Role of Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Other Clinical Parameters as Predictors of Bacterial Sepsis in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Fever.

Background: Bacterial sepsis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, to date, there is no single test that predicts sepsis with reproducible results. We proposed that using a combination of clinical and laboratory parameters and a novel biomarker, plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) may aid in early diagnosis. Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care center in South India (June 2017 to April 2018) on patients with acute febrile episodes fulfilling the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria. Plasma NGAL and standard clinical and laboratory parameters were collected at the admission. Bacterial sepsis was diagnosed based on blood culture positivity or clinical diagnosis. Clinically relevant plasma NGAL cut-off values were identified using the receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Clinically relevant clinical parameters along with plasma NGAL's risk ratios estimated from the multivariable Poisson regression model were rounded and used as weights to create a new scoring tool. Results: Of 100 patients enrolled, 37 had bacterial sepsis. The optimal plasma NGAL cut-off value to predict sepsis was 570 ng/mL [area under the curve (AUC): 0.69]. The NGAL sepsis screening tool consists of the following clinical parameter: diabetes mellitus, the presence of rigors, quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) >2, a clear focus of infection, and the plasma NGAL >570 ng/mL. A score of <3 ruled out bacterial sepsis and a score >7 were highly suggestive of bacterial sepsis with an interval likelihood ratio (LR) of 7.77. Conclusion: The NGAL sepsis screening tool with a score >7 can be used in the emergency department (ED) to identify bacterial sepsis. How to cite this article: Paul A, Newbigging NS, Lenin A, Gowri M, Varghese JS, Nell AJ, et al. Role of Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Other Clinical Parameters as Predictors of Bacterial Sepsis in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Fever. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(3):176-182.

Protein-Energy Supplementation in Early-Life Decreases the Odds of Mental Distress in Later Adulthood in Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health concerns is growing worldwide, along with lack of access to and receipt of needed treatment. Current gaps in treatment provision have led to exploring alternative methods of prevention, with research linking nutrition and mental health, of particular relevance in low- and middle-income countries, with a high prevalence of undernutrition. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether exposure to a protein-energy nutritional supplement during the first 1000 d of life decreased odds of mental distress in adulthood among men and women in Guatemala compared with receiving a low energy-no protein supplement or supplementation outside the 1000-d window. METHODS: Data from participants (n = 1249) in a longitudinal cohort protein-energy supplementation trial (early-life, supplementation data from 1969 to 1977, ages 0-7 y; life course, outcome data from 2017-2018 follow-up, ages 40-57 y) were analyzed for associations between nutrition in the first 1000 d and mental distress in adulthood (WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 [SRQ-20]), controlling for early-life variables and current life stress; life course variables (e.g. education) were examined as potential mediators of this relation. Generalized linear mixed models and zero-inflated Poisson generalized linear mixed models were utilized. RESULTS: Both partial and full supplementation with Atole during the first 1000 d were associated with 63% (95% CI: 0.16, 0.87) and 56% (95% CI: 0.19, 1.03) lower odds, respectively, of experiencing mental distress in adulthood. Results did not differ by sex. These inverse relations remained relatively unchanged (partial OR = 0.34 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.83]; full OR = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.16, 0.92]) after controlling for early-life and life course variables, including life stress. CONCLUSIONS: Protein-energy supplementation during the first 1000 d of life in Guatemala, where undernutrition is prevalent, may reduce the prevalence of later mental distress in adulthood. This effect appears to occur directly, rather than indirectly, through pathways of life course variables such as education, wealth, and marital status.

Protein-Energy Supplementation in Early-Life Decreases the Odds of Mental Distress in Later Adulthood in Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health concerns is growing worldwide, along with lack of access to and receipt of needed treatment. Current gaps in treatment provision have led to exploring alternative methods of prevention, with research linking nutrition and mental health, of particular relevance in low- and middle-income countries, with a high prevalence of undernutrition. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether exposure to a protein-energy nutritional supplement during the first 1000 d of life decreased odds of mental distress in adulthood among men and women in Guatemala compared with receiving a low energy-no protein supplement or supplementation outside the 1000-d window. METHODS: Data from participants (n = 1249) in a longitudinal cohort protein-energy supplementation trial (early-life, supplementation data from 1969 to 1977, ages 0-7 y; life course, outcome data from 2017-2018 follow-up, ages 40-57 y) were analyzed for associations between nutrition in the first 1000 d and mental distress in adulthood (WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 [SRQ-20]), controlling for early-life variables and current life stress; life course variables (e.g. education) were examined as potential mediators of this relation. Generalized linear mixed models and zero-inflated Poisson generalized linear mixed models were utilized. RESULTS: Both partial and full supplementation with Atole during the first 1000 d were associated with 63% (95% CI: 0.16, 0.87) and 56% (95% CI: 0.19, 1.03) lower odds, respectively, of experiencing mental distress in adulthood. Results did not differ by sex. These inverse relations remained relatively unchanged (partial OR = 0.34 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.83]; full OR = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.16, 0.92]) after controlling for early-life and life course variables, including life stress. CONCLUSIONS: Protein-energy supplementation during the first 1000 d of life in Guatemala, where undernutrition is prevalent, may reduce the prevalence of later mental distress in adulthood. This effect appears to occur directly, rather than indirectly, through pathways of life course variables such as education, wealth, and marital status.

Conditional wealth to estimate association of wealth mobility with health and human capital in low- and middle-income country cohorts.

Temporally harmonized asset indices allow the study of changes in relative wealth (mean, variance, social mobility) over time and its association with adult health and human capital in cohort studies. Conditional measures are the unexplained residuals of an indicator regressed on its past values. Using such measures, previously used to study the relative importance of key life stages for anthropometric growth, we can identify specific life stages during which changes in relative wealth are important for adult health in longitudinal studies. We discuss the assumptions, strengths and limitations of this methodology as applied to relative wealth. We provide an illustrative example using a publicly-available longitudinal dataset and show how relative wealth changes at different life stages are differentially associated with body mass index in adulthood.

Age at childbirth and change in BMI across the life-course: evidence from the INCAP Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Parity has been associated with both short- and long-term weight gain in women. However, it is not clear if timing of parity across the reproductive age has different associations with BMI. METHODS: To prospectively assess the association between age at childbirth and maternal change in BMI, we analyzed data from the ongoing INCAP Longitudinal Study, which started in 1969 in four villages in Guatemala. Cohort women (n=778) provided information on reproductive history and anthropometric measures were measured in 1988-89 (adolescence, 15 to 25y), 2002-04 (early adulthood, 26 to 36y) and 2015-17 (mid adulthood, 37 to 55y). We evaluated the associations of number of live births in the period preceding each study wave (1969-77 to 1988-89, 1988-89 to 2002-04 and 2002-04 to 2015-17) with BMI change in the same period using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: Number of live births between 1988 and 89 and 2002-04 was positively associated with increased BMI, while there was not an association between number of live births and BMI in the other intervals. Women who had one, two, or three or more children between 1988 and 89 and 2002-04 had 0.90 (kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.55, 2.35), 2.39 (kg/m2, 95% CI: 1.09, 3.70) and 2.54 (kg/m2, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.82) higher BMI, respectively, than women who did not give birth in the same period. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that women who had three or more children during early adulthood gained more weight compared to women who had no children in the same period. In contrast, women who had children earlier or later in their reproductive lives did not gain additional weight compared to those who did not have children during that period. Childbirth may have different associations with BMI based on the mother's age.

Development of a temporally harmonized asset index: evidence from across 50 years of follow up of a birth cohort in Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: Asset-based indices are widely-used proxy measures of wealth in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The stability of these indices within households over time is not known. METHODS: We develop a harmonized household asset index using Principal Component Analysis for the participants (n = 2392) of INCAP Longitudinal Study, Guatemala using data from six waves of follow-up over the period of 1965-2018. We estimate its cross-sectional association with parental schooling (in 1967-75) and attained schooling (in 2015-18) of cohort members. We study how patterns of cross-sectional loadings change over time and between urban-rural settings. We assess its robustness to omission of assets or study waves and alternate specifications of factor extraction procedure (exploratory factor analysis, multiple correspondence analysis). RESULTS: The harmonized index constructed using 8 assets and 11 housing characteristics explained 32.4% of the variance. Most households increased in absolute wealth over time with median wealth (25th percentile, 75th percentile; households) increasing from - 3.74 (- 4.42, - 3.07; 547) in 1967 to 2.08 (1.41, 2.67; 1145) in 2017-18. Ownership of television, electricity, quality of flooring and sanitary installation explained the largest proportion of variance. The index is positively associated with measures of schooling (maternal: r = 0.16; paternal: r = 0.10; attained: r = 0.35, all p < 0.001). In 2015-18, house ownership versus housing characteristics and ownership of electronic goods differentiate households in urban and rural areas respectively. The index is robust for omission of assets or study waves, indicator categorization and factor extraction method. CONCLUSION: A temporally harmonized asset index constructed from consistently administered surveys in a cohort setting over time may allow study of associations of life-course social mobility with human capital outcomes in LMIC contexts. The approach permits exploration of trends in household wealth of the sample over a follow-up period against repeated cross-sectional surveys which permit the estimation of only the mean trajectory.

Dietary Iron Intake and Anemia Are Weakly Associated, Limiting Effective Iron Fortification Strategies in India.

BACKGROUND: Anemia prevalence in India remains high despite preventive iron supplementation programs. Consequently, concurrent national policies of iron fortification of staple foods have been initiated. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the relation between dietary iron intake and anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/dL) in women of reproductive age (WRA; 15-49 y) with respect to iron fortification in India. METHODS: Data from 2 national surveys were used. Data on hemoglobin in WRA were sourced from the National Family Health Survey-4, whereas dietary intakes were sourced from the National Sample Survey. Adjusted odds for anemia with increasing iron intake were estimated, along with the effect of modulating nutrients such as vitamins B-12 and C, from statistically matched household data from the 2 surveys. The risks of inadequate (less than the Estimated Average Requirement for WRA) and excess (more than the tolerable upper limit for WRA) intakes of iron were estimated by the probability approach. RESULTS: The relation between iron intake and the odds of anemia was weak (OR: 0.992; 95% CI: 0.991, 0.994); increasing iron intake by 10 mg/d reduced the odds of anemia by 8%. Phytate and vitamin B-12 and C intakes modified this relation by reducing the odds by 1.5% when vitamin B-12 and C intakes were set at 2 µg/d and 40 mg/d, respectively. The additional intake of 10 mg/d of fortified iron reduced the risk of dietary iron inadequacy from 24-94% to 9-39% across states, with no risk of excess iron intake. Approximately doubling this additional iron intake reduced the risk of inadequacy to 2-12%, but the risk of excess intake reached 22%. CONCLUSIONS: Providing fortified iron alone may not result in substantial anemia reduction among WRA in India and could have variable benefits and risks across states. Geographically nuanced dietary strategies that include limited fortification and the intake of other beneficial nutrients should be carefully considered.

Evaluation of haemoglobin cut-off for mild anaemia in Asians - analysis of multiple rounds of two national nutrition surveys.

Background & objectives: The haemoglobin (Hb) cut-off is a single value for all populations. It is possible that different populations might have slightly different cut-off values; but, this needs to be evaluated in healthy populations with low possibility of inadequate dietary intakes of haematopoietic nutrients. This study was conducted to assess the existence of race-specific Hb cut-offs for mild anaemia in healthy populations and their potential implications. Methods: In this study the Hb distributions of healthy White, Black, Mexican and Hispanic and Asian non-pregnant women obtained from nine rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and two rounds of National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), was examined to check the existence of race-specific Hb cut-off for mild anaemia, by standard statistical methods. Results: The mean Hb of Blacks, Mexicans and Hispanics and Asians were lower than Whites, consistent with previous literature. The Hb cut-off for mild anaemia in Asians was lower at 11.22 g/dl. Interpretation & conclusions: Using the Hb cut-off derived in this study in place of the World Health Organization, cut-off of 12 g/dl would result in a 17.9 per cent decrease in the prevalence of anaemia in India. This points to the need for re-examining race-specific cut-off for mild anaemia and points to the need for alternative methods, perhaps linked to risk of unhealthy outcomes.

Sex differences in association of joint glycemic, blood pressure and lipid control and two-year risk of falls among older adults with diabetes.

AIMS: To characterize the risk of falls among males and females by joint glycemic, blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol control among older adults (≥65 years) with diagnosed diabetes in USA. METHODS: Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2019), we studied the association of joint glycemic (HbA1c < 7.5 %), BP (systolic <140 and diastolic <90 mmHg) and cholesterol (total < 200 mg/dL) control with two-year risk of falls. We estimated risk ratios (RR) to describe the associations for joint ABC control and independent biomarker control by sex, using modified Poisson regressions after adjusting for known individual and household risk factors. RESULTS: The analytic sample consisted of 4509 observations from 2829 older adults (54.7 % female) with a mean age of 72.2 (SD: 6.6) years and duration of diabetes of 9.9 years. Joint ABC control was not associated with risk of falls among females but was associated with lower risk among males (0.91 [95%CI: 0.81-1.02]). Furthermore, achievement of glycemic control (0.85 [95%CI: 0.73-0.98]) and BP control (0.89 [95%CI: 0.79-1.01]) were associated with lower risk but cholesterol control (1.15 [95%CI: 0.99, 1.34]) was associated with higher risk of falls among males. CONCLUSIONS: Joint achievement of glycemic, BP and cholesterol targets may prevent falls among older males. Future studies among people with diabetes should consider biomarker control as a preventive factor for falls.

The association of hypertension among married Indian couples: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Mounting evidence demonstrates that intimate partners sharing risk factors have similar propensities for chronic conditions such as hypertension. The objective was to study whether spousal hypertension was associated with one's own hypertension status independent of known risk factors, and stratified by socio-demographic subgroups (age, sex, wealth quintile, caste endogamy). Data were from heterosexual married couples (n = 50,023, women: 18-49y, men: 21-54y) who participated in the National Family Health Survey-V (2019-21). Hypertension was defined as self-reported diagnosis of hypertension or average of three blood pressure measurements ≥ 140 systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic BP. Among married adults, the prevalence of hypertension among men (38.8 years [SD: 8.3]) and women (33.9 years [SD: 7.9]) were 29.1% [95%CI: 28.5-29.8] and 20.6% [95%CI: 20.0-21.1] respectively. The prevalence of hypertension among both partners was 8.4% [95%CI: 8.0-8.8]. Women and men were more likely to have hypertension if their spouses had the condition (husband with hypertension: PR = 1.37 [95%CI: 1.30-1.44]; wife with hypertension: PR = 1.32 [95%CI: 1.26-1.38]), after adjusting for known risk factors. Spouse's hypertension status was consistently associated with own status across all socio-demographic subgroups examined. These findings present opportunities to consider married couples as a unit in efforts to diagnose and treat hypertension.

Advancing diabetes surveillance ecosystems: a case study of India.

Professional society and expert guidelines recommend the achievement of glycaemic, blood pressure, and cholesterol targets to prevent the microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. The WHO Diabetes Compact recommends that countries meet and monitor these targets for diabetes management. Surveillance-ie, continuous, systematic measurement, analysis, and interpretation of data-is a crucial component of public health. In this Personal View, we use the case of India as an illustration of the challenges and future directions needed for a diabetes surveillance system that documents national progress and persistent gaps. To address the growing burdens of diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases, the Government of India has launched programmes such as the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. Different surveys have provided estimates of the diabetes care continuum of awareness, treatment, and control at the national, state, and, very recently, district level. We reviewed the literature to analyse how these surveys have varied in both their data collection methods and the reported estimates of the diabetes care continuum. We propose an integrated surveillance and monitoring framework to augment decentralised decision making, leveraging the complementary strengths of different surveys and electronic health record databases, such as data obtained by the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, and building on methodological advances in model-based small-area estimation and data fusion. Such a framework could aid state and district administrators in monitoring the progress of diabetes screening and management initiatives, and benchmarking against national and global standards in all countries.

Body mass index changes and their association with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a real-world analysis.

Objective: To study body mass index (BMI) changes among individuals aged 18-99 years with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection. Subjects/Methods: Using real-world data from the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network of the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, we compared changes over time in BMI in an Exposed cohort (positive SARS-CoV-2 test between March 2020 - January 2022), to a contemporary Unexposed cohort (negative SARS-CoV-2 tests), and an age/sex-matched Historical control cohort (March 2018 - January 2020). Body mass index (kg/m2) was retrieved from objective measures of height and weight in electronic health records. We used target trial approaches to estimate BMI at baseline and change per 100 days of follow-up for Unexposed and Historical cohorts relative to the Exposed cohort by categories of sex, race-ethnicity, age, and hospitalization status. Results: The study sample consisted of 44,436 (Exposed cohort), 164,118 (Unexposed cohort), and 41,189 (Historical cohort). Cumulatively, 62% were women, 21.5% Non-Hispanic Black, 21.4% Hispanic and 5.6% Non-Hispanic Other. Patients had an average age of 51.9 years (SD: 18.9). At baseline, relative to the Exposed cohort (mean BMI: 29.3 kg/m2 [95%CI: 29.0, 29.7]), the Unexposed (-0.07 kg/m2 [95%CI; -0.12, -0.01]) and Historical controls (-0.27 kg/m2 [95%CI; -0.34, -0.20]) had lower BMI. Relative to no change in the Exposed over 100 days (0.00 kg/m2 [95%CI; -0.03,0.03]), the BMI of those Unexposed decreased (-0.04 kg/m2 [95%CI; -0.06, -0.01]) while the Historical cohort's BMI increased (+0.03 kg/m2 [95%CI;0.00,0.06]). BMI changes were consistent between Exposed and Unexposed cohorts for most population groups, except at start of follow-up period among Males and those 65 years or older, and in changes over 100 days among Males and Hispanics. Conclusions: In a diverse real-world cohort of adults, mean BMI of those with and without SARS-CoV2 infection varied in their trajectories. The mechanisms and implications of weight retention following SARS-CoV-2 infection remain unclear.

The association of hypertension among married Indian couples: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Mounting evidence demonstrates that intimate partners sharing risk factors have similar propensities for chronic conditions such as hypertension. The objective was to study whether spousal hypertension was associated with one's own hypertension status independent of known risk factors, and stratified by socio-demographic subgroups (age, sex, wealth quintile, caste endogamy). Data were from heterosexual married couples (n = 50,023, women: 18-49 years, men: 21-54 years) who participated in the National Family Health Survey-V (2019-2021). Hypertension was defined as self-reported diagnosis of hypertension or average of three blood pressure measurements ≥ 140 systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic BP. Among married adults, the prevalence of hypertension among men (38.8 years [SD 8.3]) and women (33.9 years [SD 7.9]) were 29.1% [95% CI 28.5-29.8] and 20.6% [95% CI 20.0-21.1] respectively. The prevalence of hypertension among both partners was 8.4% [95% CI 8.0-8.8]. Women and men were more likely to have hypertension if their spouses had the condition (husband with hypertension: PR 1.37 [95% CI 1.30-1.44]; wife with hypertension: PR 1.32 [95% CI 1.26-1.38]), after adjusting for known risk factors. Spouse's hypertension status was consistently associated with own status across all socio-demographic subgroups examined. These findings present opportunities to consider married couples as a unit in efforts to diagnose and treat hypertension.

Concordance of high blood pressure among middle-aged and older same-sex couples in the USA.

Heterosexual couples in romantic relationships are known to influence each other's hypertension risk. However, the role of partners on an individual's hypertension status in same-sex relationships is less understood. Our objective is to characterize the burden of high blood pressure among middle-aged and older couples consisting of men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) living in the US. Among 81 same-sex couples from the Health and Retirement Study 2006-18, 72.4% (95%CI: 23.4-95.7) MSM couples and 61.0% (95%CI: 30.4-84.8) WSW couples consisted of both partners with hypertension. Same-sex couples demonstrate high concordance of hypertension and related risk factors, suggesting a need to develop novel interventions targeting MSM and WSW couples.

Compliance with eye and foot preventive care in people with self-reported diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Pooled, cross-sectional analysis of nine national surveys.

AIMS: To estimate the proportion of people with self-reported diabetes receiving eye and foot examinations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of national health surveys in nine countries. Adults aged 25-64 years with self-reported diabetes. We quantified the proportion who reported having an eye examination in the last two years or a foot examination in the last year. We fitted multilevel Poisson regressions to assess socio-demographic (age and sex) and clinical (oral hypoglycemic medication and insulin treatment) variables associated with having had examinations. RESULTS: There were 7435 people with self-reported diabetes included in the analysis. In three countries (Chile [64%; 95% CI: 56%-71%], British Virgin Islands [58%; 95% CI: 51%-65%], and Brazil [54%; 95% CI: 50%-58%]), >50% of people with diabetes reported having had an eye examination in the last two years. Fewer participants (<50% across all countries) reported having had a foot examination in the last year, with Ecuador having the lowest proportion (12%; 95% CI: 8%-17%). Older people, and those taking oral medication or insulin, were more likely to have eye/foot examinations. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of eye and foot examinations in people with self-reported diabetes across nine countries in LAC is low.

Spousal Concordance of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged and Older Heterosexual Couples Around the World: Evidence From Studies of Aging in the United States, England, China, and India.

BACKGROUND: Health concordance within couples presents a promising opportunity to design interventions for disease management, including hypertension. We compared the concordance of prevalent hypertension within middle-aged and older heterosexual couples in the United States, England, China, and India. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional dyadic data on heterosexual couples were used from contemporaneous waves of the HRS (US Health and Retirement Study, 2016/17, n=3989 couples), ELSA (English Longitudinal Study on Aging, 2016/17, n=1086), CHARLS (China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2015/16, n=6514), and LASI (Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017/19, n=22 389). Concordant hypertension was defined as both husband and wife in a couple having hypertension. The prevalence of concordant hypertension within couples was 37.9% (95% CI, 35.8-40.0) in the United States, 47.1% (95% CI, 43.2-50.9) in England, 20.8% (95% CI, 19.6-21.9) in China, and 19.8% (95% CI, 19.0-20.5) in India. Compared with wives married to husbands without hypertension, wives married to husbands with hypertension were more likely to have hypertension in the United States (prevalence ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.01- 1.17), England (prevalence ratio, 1.09, 95% CI, 0.98-1.21), China (prevalence ratio, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.17-1.35), and India (prevalence ratio, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.15-1.24]). Within each country, similar associations were observed for husbands. Across countries, associations in the United States and England were similar, whereas they were slightly larger in China and India. CONCLUSIONS: Concordance of hypertension within heterosexual couples was consistently observed across these 4 socially and economically diverse countries. Couple-centered interventions may be an efficient strategy to prevent and manage hypertension in these countries.

National Estimates of the Adult Diabetes Care Continuum in India, 2019-2021.

Importance: Diabetes is widespread and treatable, but little is known about the diabetes care continuum (diagnosis, treatment, and control) in India and how it varies at the national, state, and district levels. Objective: To estimate the adult population levels of diabetes diagnosis, treatment, and control in India at national, state, and district levels and by sociodemographic characteristics. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional, nationally representative survey study from 2019 to 2021, adults in India from 28 states, 8 union territories, and 707 districts were surveyed for India's Fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). The survey team collected data on blood glucose among all adults (18-98 years) who were living in the same household as eligible participants (pregnant or nonpregnant female individuals aged 15-49 years and male individuals aged 15-54 years). The overall sample consisted of 1 895 287 adults. The analytic sample was restricted to those who either self-reported having diabetes or who had a valid measurement of blood glucose. Exposures: The exposures in this survey study were district and state residence; urban vs rural residence; age (18-39 years, 40-64 years, or ≥65 years); sex; and household wealth quintile. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diabetes was defined by self-report or high capillary blood glucose (fasting: ≥126 mg/dL [to convert to mmol/L, multiply by 0.0555]; nonfasting: ≥220 mg/dL). Among respondents who had previously been diagnosed with diabetes, the main outcome was the proportion treated based on self-reported medication use and the proportion controlled (fasting: blood glucose <126 mg/dL; nonfasting: ≤180 mg/dL). The findings were benchmarked against the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Diabetes Compact targets (80% diagnosis; 80% control among those diagnosed). The variance in indicators between and within states was partitioned using variance partition coefficients (VPCs). Results: Among 1 651 176 adult respondents (mean [SD] age, 41.6 [16.4] years; 867 896 [52.6%] female) with blood glucose measures, the proportion of individuals with diabetes was 6.5% (95% CI, 6.4%-6.6%). Among adults with diabetes, 74.2% (95% CI, 73.3%-75.0%) were diagnosed. Among those diagnosed, 59.4% (95% CI, 58.1%-60.6%) reported taking medication, and 65.5% (95% CI, 64.5%-66.4%) achieved control. Diagnosis and treatment were higher in urban areas, older age groups, and wealthier households. Among those diagnosed in the 707 districts surveyed, 246 (34.8%) districts met the WHO diagnosis target, while 76 (10.7%) districts met the WHO control target. Most of the variability in diabetes diagnosis (VPC, 89.1%), treatment (VPC, 85.9%), and control (VPC, 95.6%) were within states, not between states. Conclusions and Relevance: In this survey study, the diabetes care continuum in India is represented by considerable district-level variation, age-related disparities, and rural-urban differences. Surveillance at the district level can guide state health administrators to prioritize interventions and monitor achievement of global targets.

Hypertension Diagnosis, Treatment, and Control in India.

Importance: Hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Previous efforts to characterize gaps in the hypertension care continuum-including diagnosis, treatment, and control-in India did not assess district-level variation. Local data are critical for planning, implementation, and monitoring efforts to curb the burden of hypertension. Objective: To examine the hypertension care continuum in India among individuals aged 18 to 98 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: The nationally representative Fifth National Family Health Survey study was conducted in 2 phases from June 17, 2019, to March 21, 2020, and from November 21, 2020, to April 30, 2021, among 1 895 297 individuals in 28 states, 8 union territories, and 707 districts of India. Exposures: District and state of residence, urban classification, age (18-39, 40-64, and ≥65 years), sex, and household wealth quintile. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hypertension was defined as a self-reported diagnosis or a newly measured blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or more. The proportion of individuals diagnosed (self-reported), the proportion of individuals treated among those diagnosed (self-reported medication use), and the proportion of individuals with blood pressure control among those treated (blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg [aged 18-79 years] or <150/90 mm Hg [aged ≥80 years]) were calculated based on national guidelines. Age-standardized estimates of treatment and control were also provided among the total with hypertension. To assess differences in the care continuum between or within states (ie, between districts), the variance was partitioned using generalized linear mixed models. Results: Of the 1 691 036 adult respondents (52.6% women; mean [SD] age, 41.6 [16.5] years), 28.1% (95% CI, 27.9%-28.3%) had hypertension, of whom 36.9% (95% CI, 36.4%-37.3%) received a diagnosis. Among those who received a diagnosis, 44.7% (95% CI, 44.1%-45.3%) reported taking medication (corresponding to 17.7% [95% CI, 17.5%-17.9%] of the total with hypertension). Among those treated, 52.5% (95% CI, 51.7%-53.4%) had blood pressure control (corresponding to 8.5% [95% CI, 8.3%-8.6%] of the total with hypertension). There were substantial variations across districts in blood pressure diagnosis (range, 6.3%-77.5%), treatment (range, 8.7%-97.1%), and control (range, 2.7%-76.6%). Large proportions of the variation in hypertension diagnosis (94.7%), treatment (93.6%), and control (97.3%) were within states, not just between states. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional survey study of Indian adults, more than 1 in 4 people had hypertension, and of these, only 1 in 3 received a diagnosis, less than 1 in 5 were treated, and only 1 in 12 had blood pressure control. National mean values hide considerable state-level and district-level variation in the care continuum, suggesting the need for targeted, decentralized solutions to improve the hypertension care continuum in India.

A Strategic Research Framework for Defeating Diabetes in India: A 21st-Century Agenda.

Indian people are at high risk for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) even at younger ages and lower body weights. Already 74 million people in India have the disease, and the proportion of those with T2DM is increasing across all strata of society. Unique aspects, related to lower insulin secretion or function, and higher hepatic fat deposition, accompanied by the rise in overweight (related to lifestyle changes) may all be responsible for this unrelenting epidemic of T2DM. Yet, research to understand the causes, pathophysiology, phenotypes, prevention, treatment, and healthcare delivery of T2DM in India seriously lags behind. There are major opportunities for scientific discovery and technological innovation, which if tapped can generate solutions for T2DM relevant to the country's context and make leading contributions to global science. We analyze the situation of T2DM in India, and present a four-pillar (etiology, precision medicine, implementation research, and health policy) strategic research framework to tackle the challenge. We offer key research questions for each pillar, and identify infrastructure needs. India offers a fertile environment for shifting the paradigm from imprecise late-stage diabetes treatment toward early-stage precision prevention and care. Investing in and leveraging academic and technological infrastructures, across the disciplines of science, engineering, and medicine, can accelerate progress toward a diabetes-free nation.

Ethnic differences between Asians and non-Asians in clustering-based phenotype classification of adult-onset diabetes mellitus: A systematic narrative review.

Several international studies have stratified people with diabetes into phenotypical clusters. However, there has not been a systematic examination of the variation in these clusters across ethnic groups. For example, some clusters appear more frequent among Asians and may have lower weight, age at diagnosis and poorer beta cell function.