Low handgrip strength is associated with diabetic foot disease in geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to reveal the prevalence of low handgrip strength in older patients with type 2 diabetes who have diabetic foot disease and to assess the association of handgrip strength with diabetic foot disease in older patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Eighty-nine geriatric patients with diabetic foot ulcers and 69 patients without diabetic foot ulcers who presented to the endocrinology outpatient clinic between August 2020 and November 2021 were included in the study. The exclusion criteria were the usage of steroids, stroke-induced quadriplegia, myopathy, disability, hemodialysis treatment, type 1 diabetes, patients under 65 years of age, and history of malignancy. The information of drugs administered, demographic and clinical data were obtained from the patient files. The Wagner score was used to evaluate the severity of ulcers. A handgrip strength test was performed with a handheld digital dynamometer. For females <16 kg (kilograms), for males <27 kg was accepted as low handgrip strength. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients (55.1%) with diabetic foot ulcers and 25 (36.2%) patients without diabetic foot ulcers had low handgrip strength. There was a significant difference between two groups (p = 0.019). The patients with diabetic foot ulcers who had lower handgrip strength had higher rates of peripheral artery disease than patients with diabetic foot ulcers who had normal handgrip strength (p = 0.02 and p = 0.009, respectively). The patients with diabetic foot ulcers who had lower handgrip strength, had significantly higher rates of Wagner scores 4 and 5 and lower rates of Wagner scores 1 and 3 (p = 0.039). DISCUSSION: Older patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic foot disease had a higher rate of low handgrip strength. Low handgrip strength was significantly associated with the occurrence of diabetic foot ulcers and directly correlated with Wagner score in geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes.

Determinants of remission in a case series of medullary thyroid carcinoma

Background/aim: We aimed to present the clinical results of patients with medullary carcinoma under follow-up in our center and to determine parameters affecting remission and lymph node metastases. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of the medical records of 27 patients with MTC who were followed up between 2004 and 2020. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 47.7 ± 14 years. The mean follow-up was 7.29 ± 4.9 years. Metastatic neck lymphadenopathy was detected in eight (29.6%) patients; none had distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The median tumor diameter was 1.50 (range: 0.4­6) cm. The median postoperative calcitonin level was 3.3 (range, 0.5­871) ng/L. Relapse occurred in 2 (range, 1­14) years after the first surgery in three (11.1%) patients. In the last visit, 7 (25.9%) patients had a structural incomplete response, and three (11.1%) patients had a biochemical incomplete response. Seventeen (59.3%) patients were in remission, no patients died of MTC or any other cause. Elevated postoperative calcitonin level was a significant prognostic parameter for remission (p = 0.12) and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Elevated postoperative calcitonin level and perithyroid soft tissue invasion were significant prognostic parameters for remission and lymph node metastasis. Postoperative calcitonin level and calcitonin doubling time should be considered for prognostic and survival risk assessments.

SGLT2 inhibitors improve plasma atherogenic biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a real-world retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: There are cost-effective, non-invasive, and predictive tools used to predict the CVD risk in patients with diabetes such as the "atherogenic index of plasma (AIP)" which is defined as the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of fasting plasma TG (mg/dL) to HDL-C [log (TG/HDL-C)], triglyceride to high density lipoprotein (TG-to-HDL-C) ratio and the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index which is calculated as Ln (fasting TG [mg/dL] × fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2). These tools are indirect markers of atherosclerosis. Dapagliflozin and empagliflozin have exhibited cardiovascular beneficial effects and this study evaluated the effects of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on AIP, TyG index and TG-to-HDL-C ratio in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This single center, retrospective, observational study involved patients with type 2 diabetic patients who were prescribed SGLT2i in the endocrinology outpatient clinic between January 2017 and June 2019. Demographic and clinical data were collected from patient files. AIP, TyG index and TG-to-HDL-C ratio were calculated obtained at the first visit and the sixth month visit. RESULTS: Overall, 143 patients with T2DM (75 women, 68 men) were recruited in this study. Sixty-six patients were prescribed dapagliflozin (46.2%), and 77 were prescribed empagliflozin (53.8%). SGLT2i treatment did not alter the lipid profile except the serum triglyceride (TG) levels. Serum TG levels were significantly reduced after 6 months of SGLT2i therapy (P=0.045). All patients had significant reductions in AIP at 6-month follow-up (P<0.001), accompanied by a significant reduction in TyG index (P<0.001). Both empagliflozin and dapagliflozin caused significant decrease in AIP (P=0.043 and P<0.001, respectively) and TyG index (P=0.010 and P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both dapagliflozin and empagliflozin were noted to significantly affect AIP and TyG indexes, which indicate atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk, with or without statin treatment regardless of lipid parameters.

Hyperandrogenism-related metabolic changes in drug-naïve transmen compared to cisgender women: a case-controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: The aetiology of gender dysphoria is still unclear. Although prior studies have shown that trans men have higher androgen levels than cisgender women, they all concluded unselected populations. Our reason for performing this study is to evaluate trans men's hormone profile and metabolic status to compare with cisgender women in a more selected population. This is the first case-controlled study to compare anthropometric, metabolic, and endocrinological parameters of drug-naïve trans men with those of cisgender women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We designed this study as a single-centre observational cohort study. We included 70 drug naïve trans men, and the control group comprised 34 healthy cisgender women. We measured and compared hormone profiles and metabolic parameters in the 2 groups. RESULTS: Of the 70 trans men individuals, 16 (22.85%) met the Rotterdam criteria and were diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); 4 individuals in the control group met the criteria (11.7%). Although we matched body mass index in the groups, total testosterone, free androgen index, androstenedione, 17 hydroxyprogesterone, muscle strength, triglyceride, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance levels were significantly higher in the trans men than in the cisgender women (p < 0.05). Even after were excluded PCOS patients, hyperandrogenaemia was apparent in the trans men. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that trans men have clearly higher androgen levels, which may have been the reason for metabolic changes compared to cisgender women. However, the main reason for hyperandrogenism in drug-naïve trans men is still not known, and more comprehensive studies are needed.

Polypharmacy is Associated with Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: This observational study aimed to investigate the relationship between polypharmacy and the existence of diabetic foot ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Patients with T2DM with and without diabetic foot ulcers who presented to the endocrinology outpatient clinic between August 2020 and November 2021 were involved in the study. Overall, five hundred and twelve patients with T2DM (293 patients with diabetic foot ulcer and 219 patients without diabetic foot ulcer) were included. The exclusion criteria were pregnancy, lactation, type 1 diabetes, patients under 18 years and over 65 years of age, and history of malignancy. The information of drugs administered, demographic and clinical data were obtained from the patient files. The Wagner score was used to evaluate the severity of ulcers. Results: The comparison of the two groups revealed that patients with diabetic foot ulcers had significantly higher rates of diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.017). The patients with diabetic foot ulcers who had polypharmacy had significantly higher rates of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, and complaints of diabetic neuropathy (P < 0.001, P < 0,001, p = 0.021 and P = 0.004, respectively). In the binary logistic regression analyses, polypharmacy was independently associated with diabetic foot ulcers in all models. Conclusion: Polypharmacy should be seriously concerned in type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and polypharmacy was related to diabetic foot ulcers.

Determinants of High-Dose Insulin Usage and Upper Extremity Muscle Strength in Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to determine the association between upper extremity muscle strength and insulin dose in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A total of 236 patients with type 2 diabetes under insulin treatment for at least 1 year were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on their total daily insulin dose (TDID): group 1, TDID >2 U/kg/day or >200 units/day; group 2, TDID 1 to 2 U/kg/day or 51 to 199 U/day; and group 3, TDID <0.5 U/kg/day or 50 U/day. High-dose insulin use was defined as total daily insulin dose >2 U/kg or >200 U/day. Muscle strength was measured using a handgrip dynamometer. RESULTS: High-dose insulin users were younger and had higher measures of generalized and central obesity and glycated hemoglobin. There was no significant difference in muscle strength between the groups. Low muscle strength was seen in 26.7% of all patients. Patients with low muscle strength were older, had lower insulin dose treatment and had better glycemic control than patients with normal muscle strength. Handgrip strength was inversely correlated with age, body mass index and duration of diabetes, but not with TDID. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with type 2 diabetes with high-dose insulin use had similar upper extremity muscle strength measurements with standard-dose insulin users. Studies with more patients are needed to determine the relationship between muscle mass, muscle strength and high-dose insulin use.

Skin Autofluorescence and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Evaluation Following Bariatric Surgery in Patients with Severe Obesity.

PURPOSE: Advanced glycation end product (AGE) is a marker of metabolic memory. Accumulated AGEs in skin collagen measured with skin autofluorescence (SAF) was found to be associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. We aimed to evaluate SAF and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and its association with clinical and biochemical parameters in severely obese patients before and after bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this observational study, 432 morbid obese patients evaluated before and after 6 and 12 months of bariatric surgery for metabolic and anthropometric parameters, CIMT and SAF. SAF was assessed in the forearm with an AGE Reader. RESULTS: SAF measurements were higher in diabetic (2.04 ± 0.52 AU) obese patients compared to non-diabetic (1.78 ± 0.40 AU) obese patients (p < 0.0001). Although bariatric surgery-induced weight loss resulted in a decrease in CIMT in the 6th and 12th months compared to baseline, weight loss and metabolic improvements were not associated with a parallel decrease in SAF measurements. SAF measurements were positively correlated with body mass index (r 0.527, p < 0.0001), HbA1c (r 0.362, p < 0.0001), and CIMT (r 0.319, p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed the presence of diabetes (but not BMI, age, and sex) was independently associated with SAF (R2 = 7.62%), and the presence of diabetes, low-density cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure were independently associated with CIMT measurements (R2 = 21.7%). CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery-induced weight loss and metabolic improvement were found to be associated with improvement in CIMT, while skin AGE accumulation was not regressed in the first year of surgery.