affecting maternal thyroid function. Most of the women used iodine supplements, which was linked to higher levels of TSH in pregnant women with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Asturias (Spain) between 2011 and 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) is a chronic disease with important socio-health repercussions that requires epidemiological information for proper health management. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of DM1 in Asturias between 2011-2020. METHODS: Descriptive study which included diagnoses of DM1 in Asturias between 2011-2020 captured as a primary source by reviewing the register of pancreatic autoimmunity analysis. Incidence rates were estimated, expressed per 100,000 population-years of risk by age group, sex, and health area. RESULTS: A total of 815 patients were diagnosed, 53.13% men. The mean age was 34.32±22.07 years; 9.85±4.46 in children under 19 years of age (10.48±4.45 in males and 9.00±4.36 in females). Of the diagnoses, 55.34% occurred at an age over 30 years. The incidence was 7.82 (7.29-8.37); 19.65 (17.17-22.39) in under 15s and 12.84 (11.73-14.03) in under 40s. The maximum incidence peak was between 10-14 years, both in males 31.16 (23.89-39.95) and in females 21.72 (15.59-29.47). There was no significant increase in incidence over the years studied. CONCLUSIONS: Asturias has a high incidence of DM1. In our study no earlier age at diagnosis was observed or an increase in incidence. Compared to previous studies, the increase in incidence is most likely due to an improvement in data capture, not to a real increase in incidence. A high percentage of diagnoses occur in adulthood.

Mortality in Acromegaly Diagnosed in Older Individuals in Spain Is Higher in Women Compared to the General Spanish Population.

CONTEXT: There are no data on mortality of acromegaly diagnosed in older individuals. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to compare clinical characteristics, growth hormone-related comorbidities, therapeutic approaches, and mortality rate of patients diagnosed before or after 2010 and to assess overall mortality rate compared with the general Spanish population. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was conducted among Spanish tertiary care centers of 118 patients diagnosed with acromegaly at age 65 or older. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to trace survival, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risk factors associated with mortality. We also compared mortality with that of the Spanish population by using age- and sex-adjusted standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). RESULTS: No differences were found in first-line treatment or biochemical control, between both periods except for faster biochemical control after 2010. Twenty-nine (24.6%) patients died, without differences between groups, and had a median of follow-up 8.6 years (103, [72.3] months). Overall SMR was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.57-1.54), (0.60; 95% CI, 0.35-1.06) for men and (1.80; 95% CI, 1.07-2.94) for women. The most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease (CVD). CONCLUSION: The mortality in patients with acromegaly diagnosed in older individuals was no different between both periods, and there was no overall SMR difference compared with the general Spanish population. However, the SMR was higher in women. As CVD is the leading cause of mortality, it seems advisable to initiate an intense CVD protective treatment as soon as acromegaly is diagnosed, particularly in women, in addition to tight acromegaly control to prevent excess mortality.

Survey of Spanish hospitals on diabetes care resources.

INTRODUCTION: The quality of diabetes care varies from region to region. The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of care in different hospitals in Spain through a specific survey assessing different aspects of care for both children and adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational voluntary survey study, sent to the heads of the Endocrinology and Pediatric Endocrinology Departments or Units in public hospitals with more than 150 beds, during the first semester of 2021. A total of 105 responses were obtained, 55.5% of the 189 requested, which corresponded to a population served of 31,782,409 people, representing almost 80% of the total population served. RESULTS: Patients with diabetes under 15 years of age are cared for by Pediatric Departments, but only 58% of them have a specific Diabetes Education Unit for children, and in 72% of the cases, there is one single nurse dedicated to these tasks, and not always full-time. Those over 15 years of age are attended by specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition in 94.3 % of hospitals. There are Therapeutic Education Units in Diabetes in practically all hospitals (94.3%). However, Diabetes Day Hospitals exist in only 32 centres and cover 40.3% of the population, since in 22 provinces there are none. Virtual and telematic consultations, as well as retinography, are available in more than 70% of cases, but access to a Diabetic Foot Unit only in 54% of centres. Monographic technological consultations on diabetes have become widespread, but access to mental health specialists with diabetes training remains limited (24% of centres), and interdisciplinary (32%) or interlevel (12%) committees are very scarce. CONCLUSION: Diabetes care in Spain shows great variability from one region to another, and some deficiencies have been detected that affect a large part of the population, such as access to Diabetic Foot Units, as well as mental health specialists with specific training. The presence of multidisciplinary and mixed committees between levels of care remains scarce.

Factors associated with therapeutic response in acromegaly diagnosed in the elderly in Spain.

Context: Some reports suggest that acromegaly in elderly patients has a more benign clinical behavior and could have a better response to first-generation long-acting somatostatin receptor ligands (SRL). However, there is no specific therapeutic protocol for this special subgroup of patients. Objective: This study aimed at identifying predictors of response to SRL in elderly patients. Design: Multicentric retrospective nationwide study of patients diagnosed with acromegaly at or over the age of 65 years. Results: One-hundred and eighteen patients (34 men, 84 women, mean age at diagnosis 71.7 ± 5.4 years old) were included. Basal insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) above the upper limit of normal (ULN) and growth hormone (GH) levels (mean ± SD) were 2.7 ± 1.4 and 11.0 ± 11.9 ng/ml, respectively. The mean maximal tumor diameter was 12.3 ± 6.4 mm, and up to 68.6% were macroadenoma. Seventy-two out of 118 patients (61.0%) underwent surgery as primary treatment. One-third of patients required first-line medical treatment due to a rejection of surgical treatment or non-suitability because of high surgical risk. After first-line surgery, 45/72 (63.9%) were in disease remission, and 16/34 (46.7%) of those treated with SRL had controlled disease. Patients with basal GH at diagnosis ≤6 ng/ml had lower IGF-1 levels and had smaller tumors, and more patients in this group reached control with SRL (72.7% vs. 33.3%; p < 0.04) [OR: 21.3, IC: 95% (2.4-91.1)], while male patients had a worse response [OR: 0.09, IC 95% (0.01-0.75)]. The predictive model curve obtained for SRL response showed an AUC of 0.82 CI (0.71-0.94). Conclusions: The most frequent phenotype in newly diagnosed acromegaly in the elderly includes small adenomas and moderately high IGF-1 levels. GH at diagnosis ≤6 ng/ml and female gender, but not age per se, were associated with a greater chance of response to SRL.

[Cardiovascular diseases in people with diabetes mellitus in Spain according to the Primary Care Clinical Database (BDCAP) in 2017]. / Enfermedades cardiovasculares en personas con diabetes mellitus en España según la Base de Datos Clínicos de Atención Primaria (BDCAP) en 2017.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. The objective of this work is to know the prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and heart failure in people diagnosed with diabetes in Spain during 2017 and compare them with those not diagnosed with diabetes according to age and sex. METHODS: Data for diagnoses of diabetes mellitus (DM), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD) or heart failure (HF) for 2017 were obtained from the National Health System's Primary Care Clinical Database (BDCAP). RESULTS: Comparing people with diabetes and people without diabetes over 35 years of age, the Odds Ratio (OR) for being diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral artery disease or heart failure is about 2 in those over 64 years of age and more than 4 in patients under that age. This OR is superior in females versus males for all diagnoses apart from peripheral artery disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the high cardiovascular comorbidity of patients with diabetes in Spain, with a greater excess of risk in patients under 65 years of age, more pronounced in women. We should offer more intensive treatment for DM2 in women.

Neonatal TSH as a marker of iodine nutrition status. Effect of maternal ioduria and thyroid function on neonatal TSH.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone (nTSH) is a marker of iodine nutrition status in the population. The WHO considers a prevalence of less than 3% of nTSH levels greater than 5 mIU/L in samples obtained within 72h from birth indicative of iodine sufficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of nTSH levels greater than 5 mIU/L in an iodine-sufficient population and its association with maternal, neonatal and obstetric factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 243 pregnant women were recruited between May and June 2017 in our health area. A questionnaire of iodine intake was administered, in addition to determination of ioduria, thyroid function and autoimmunity in the first trimester of gestation. We analysed nTSH levels in samples collected between 48 and 72h post birth and other obstetric and neonatal factors. RESULTS: The mean nTSH level (standard deviation) was 2.43 (1.68 mIU/L), with 7.8% of neonates having levels greater than 5 mIU/L. The highest nTSH levels corresponded to neonates of mothers with insufficient ioduria (P = 0.021) or TSH levels greater than 2.5 mIU/L, in both the case of negative (P = 0.049) and positive (P = 0.006) thyroid autoimmunity results. Maternal ioduria less than 150 µg/L was a risk factor for nTSH levels greater than 5 mIU/L (3.70 [1.06-14.60]; P = 0.046), while a neonatal weight of 2500 g or greater was a protective factor (0.14 [0.02-1.00]; P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of nTSH levels greater than 5 mIU/L in our health area was high based on the WHO recommendations. Maternal iodine deficiency was associated with a higher risk of nTSH levels greater than 5 mIU/L. Given that nTSH is currently measured before 72h post birth, we need new cut-off points to keep on using nTSH as a marker of iodine nutritional status.

Correlation between glucose measurement parameters of continuous flash monitoring and HbA1c. Real life experience in Asturias.

INTRODUCTION: Despite continuous glucose monitoring having been proven useful in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, A1C remains the gold standard for assessing disease management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive, retrospective study which included 252 patients, 40.5% male, mean age 44.91±14.57 years, mean duration of diabetes 22.21±13.12 years, 88.1% on basal-bolus insulin therapy and 11.9% users of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Glucose measurement, analytical and anthropometric data were obtained. RESULTS: The mean time in range was 60.18±15.60% and was associated with A1C after adjusting for age, gender, duration of diabetes, BMI, insulin regimen, %CV and time below range (ß: -0.548; p<0.01). The glucose management indicator (GMI) was 7.19±0.69% and was also associated with A1C (ß: 0.957; p<0.01) regardless of age, gender, duration of diabetes, BMI, insulin treatment, %CV and time in range. The average difference between A1C and GMI was 0.17±0.65% (-2.70-3.40%), being higher as A1C increased, in a linear and significant manner, without being influenced by the duration of diabetes or CV. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found a positive correlation between continuous glucose monitoring glucose measurement parameters and A1C, there is still not enough evidence to replace one parameter with another.

Efficacy in size and symptom reduction of radiofrequency ablation of benign non-functioning thyroid nodules.

INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) plays an increasing role in the management of thyroid nodules. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RFA of benign thyroid nodules in terms of volume reduction and symptom relief. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients with a solitary thyroid nodule who received RFA at our centre from April 2016 to January 2020. Ultrasound-guided RFA was performed by the moving-shot technique. Patients were followed up with ultrasound examinations and thyroid function tests. We evaluated changes in volume and in compressive (0-10 scale) and cosmetic (4-point scale) symptoms to analyse efficacy and complications, and in thyroid function to evaluate safety. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were included in the study. The mean follow-up was 11.1±0.7 months. There was a statistically significant reduction in size of the nodules at Month 1, 3, 6 and 12 after RFA (expressed as volume reduction rate: 34%±2.1, 50.8%±2.2, 60.3%±2.6, 58.87%±3.5, p<0.0001). We found statistically significant improvement in compressive symptoms (from 7.1±0.26 to 1.76±0.33, p<0.0001) and in cosmetic alteration (from 3.66±0.09 to 2.14±0.14, p<0.0001). No major complications were observed. DISCUSSION: RFA achieved significant volume reduction and improved compressive symptoms as well as cosmetic complaints, with minimum side effects. Our results are in line with recent available evidence and further support the use of RFA as a safe and effective therapeutic option in the management of benign thyroid nodules.

Nutritional Iodine Status in Pregnant Women from Health Area IV in Asturias (Spain): Iodised Salt Is Enough.

BACKGROUND: Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the neurodevelopment of the foetus. Recent studies of pregnant women in Asturias (Spain) indicate that nutritional iodine levels are sufficient. The objective of this study was to confirm the appropriate nutritional iodine status and to analyse the influence of the ingestion of iodine on maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid function. METHODS: An observational study was carried out between May and June 2017 on women in the first trimester of pregnancy from Health Area IV in Asturias. The women completed a questionnaire related to their consumption of iodine and samples were taken to analyse UIC and thyroid function. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighteen pregnant women were involved. Of these, 51.10% used iodised salt, 48.90% consumed ≥ 2 servings of dairy products daily and 87.08% took iodine supplements. The median UIC was 171.5 µg/L (116-265 µg/L) and 60.41% of women had UIC ≥ 150 µg/L. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that iodised salt had a protective effect on UIC < 150 µg/L (odds ratio (OR) 0.404 (0.237-0.683), p = 0.001), but not iodine supplements (OR 0.512 (0.240-1.085), p = 0.080). The average level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was 2.26 ± 0.94 mIU/L; 68.40% of pregnant women taking iodine supplements had TSH < 2.5 mIU/L compared to 30.00% of those who were not taking supplements (p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The pregnant women in our health area are maintaining appropriate nutritional iodine levels. The consumption of iodised salt protects against iodine deficiency; thus, iodine supplements should be taken on an individualised basis.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Spain in 2016 according to the Primary Care Clinical Database (BDCAP). / Prevalencia de diabetes mellitus en 2016 en España según la Base de Datos Clínicos de Atención Primaria (BDCAP).

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide, including in Spain, and this disease has become a major challenge for health care. In Spain, the computerization of medical records in primary care, in the Primary Care Clinical Database (BDCAP), has made possible the diagnoses of diabetes in a representative sample of the nation as a whole. This article analyzes the prevalence of diabetes recorded in this database and compares the data of the different autonomous communities. The prevalence of diabetes in Spain is 6.66% of the total population assigned to primary care in the National Health System, is higher in men than in women (7.27% vs. 6.06%), and increases with age up to 80 years. There are significant differences in the adjusted prevalence of diabetes between autonomous communities, with lower prevalence rates in North and Central Spain and higher rates in the South and East, as well as the islands. The lowest prevalence is seen in Castile and Leon (4.51%), and the highest in the Canary Islands (9.72%).