Relationship between the magnitude of body mass index reductions and remission in patients with type 2 diabetes in real world settings: Analysis of nationwide patient registry in Japan (JDDM74).

AIMS: To determine the association between the magnitude of weight loss and incidence of remission according to baseline characteristics in patients with diabetes in clinical settings. METHODS: In total, 39 676 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥18 years with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5% and/or glucose-lowering drug prescription were identified from databases of specialists' clinics from 1989 and followed until September 2022. Remission was diagnosed as maintaining HbA1c <6.5% at least 3 months after cessation of a glucose-lowering drug. Factors associated with remission were evaluated by logistic regression analysis according to weight change in 1 year (i.e. ≥10%, 7.0-9.9%, 3.0-6.9% reduction, <3% change and ≥3.0% increase). RESULTS: During the study period, 3454 remissions occurred. The rates of remission were higher in the group with the greatest reduction of body mass index (BMI) in any category examined (i.e. baseline BMI, HbA1c, duration of diabetes and treatment). The incidences of remission per 1000 person-years were about 25 and 50, respectively, for those with BMI ≥22.5 and reductions in BMI of 7.0-9.9% and ≥10% in 1 year. Remissions per 1000 person-years were 99.2 and 91.8, respectively, for those with baseline HbA1c of 6.5-6.9 and a 10% BMI reduction and those not taking glucose-lowering drugs accompanied by a 10% BMI reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Modest weight losses of 3.0-7.9% were significantly associated with remission, but a minimum of 10% weight loss would be required in addition to an early diagnosis to achieve a 10% remission rate in clinical settings. Our results implied that remission may be expected with a relatively lower BMI in an Asian population compared with that was reported in Western populations if accompanied by weight loss.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral changes and glycemic control and a survey of telemedicine in patients with diabetes: A multicenter retrospective observational study.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected behavioral changes and glycemic control in patients with diabetes and to conduct a survey of telemedicine during the pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 2,348 patients were included from 15 medical facilities. Patients were surveyed about their lifestyle changes and attitudes toward telemedicine. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were compared among before (from June 1 to August 31, 2019) and in the first (from June 1 to August 31, 2020) and in the second (from June 1 to August 31, 2021) year of the pandemic. A survey of physician attitudes toward telemedicine was also conducted. RESULTS: The HbA1c levels were comparable between 2019 (7.27 ± 0.97%), 2020 (7.28 ± 0.92%), and 2021 (7.25 ± 0.94%) without statistical difference between each of those 3 years. Prescriptions for diabetes medications increased during the period. The frequency of eating out was drastically reduced (51.7% in 2019; 30.1% in 2020), and physical activity decreased during the pandemic (48.1% in 2019; 41.4% in 2020; 43.3% in 2021). Both patients and physicians cited increased convenience and reduced risk of infection as their expectations for telemedicine, while the lack of physician-patient interaction and the impossibility of consultation and examination were cited as sources of concern. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that glycemic control did not deteriorate during the COVID-19 pandemic with appropriate intensification of diabetes treatment in patients with diabetes who continued to attend specialized diabetes care facilities, and that patients and physicians shared the same expectations and concerns about telemedicine.

Incidence and predictors of remission and relapse of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan: Analysis of a nationwide patient registry (JDDM73).

AIMS: To determine the incidence of remission and 1-year relapse from remission and associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 320 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥18 years, with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%) and/or glucose-lowering drug prescription, were identified from databases of specialist clinics from 1989 and followed until September 2022. Remission was defined as HbA1c <48 mmol/mol at least 3 months after cessation of a glucose-lowering drug. Relapse was defined as failure to maintain remission for 1 year. Factors associated with remission and relapse were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall incidence of remissions per 1000 person-years was 10.5, and for those with HbA1c levels of 48 to 53 mmol/mol (6.5% to 6.9%), those taking no glucose-lowering drugs at baseline, and those with a ≥10% body mass index (BMI) reduction in 1 year, it was 27.8, 21.7 and 48.2, respectively. Shorter duration, lower baseline HbA1c, higher baseline BMI, higher BMI reduction at 1 year, and no glucose-lowering drugs at baseline were significantly associated with remission. Among 3677 persons with remission, approximately two-thirds (2490) relapsed within 1 year. Longer duration, lower BMI at baseline, and lower BMI reduction at 1 year were significantly associated with relapse. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the incidence of remission and predictors of relapse, especially baseline BMI, might differ greatly between East Asian and Western populations. Furthermore, the relationships of BMI reduction with remission and relapse may be greater in East Asian than in Western populations, implying ethnic differences in returning from overt hyperglycaemia to nearly normal glucose levels.

Reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes through the integrated improvement of diabetes care by comparing two prospective observational cohorts in real-world clinical practice (JDDM 72).

AIM: To investigate whether any reduction in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease morbidity was found over the decade in type 2 diabetes on real-world practice. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed by following two independent cohorts recruited in 2004 (n = 3286, Cohort 1) and 2014 (n = 3919, Cohort 2). The primary outcome was a composite of onset of cardiovascular disease and death. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to explore any difference between Cohort 2 and Cohort 1 for the composite endpoints and cardiovascular disease after adjustment for covariates and accumulation of five risks (smoking, HbA1c, blood pressure, lipids, and albuminuria) outside target ranges. RESULTS: During the 8-year follow-up, 391 (11.9%) and 270 (6.9%) primary outcomes, and 270 (8.2%) and 161 (4.1%) cardiovascular diseases occurred in Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, respectively. Cohort 2 (vs. Cohort 1) exhibited a significant risk reduction for composite endpoints (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.86) and cardiovascular disease (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.79), and similarly exhibited a significant reduction independent of the accumulation of the five risks. CONCLUSIONS: The significant reduction of Cohort 2 for cardiovascular disease independent of the baseline covariates suggests an integrated effect delivered by the recent treatment advances.

Behavioral change stage might moderate the impact of multifaceted interventions on non-attendance from medical care among patients with type 2 diabetes: The Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial-2 Large-Scale Trial 007 (J-DOIT2-LT007).

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Non-attendance from regular medical care is a major problem in diabetes patients. This study aimed to examine the impact of a multifaceted lifestyle intervention by face-to-face approach (FFA) on non-attendance from regular medical care in comparison with that by telephone from the technical support center (TSC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was secondary analysis from a 1-year, prospective, cluster randomized, intervention study. Patients with type 2 diabetes, who were regularly visiting primary care physicians cluster-randomized into the control or intervention (TSC or FFA according to resource availability of the district medical associations) groups, were consecutively recruited. The primary end-point was non-attendance from regular medical care. The interaction between the type of intervention (TSC vs FFA) and behavioral change stage (pre- vs post-action stage) in diet and exercise for the dropout rate was assessed. RESULTS: Among the 1,915 participants (mean age 56 ± 6 years; 36% women) enrolled, 828, 564 and 264 patients belonged to the control, TSC and FFA groups, respectively. We found evidence suggestive of an interaction between the intervention type and behavioral change stage in diet (P = 0.042) and exercise (P = 0.038) after adjusting for covariates. The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of FFA to TSC were 0.21 (0.05-0.93) and 7.69 (0.50-117.78) in the pre-action and post-action stages for diet, respectively, whereas they were 0.20 (0.05-0.92) and 4.75 (0.29-73.70) in the pre-action and post-action stages for exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Among diabetes patients, the impact of multifaceted intervention on non-attendance from medical care might differ by the behavioral change stage.

Annual trends in glycemic control and prescribing patterns in diabetic treatment according to age in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes between 2012 and 2019 (JDDM 71).

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate changes in glycemic control and diabetes treatment by age group in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study included the results of approximately 40,000 patients/year using cross-sectional and retrospective analyses from 2012 to 2019. RESULTS: There was little change in the glycemic control status in all age groups during the study period. However, by age group, patients aged ≤ 44 years continued to have the highest glycated hemoglobinA1c (HbA1c) values during the study period (7.4 % ± 1.7 % in 2012 and 7.4 % ± 1.5 % in 2019), especially in insulin-treated patients (8.3 % ± 1.9 % in 2012 and 8.4 % ± 1.8 % in 2019). Biguanides and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors were widely prescribed. Sulfonylurea and insulin use showed a decreasing trend, but older patients had a higher percentage of prescriptions. Sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors were prescribed rapidly, especially in younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: There were no obvious changes in glycemic control over time in the study period. The mean HbA1c level was higher in younger patients, which suggested that improvement is required. In older patients, there was a trend toward greater emphasis on management to avoid hypoglycemia. Different treatment strategies based on age showed different drug choices.

Changes in prescription patterns and doses of oral antidiabetic drugs in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (JDDM70).

We assessed the prescription patterns of oral antidiabetic drugs in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes between 2002 and 2020 using data from the Computerized Diabetes Care database. Among 172,960 patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs, both the sulfonylurea prescription rate and dose decreased from 2002 to 2020. Prescriptions of biguanides, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors increased; their dose and dose frequency remained relatively stable. Trends in oral antidiabetic drug prescriptions changed over time, reflecting guideline recommendations and existing evidence.

Psychological and Situational Factors Affecting Dropout from Regular Visits in Diabetes Practice: The Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial-2 Large Scale Trial 004 (J-DOIT2-LT004).

Introduction: This study explored the psychological and situational factors affecting dropout from regular visits to diabetes care using data obtained from the Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial 2 (J-DOIT2) Large-scale Trial (LT). Methods: A total of 2,031 patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the J-DOIT2-LT were included in the analysis. Responses to a baseline questionnaire with 17 items asking about the experience of dropout from regular visits in diabetes care and its reasons were analyzed using principal component analysis, and factors related to dropout were extracted. Using Cox regression analysis, the association of these factors with the incidence of dropout was investigated. Results: The mean age of the 2,031 patients was 56.4 ± 5.9 years and 742 (36.5%) were women. They were followed for a median of 392 days, and 125 patients dropped out from regular visits during the follow-up period. In the principal component analysis of the questionnaire, there were four latent factors with eigenvalues of >1.0, which were labeled as "negative perceptions for regular visits," "social pressure," "lack of perceived necessity," and "environmental obstacles" based on the retained items. The Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients with high scores of "lack of perceived necessity" and "environmental obstacles" had a significantly increased risk of dropout from regular visits. Conclusions: The present study revealed psychological and situational factors related to dropout, which may be useful for detecting patients at high risk of dropout. Effective measures focusing on such patients to prevent dropouts should be investigated in future studies (The trial registration number: UMIN000002186, registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network-Clinical Trials Registry).

The renoprotective effect of once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist dulaglutide on progression of nephropathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (JDDM67).

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Few studies have investigated the renoprotective effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study evaluated the effect of dulaglutide 0.75 mg on renal function in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD stage 3 to 4. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dulaglutide (group A) and non-dulaglutide (group B) were compared using data collected from a computerized diabetes care database. For group B, propensity score weighting based on propensity scores was performed. Evaluation items were a change from baseline in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body weight, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), for 3 years. RESULTS: In total, the data obtained from 255 patients (125 and 130 patients for group A and B, respectively) were analyzed. Propensity score-adjusted patient background characteristics (group A vs B) were age 70.8 vs 69.4 years, body weight 70.2 vs 72.9 kg, body mass index 27.3 vs 28.1 kg/m2 , HbA1c 8.4 vs 8.5%, eGFR 47.9 vs 47.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 , and UACR 218 vs 251 mg/gCr. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the change from baseline between groups A and B at most time points in eGFR, a statistically significant eGFR decline in group B was observed in slope analysis for 3 years. This renoprotective effect was marked in patients with macro-albuminuria and/or concomitant SGLT2 inhibitor use. CONCLUSIONS: Dulaglutide slowed the eGFR decline in patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD stage 3 to 4.

Continuity of diabetes care among elderly Japanese patients: a medical record review study in a specialized diabetes clinic.

Aims: Continuity of diabetes care is relevant among elderly patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of clinical characteristics on continuing outpatient visits to a specialized diabetes clinic in elderly Japanese patients with diabetes. Methods: We included outpatients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥ 65 years who first visited our clinic from 2006 to 2009. The information of patients' characteristics was obtained through medical record review from the CoDiC database. We have tracked whether the patients continued to visit the clinic until May 31, 2019. A Cox proportional hazards regression model identified variables related to withdrawal. Results: Among 128 patients, 63 patients (49.2%) were withdrawn during the follow-up periods. The average visit duration of withdrawals was 4.6 (range 1, 10) years. The patients who discontinued to visit were older (72.6 vs. 69.5 years old, p = 0.005) compared with those who continued to visit. No significant differences in clinical conditions such as complication of diabetes, Charlson Comorbidity Index and polypharmacy between the first and last visit were observed in each group. Age (≥ 75 years) was significantly associated with withdrawal (hazard ratio 2.72 [95% confidence interval 1.59, 4.63], p < 0.001). Except for age, no significant differences were observed in all variables when adjusted for confounders. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that continuous outpatient visits were difficult in elderly Japanese patients with diabetes. Older age (≥ 75 years) independently affected withdrawal. Future multicenter studies with adequate populations and social and geriatric factors are necessary to confirm our findings.

Trends in glycemic control in patients with insulin therapy compared with non-insulin or no drugs in type 2 diabetes in Japan: a long-term view of real-world treatment between 2002 and 2018 (JDDM 66).

INTRODUCTION: We investigated trends in the proportion of diabetes treatment and glycemic control, which may be altered by recent advances in insulin and non-insulin drugs, in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A serial cross-sectional study was performed using a multicenter large-population database from the Japan Diabetes Clinical Data Management study group. Patients with type 2 diabetes who attended clinics belonging to the study group between 2002 and 2018 were included to examine trends in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) by treatment group using multivariable non-linear regression model. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with insulin only decreased from 15.0% to 3.6%, patients with insulin+non-insulin drugs increased from 8.1% to 15.1%, patients with non-insulin drugs increased from 50.8% to 67.0%, and those with no drugs decreased from 26.1% to 14.4% from 2002 to 2018, respectively. The HbA1c levels of each group, except for no drugs, continued to decrease until 2014 (unadjusted mean HbA1c (%) from 2002 to 2014: from 7.89 to 7.45 for insulin only, from 8.09 to 7.63 for insulin+non-insulin, and from 7.51 to 6.98 for non-insulin) and remained unchanged thereafter. Among insulin-treated patients, use of human insulin decreased, use of long-acting analog insulin increased, and concomitant use of non-insulin drugs increased (from 35.1% in 2002 to 80.9% in 2018), which included increased use of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, and the persistently high use of metformin. CONCLUSIONS: During the past two decades, combined use of insulin and non-insulin drugs increased and glycemic control improved and leveled off after 2014 in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Further studies of the trend in association with age and factors related to metabolic syndrome are necessary to investigate strategies aiming at personalized medicine in diabetes care.

Employment status and diabetic outpatient appointment non-attendance in middle to senior working generation with type 2 diabetes: the Japan diabetes outcome intervention trial-2 large­scale trial 005 (J-DOIT2-LT005).

AIMS: Workplace demands, support, and relationships differ according to employment status (e.g., employment that is full-time, part-time, or self-employed) and may lead to unequal opportunities to keep diabetic appointments. We investigated the association between employment status and outpatient diabetic appointment non-attendance among working-age adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized trial (the Japan diabetes outcome intervention trial 2 large-scale trial). The analysis included 2010 trial participants (40-65 years old) with type 2 diabetes who were regularly followed by primary care physicians (PCPs). The outcome measure was the first non-attendance (defined as a failure to visit a PCP within 2 months of the original appointment) during the one-year follow-up. The association between baseline employment status and non-attendance was examined using Cox proportional hazard model in men and women. RESULTS: During the 1279 and 789 person-year follow-up periods, 90 men and 34 women, respectively, experienced their first appointment non-attendance. Among men, self-employed participants had a higher risk of non-attendance compared with full-time employees (adjusted HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.15, 2.95). The trial intervention (attendance promotion) was associated with a significantly reduced risk of non-attendance among self-employed participants (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.99). Among women, a significant association between employment status and non-attendance was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Self-employed men with type 2 diabetes had a twofold increased risk of non-attendance than did full-time employees. Our study suggests that self-employed men with type 2 diabetes should be targeted for interventions promoting appointment adherence.

Patient characteristics associated with improvement in glycemic control following addition of an oral antidiabetic drug to DPP-4 inhibitor monotherapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (JDDM 60).

AIMS: The current study evaluated patient demographics and clinical characteristics that associated with HbA1c reduction following addition of one oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) to DPP4i monotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using CoDiC database. Adult T2DM patients treated with sitagliptin monotherapy for ≥ 6 months and adding one OAD were extracted. Association between patient characteristics at the time of add-on OAD and following HbA1c reduction was assessed. RESULTS: Of 444 included patients, mean age was 62 years and 33% were female. All add-on OAD classes demonstrated further HbA1c reduction (p < 0.05). The majority received biguanide (BG; 61%) or sulfonylurea (SU; 25%) add-on therapy. BG and SU groups showed a significant association between higher baseline HbA1c categories and greater HbA1c reductions (BG: - 0.24 to - 1.75%, p < 0.0001; SU: - 0.15 to - 2.11%, p < 0.0001). Lower HDL-cholesterol/higher non-HDL-cholesterol (BG), male gender (SU), and lower SBP (SU) were associated with larger HbA1c reductions. The results for baseline HbA1c (BG and SU) and gender (SU) were also confirmed by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The majority of Japanese T2DM patients on sitagliptin monotherapy who require an add-on OAD utilized BG or SU. There were 2 determinants of glycemic response: baseline HbA1c with BG and SU and gender with SU during add-on OAD therapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-021-00514-5.

Current status of oral antidiabetic drug prescribing patterns based on the body mass index for Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and yearly changes in diabetologists' prescribing patterns from 2002 to 2019 (JDDM61).

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is caused by a relative imbalance between insulin secretion and sensitivity related to the body mass index (BMI). Seven categories of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) are available in Japan. It is important to assess the OAD utilization patterns based on patients' BMI levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OAD prescribing patterns from 2002 to 2019 were analyzed using the data collected in the computerized diabetes care database provided by the Japan Diabetes Clinical Data Management Study Group; OAD utilization patterns in 25,751 OAD-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients registered in 2019 were analyzed after classifying them into five categories of BMI. RESULTS: Comparing OAD usage between 2002 and 2019, sulfonylureas decreased from 44.5 to 23.2%, and biguanides (BGs) increased from 19.3 to 50.3%. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) increased to 56.9% in 2019. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) increased to 23.6% in 2019. About 90% of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients had BMI < 30 kg/m2 . DPP4is were the most used OADs in 2019. When BMI exceeded 30 kg/m2 , use of BGs and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors increased, and use of sulfonylureas and DPP4is decreased. Although DPP4is were the most used OADs for patients with BMI <30 kg/m2 , they were the third most prescribed OADs for patients with BMI >35 kg/m2 after BGs and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors . CONCLUSIONS: DPP4i usage was as high as that of BG in the analysis of Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with relatively low BMI. This was considered to be a treatment option appropriate for the pathophysiology in Japanese patients.

Author Correction: A cluster-randomized trial of the effectiveness of a triple-faceted intervention promoting adherence to primary care physician visits by diabetes patients: J-DOIT2 large-scale trial (J-DOIT2-LT).

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The Prognosis of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Nonalbuminuric Diabetic Kidney Disease Is Not Always Poor: Implication of the Effects of Coexisting Macrovascular Complications (JDDM 54).

OBJECTIVE: Nonalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the prevailing phenotype in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether its prognosis is poorer than that of other DKD phenotypes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 2,953 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2, enrolled in an observational cohort study in 2004, were followed until 2015. On the basis of albuminuria (>30 mg/g creatinine) and reduced eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2) at baseline, participants were classified into the four DKD phenotypes-no-DKD, albuminuric DKD without reduced eGFR, nonalbuminuric DKD with reduced eGFR, and albuminuric DKD with reduced eGFR-to assess the risks of mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and renal function decline. RESULTS: During the mean follow-up of 9.7 years, 113 patients died and 263 developed CVD. In nonalbuminuric DKD, the risks of death or CVD were not higher than those in no-DKD (adjusted hazard ratio 1.02 [95% CI 0.66, 1.60]) and the annual decline in eGFR was slower than in other DKD phenotypes. The risks of death or CVD in nonalbuminuric DKD without prior CVD were similar to those in no-DKD without prior CVD, whereas the risks in nonalbuminuric DKD with prior CVD as well as other DKD phenotypes were higher. CONCLUSIONS: Nonalbuminuric DKD did not have a higher risk of mortality, CVD events, or renal function decline than the other DKD phenotypes. In nonalbuminuric DKD, the presence of macrovascular complications may be a main determinant of prognosis rather than the renal phenotype.

A cluster-randomized trial of the effectiveness of a triple-faceted intervention promoting adherence to primary care physician visits by diabetes patients.

We aimed to assess whether a triple-faceted intervention program administered in the primary care setting could decrease the risk of insufficient adherence to primary care physician (PCP) appointments among this patient population. We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled study to assess the effects of a 1-year intervention. The primary outcome was insufficient adherence to regular PCP attendance for diabetes treatment, defined as failure to visit a PCP within 2 months of an original appointment date. The intervention consisted of mailing patient reminders of their PCP appointments, providing patients with health education aimed at lifestyle modification and benchmarking PCP procedures. Eleven municipal level district medical associations employing 192 PCPs were divided into two subregions for assignment to intervention and control clusters, with 971 and 1,265 patients assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Primary outcome data were available for 2,200 patients. The intervention reduced insufficient adherence to regular PCP appointments by 63% (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.58). In conclusion, a triple-faceted intervention program consisting of health education, appointment reminders, and physician benchmarking may decrease the risk of incomplete adherence to regular PCP appointments by diabetes patients.

Recommended configuration for personal health records by standardized data item sets for diabetes mellitus and associated chronic diseases: a report from a collaborative initiative by six Japanese associations.

It is expected that a large amount of data related to diabetes and other chronic diseases will be generated. However, databases constructed without standardized data item sets can be limited in their usefulness. To address this, the Collaborative Committee of Clinical Informatization in Diabetes Mellitus was established in 2011 by the Japan Diabetes Society and Japan Association for Medical Informatics. The committee has developed core item sets and self-management item sets for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Japan Atherosclerosis Society, Japanese Society of Nephrology, and Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine, as well as a mapping table that aligns the self-management item sets with the Japanese standardized codes for laboratory testing. The committee also determined detailed specifications for implementing the four self-management item sets in personal health record applications to facilitate risk stratification, the generation of alerts using information and communications technology systems, the avoidance of data input errors, and the generation of reminders to input the self-management item set data. The approach developed by the committee may be useful for combining databases for various purposes (such as for clinical studies, patient education, and electronic medical record systems) and for facilitating collaboration between personal health record administrators.

Combined Effects of Energy Intake and Physical Activity on Obesity in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (JDDM 50): A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The combined effects of energy intake (EI) and physical activity (PA) on obesity have been poorly investigated. We have investigated the combined effects of EI and PA quantitatively in Japanese men and women with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Data on 1395 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended 25 diabetes clinics located throughout Japan, obtained by questionnaire, were analyzed. A logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratio for obesity. RESULTS: Multi-adjusted odds ratios for the top versus the bottom tertile of EI and the bottom versus the top tertile of PA were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.89) and 1.64 (95% CI 1.22-2.22), respectively. The combination of EI (kcal/day) ≥ 1967 and PA (metabolic equivalents [METs] h/week) ≤ 9.9 for men and of EI ≥ 1815 and PA ≤ 8.3 for women were significantly associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The existence of "allowable maximum EI" and "required minimum PA" that is significantly associated with "not being obese" is implied, suggesting the need for lifestyle education for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Recommended configuration for personal health records by standardized data item sets for diabetes mellitus and associated chronic diseases: A report from Collaborative Initiative by six Japanese Associations.

It is expected that a large amount of data related to diabetes and other chronic diseases will be generated. However, databases constructed without standardized data item sets can be limited in their usefulness. To address this, the Collaborative Committee of Clinical Informatization in Diabetes Mellitus was established in 2011 by the Japan Diabetes Society and Japan Association for Medical Informatics. The committee has developed core item sets and self-management item sets for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Japan Atherosclerosis Society, Japanese Society of Nephrology, and Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine, as well as a mapping table that aligns the self-management item sets with the Japanese standardized codes for laboratory testing. The committee also determined detailed specifications for implementing the four self-management item sets in personal health record (PHR) applications to facilitate risk stratification, the generation of alerts using information and communications technology systems, the avoidance of data input errors, and the generation of reminders to input the self-management item set data. The approach developed by the committee may be useful for combining databases for various purposes (such as for clinical studies, patient education, and electronic medical record systems) and for facilitating collaboration between PHR administrators.