Utility of a Physical Fitness Score in Screening for Chronic Diseases.

We developed a new Physical Score (PS) consisting of comprehensive physical fitness indicators and elucidated the association between the resultant PS and metabolic diseases, i.e., diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), among Japanese. Analyzed were 49,850 persons (30,039 men) aged 30 to 69 y who underwent physical fitness tests. Principal component analysis was performed on the correlation matrix of the physical fitness test results (relative grip strength, single-leg balance with eyes closed, and forward bending) according to sex and age. We defined the PS as the first principal component score. A formula was developed for various age groups comprised of men and women from 30 to 69 years of age from which the PS for each age and sex was calculated. The PS for both men and women was normally distributed with a value of 0 ± 1.15-1.16. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of metabolic diseases increased approximately 1.1-1.6 times per each 1-point reduction in the PS. The association between PS and MetS was particularly strong in that a 1-point reduction in the PS increased the risk of MetS by 1.54 times (95% confidence interval 1.46 to 1.62) in men and by 1.21 times (1.15 to 1.28) in women. The association between a lower PS and disease risk was stronger in younger men for fatty liver and in older men for MetS. Conversely, in women, the association between a lower PS and disease risk was stronger in older women for fatty liver and in younger women for MetS. For diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, the change in the impact of PS reductions across age groups was small. The PS is a useful and simple non-invasive tool for screening Japanese people for metabolic diseases.

Impact of metabolic syndrome and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease on cardiovascular risk by the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes and according to sex.

BACKGROUND: To determine the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and/or metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which are pathophysiologically similar and include insulin resistance, on the development of new-onset cardiovascular disease with and without type 2 diabetes and according to sex. METHODS: This study included 570,426 individuals without a history of cardiovascular disease who were enrolled in a nationwide claims database from 2008 to 2016 and were classified by the presence or absence of MetS and/or MAFLD stratified by the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes and sex. The fatty liver index was used to determine the presence or absence of fatty liver that required a diagnosis of MAFLD. Risks of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in each category were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 2252 CAD and 3128 CVD events occurred. Without type 2 diabetes the hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) for CAD/CVD compared with neither MAFLD nor MetS was 1.32 (1.17-1.50)/1.41(1.28-1.57) for MAFLD only (without MetS), 1.78 (1.22-2.58)/1.66 (1.34-2.06) for MetS only (without MAFLD), and 2.10 (1.84-2.39)/1.73 (1.54-1.95) for MAFLD + MetS. For those with type 2 diabetes, the HR for CAD for MAFLD only (compared with neither MAFLD nor MetS) was 1.29 (1.06-1.58), for MetS only 1.34 (0.84-2.13), and for MAFLD + MetS 1.22 (1.02-1.47). For CVD, there was a significant increase in HR only in MAFLD + MetS [1.44 (1.18-1.76)]. The results of the analysis stratified by sex showed that MAFLD had a greater impact in men, and MetS had a greater impact in women regarding the development of CAD. CONCLUSIONS: Distinguishing between MetS and/or MAFLD in the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes and according to sex may aid in accurately identifying patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Impact of prior cerebrovascular disease and glucose status on incident cerebrovascular disease in Japanese.

BACKGROUND: Although both a history of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and glucose abnormality are risk factors for CVD, few large studies have examined their association with subsequent CVD in the same cohort. Thus, we compared the impact of prior CVD, glucose status, and their combinations on subsequent CVD using real-world data. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study including 363,627 men aged 18-72 years followed for ≥ 3 years between 2008 and 2016. Participants were classified as normoglycemia, borderline glycemia, or diabetes defined by fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and antidiabetic drug prescription. Prior and subsequent CVD (i.e. ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, and non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage) were identified according to claims using ICD-10 codes, medical procedures, and questionnaires. RESULTS: Participants' mean age was 46.1 ± 9.3, and median follow up was 5.2 (4.2, 6.7) years. Cox regression analysis showed that prior CVD + conferred excess risk for CVD regardless of glucose status (normoglycemia: hazard ratio (HR), 8.77; 95% CI 6.96-11.05; borderline glycemia: HR, 7.40, 95% CI 5.97-9.17; diabetes: HR, 5.73, 95% CI 4.52-7.25). Compared with normoglycemia, borderline glycemia did not influence risk of CVD, whereas diabetes affected subsequent CVD in those with CVD- (HR, 1.50, 95% CI 1.34-1.68). In CVD-/diabetes, age, current smoking, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and HbA1c were associated with risk of CVD, but only systolic blood pressure was related to CVD risk in CVD + /diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Prior CVD had a greater impact on the risk of CVD than glucose tolerance and glycemic control. In participants with diabetes and prior CVD, systolic blood pressure was a stronger risk factor than HbA1c. Individualized treatment strategies should consider glucose tolerance status and prior CVD.

Association of increased hepatic insulin clearance and change in serum triglycerides or ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration via the sodium/glucose-cotransporter 2 inhibitor tofogliflozin.

AIMS: Obesity and hepatic fat accumulation diminish hepatic insulin clearance, which can cause hyperinsulinaemia. Sodium/glucose-cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-is) improve insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia by weight loss via increased urinary glucose excretion in type 2 diabetes. However, there are few reports of the influence of SGLT2-is on hepatic insulin clearance. We examined the impact of an SGLT2-i on hepatic insulin clearance and explored the clinical influence associated with changes in hepatic insulin clearance via an SGLT2-i and the mechanism of the effects of SGLT2-i. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were analysed from 419 patients with type 2 diabetes controlled by diet and exercise. Patients received a placebo or the SGLT2-i tofogliflozin (TOFO) (placebo: n = 56; TOFO: n = 363) orally once daily for ≥24 weeks. Hepatic insulin clearance was calculated from the ratio of areas under the curve (AUC) of C-peptide and insulin levels derived from oral meal tolerance test data (C-peptide AUC0-120 min /insulin AUC0-120 min : HICCIR ). The correlation of HICCIR via the SGLT2-i with other clinical variables was analysed using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: HICCIR was significantly increased via TOFO at week 24. Furthermore, with TOFO insulin and triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) and ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was significantly elevated (P < 0.001). Changes in HICCIR were significantly correlated with changes in TG and BHB via TOFO. CONCLUSIONS: Increased HICCIR was significantly associated with reduced TG via TOFO and contributed to the greater increase in BHB compared with placebo in addition to the correction of hyperinsulinaemia.

Higher pulse pressure predicts initiation of dialysis in Japanese patients with diabetes.

AIMS: To determine incidence and predictors of starting dialysis in patients with diabetes emphasizing blood pressure variables. METHODS: A nationwide database with claim data on 18 935 people (15 789 men and 3146 women) with diabetes mellitus aged 19 to 72 years in Japan was used to elucidate predictors for starting dialysis. Initiation of dialysis was determined from claims using ICD-10 codes and medical procedures. Using multivariate Cox modelling, interactions between glycaemic and blood pressure values were determined. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 5.3 years, incidence of dialysis was 0.81 per 1000 person-years. Multivariate analysis of a model involving systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) simultaneously as covariates showed that hazard ratios (HRs) for starting dialysis for each 1-SD elevation in SBP and DBP were 2.05 (95% confidence interval 1.58-2.64) and 0.66 (0.50-0.88), respectively, implying that pulse pressure (PP) was a promising predictor. For confirmation, a model involving SBP and PP simultaneously as covariates demonstrated that HRs for each 1-SD elevation in SBP and PP were 1.09 (0.81-1.48) and 1.54 (1.14-2.08), respectively, with PP the more potent predictor. Compared with HbA1c <8% and PP <60 mmHg, the HR for those with HbA1c ≥8% and PP ≥60 mmHg was 6.32 (3.42-11.7). CONCLUSIONS: In our historical cohort analysis, SBP and PP were independent predictors for starting dialysis. PP was the more potent, suggesting the contribution of increased arterial stiffness to the incidence of dialysis. Future studies are needed to conclude the independent influence of PP and HbA1c on dialysis considering other risk factors.

Effect of family-oriented diabetes programs on glycemic control: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Efficacy of programs for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) that have promoted family members to help with patients' self-care activities has been largely inconsistent. This meta-analysis aims to assess the effect of family-oriented diabetes programs for glycemic control (GC). METHODS: Electronic literature searches were conducted for clinical trials with a parallel design wherein there were two groups according to whether family members were included (intervention group) or not included (control group) and changes in glycohemoglobin A1C (A1C) were assessed as a study outcome. Each effect size (i.e. difference in A1C change between the intervention and control group) was pooled with a random-effects model. RESULTS: There were 31 eligible trials consisting of 1466 and 1415 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Pooled A1C change [95% confidence interval (CI)] was -0.45% (-0.64% to -0.26%). Limiting analyses to 21 trials targeted at patients with type 1 DM or 9 trials targeted at patients with type 2 DM, the pooled A1C changes (95% CI) were -0.35% (-0.55% to -0.14%) and -0.71% (-1.09% to -0.33%), respectively. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that focusing on the family as well as the individual patient in self-management diabetes programs to improve the performance of self-care activities of patients with DM is effective in terms of proper GC.

Relationships among cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and cardiometabolic risk factors in Japanese adolescents: Niigata screening for and preventing the development of non-communicable disease study-Agano (NICE EVIDENCE Study-Agano) 2.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the independent and combined associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF) with cardiometabolic risk factors in Japanese adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 993 Japanese adolescents (aged 13-14 years) was undertaken. Height, body mass, blood pressure, lipid profile (non-fasting), and HbA1c were measured. The physical fitness (PF) test included measurements of CRF (20 m multistage shuttle run test), upper limb strength (hand grip strength), lower limb strength (standing long jump), and muscular endurance (sit-ups). The clustered cardiometabolic risk (CCMR) was estimated by summing standardized Z-scores of body mass index (BMI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and HbA1c. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis showed that all PF factors except for muscular endurance were inversely correlated with CCMR (P < .001). Among metabolic risk components, HbA1c was unrelated to PF, while non-HDL-C was inversely associated with CRF (B = -2.40; P < .001), upper limb strength (B = -1.77; P < .05), and lower limb strength (B = -1.53; P < .05) after adjustment for lifestyle factors. Logistic regression showed that the probability of having high CCMR (≥1SD) was synergistically higher in those with the lowest tertiles of both CRF and upper limb strength (P for interaction = .001); however, a substantially lower likelihood of having high CCMR was observed among individuals with the lowest tertile of upper limb strength but moderate CRF. CONCLUSIONS: Lower CRF and MF were significantly and synergistically associated with an unhealthier metabolic risk profile.

Lifestyle Intervention With Smartphone App and isCGM for People at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Randomized Trial.

AIMS: Although conventional interventions for people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes are usually conducted face-to-face, such interventions are burdensome for health care providers. We developed a lifestyle intervention program combining lifestyle coaching via a smartphone application augmented by intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring without burdening health care providers. Its effectiveness for glycemic control and body weight reduction in people at risk of type 2 diabetes was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this 12-week randomized unblinded trial with offline recruitment, participants with a hemoglobin A1c level of 5.6% to 6.4% or a fasting blood glucose of 110 to 125 mg/dL and body mass index (BMI) >23 kg/m2 but <40 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to the intervention group (App) and control group (C). The primary endpoint was the difference in time in range of blood glucose between 70 and 140 mg/dL (3.9-7.8 mmol/L) before and after the study period between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Among 168 patients (mean age, 48.1 years; mean BMI, 26.6 kg/m2; and male, 80.4%), 82 and 86 were assigned to the App group and C group, respectively. After 12 weeks, time in range of blood glucose at 70 to 140 mg/dL significantly improved in the App group compared with the C group (-2.6 minutes/day vs +31.5 minutes/day, P = .03). Changes in time above range did not differ, whereas time below range (blood glucose <70 mg/dL; +23.5 minutes/day vs -8.9 minutes/day, P = .02) improved in the App group. BMI (-0.26 vs -0.59, P = .017) was reduced in the App group compared with the C group. CONCLUSION: Intervention with a smartphone app and intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring increased glycemic control accompanied by decreased carbohydrate intake and weight loss. Further trials are needed to confirm whether these interventions can reduce incident type 2 diabetes.

Healthy lifestyle factors as predictors of the initiation of dialysis in people with and without diabetes.

Aims: To clarify the impact of Breslow's scores consisting of only lifestyle habits or American Heart Association's (AHA) Life's Simple 7 scores consisting of lifestyle habits and control targets on starting dialysis in people with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: To pursue the study aims, we examined a nationwide database on 294,647 individuals with and without DM aged 19-72 y in Japan to pursue the study aims. Using multivariate Cox modeling, we evaluated and compared 5 risk factors based on the unfavorable lifestyle factors in Breslow's scores and the unfavorable lifestyle factors and clinical values in AHA Life's Simple 7 scores. Results: DM increased the risk of the initiation of dialysis 5- to sixfold but that risk did not increase with worsening of Breslow risk factors. Compared with no risk factor, 5 risk factors derived from AHA's Life's Simple 7 presented 9.8-fold and 4.2-fold risks for the initiation of dialysis in non-DM and DM, respectively. In comparison with non-DM and no risk factor, risk of the initiation of dialysis dramatically increased up to 32.3 times according to the number of AHA risk factors in those with DM. Conclusions: DM and risk factors derived from AHA's Life's Simple 7 synergistically increased the risk of the initiation of dialysis. Factors similar to those used to predict cardiovascular disease would also be useful to predict the initiation of dialysis. These approaches might be helpful in clinical practice and patient education. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-024-00739-0.

Impact of health practice index and cardiovascular health metrics on incident cardiovascular disease according to glucose tolerance status.

Aims: To evaluate and compare the association of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) with the Health Practice Index (HPI) reflecting only lifestyle habits and Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics (ICVHMs) consisting of lifestyle habits and factors targeted for control in the same population according to glucose status. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1,28,162 participants aged 18-72 years with no history of CVD followed for ≥ 3 years between 2008 and 2016. Participants were classified according to normal glucose tolerance (86,174), prediabetes (36,096), or diabetes (5892). HPI and ICVHMs scores were classified into three groups (high/medium/low). Multivariate Cox regression hazard analysis examined CVD risk. Results: During a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, 1057 CVD events occurred. In prediabetes, CVD risk was significantly higher in groups with both medium and low HPI scores and ICVHMs scores compared to high scores for normal glucose tolerance (hazard ratios [HRs] for high/medium/low HPI scores were 0.95 [0.78-1.17], 1.56 [1.29-1.89], and 2.41 [1.74-3.34] and for ICVHMs scores were 0.74 [0.50-1.11], 1.58 [1.26-1.98], and 2.63 [2.10-3.31], respectively). Regarding diabetes, compared with high HPI/ICVHMs scores in the normal glucose tolerance group, a significantly increased CVD risk was observed in the high-score HPI group, but not in the high-score ICVHMs group (HPI high/medium/low HR, 1.63 [1.22-2.18], 2.19 [1.69-2.83], and 2.26 [1.34 -3.83]; ICVHMs high/medium/low HR, 1.14 [0.47-2.81], 2.38 [1.75-3.23], and 3.31 [2.50-4.38], respectively). Conclusions: In diabetes, ideal lifestyle practices alone were insufficient for primary prevention of CVD but had a greater impact on primary prevention of CVD in prediabetes. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-024-00708-7.

Risk stratification for cardiovascular disease based on prior coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: History of coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease (CeVD), type 2 diabetes and their combined effect on cardiovascular disease are essential for cardiovascular risk management. We investigated the association of prior CAD, prior CeVD, type 2 diabetes and their combination with the risk of cardiovascular disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a historical cohort study including 342,033 participants (aged 18-72 years) followed up for ≥5 years between 2008 and 2016. Participants were classified into eight groups (with or without prior CAD, prior CeVD and type 2 diabetes). Type 2 Diabetes was defined by fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, and antidiabetic drug prescription. Prior and subsequent CAD and CeVD were identified according to claims using International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes, medical procedures and questionnaires. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular events. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 6.4 years. The incidence of composite cardiovascular events of CAD and CeVD in the CAD-/CeVD-, CAD+/CeVD-, CAD-/CeVD+ and CAD+/CeVD+ groups were 1.92 and 6.94, 25.14 and 31.98 per 1,000 person-years in non-diabetes participants, and 8.66, 18.04, 39.98 and 60.72 in type 2 diabetes patients, respectively. Hazard ratios of cardiovascular events compared with CAD-/CeVD-/non-diabetes were 1.66 (95% confidence interval 1.55-1.78) in CAD-/CeVD-/type 2 diabetes and 1.84 (1.56-2.18) in CAD+/CeVD-/non-diabetes. CeVD+ was linked to a 4-7-fold increase in the risk of cardiovascular events regardless of CAD+ or type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetes increased the risk of cardiovascular disease as high as a history of CAD, whereas prior CeVD alone increased the risk of future CeVD without additional effects by type 2 diabetes.

Retrospective cohort study to examine the association between serum amylase and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center Study 23 (TOPICS 23).

INTRODUCTION: Low serum amylase values are cross-sectionally associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but have not been shown to be longitudinally associated with its incidence. This retrospective cohort (ie, historical cohort) study aimed to examine the association of previously lowered levels of serum amylase with incident T2DM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Examined were 8316 individuals who had annual health examinations for 6 years (ie, 7 times) at the Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center. The trajectory of serum amylase as the study exposure was classified into two elements: (1) serum amylase level at entry and (2) change in serum amylase, which was expressed as the annual change rate. The annual change rate was calculated by dividing the change in the amylase values according to follow-up periods. Regression analyses were performed to examine the association between low and decreased levels of serum amylase and the incidence of T2DM. RESULTS: Analyzed were 6917 individuals who had not developed T2DM within 1 year after cohort entry. T2DM thereafter occurred in 1021 patients. Cox regression indicated that the adjusted HR (95% CI) for incident T2DM for amylase ≤57 IU/L (quintile (Q) 1) was 0.97 (0.84 to 1.13) compared with amylase ≥58 IU/L (Q2-Q5). Logistic regression indicated that the adjusted OR (95% CI) for an annual change rate of amylase ≤-2.0% (Q1) vs ≥-1.9% (Q2-Q5) was 3.53 (3.00 to 4.16). The adjusted ORs were consistently significant throughout sensitivity analyses according to baseline amylase and the combination of age, body mass index, and hemoglobin A1c. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that not low but previously decreased serum amylase was a risk factor for T2DM, suggesting the significance of periodic examinations of serum amylase values to detect individuals at high risk of T2DM.

Association of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or proteinuria to predict the risk of initiation of dialysis in people with and without diabetes.

Aims: To determine the associations between combined urinary protein (UP) and a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the risk of starting dialysis with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: A nationwide database with claims data on 335,778 people with and without DM aged 19-72 years in Japan was used to elucidate the impact of the severities of UP and eGFR on starting dialysis. Initiation of dialysis was determined from claims using ICD-10 codes and medical procedures. Using multivariate Cox modeling, we investigated the severities of UP and eGFR to predict the initiation of dialysis with and without DM. Results: Both eGFR < 60 and UP(+) were independent predictors for starting dialysis with and without DM, and their values exhibited a synergistic risk of dialysis. eGFR < 60 presented a nearly twofold risk for starting dialysis compared to UP(+) regardless of DM. Risk of starting dialysis was increased with UP(+) and eGFR ≥ 60 accompanied by DM although this association was not observed without DM. Those who had UP(-) and eGFR < 60 had a high risk of starting dialysis regardless of DM. Compared with DM(-)UP(-)eGFR ≥ 60, HRs for starting dialysis for DM(+)UP(+)eGFR ≥ 60, DM(+)UP(-)eGFR < 60 and DM(+)UP(+)eGFR < 60 significantly increased 17.7 (10.6-29.7), 25.5 (13.8-47.1) and 358.1 (239.1-536.5) times, respectively. Conclusions: eGFR < 60 and UP(+) together presented an extremely high risk of dialysis especially with DM. UP( +) increased the risk of starting dialysis regardless of the eGFR with DM. Both patient education and a treatment strategy by physicians might be helpful to avoid the progression of renal failure.

Rates and risk factors for amputation in people with diabetes in Japan: a historical cohort study using a nationwide claims database.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes is rising, and diabetes develops at a younger age in East Asia. Although lower limb amputation negatively affects quality of life and increases the risk of cardiovascular events, little is known about the rates and predictors of amputation among persons with diabetes from young adults to those in the "young-old" category (50-72 y). METHODS: We analyzed data from a nationwide claims database in Japan accumulated from 2008 to 2016 involving 17,288 people with diabetes aged 18-72 y (mean age 50.2 y, HbA1c 7.2%). Amputation occurrence was determined according to information from the claims database. Cox regression model identified variables related to lower limb amputation. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 5.3 years, during which time 16 amputations occurred (0.17/1000 person-years). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.09 [95% confidence intervals] 1.02-1.16, p = 0.01) and HbA1c (HR 1.46 [1.17-1.81], p < 0.01) were independently associated with amputations. Compared with those aged < 60 years with HbA1c < 8.0%, the HR for amputation was 27.81 (6.54-118.23) in those aged ≥60 years and HbA1c ≥8.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Age and HbA1c were associated with amputations among diabetic individuals, and the rates of amputation were significantly greater in those ≥60 years old and with HbA1c ≥8.0%.

Associations of Systolic Blood Pressure and Diastolic Blood Pressure With the Incidence of Coronary Artery Disease or Cerebrovascular Disease According to Glucose Status.

OBJECTIVE: To determine associations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with new-onset coronary artery disease (CAD) or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) according to glucose status. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Examined was a nationwide claims database from 2008 to 2016 on 593,196 individuals. A Cox proportional hazards model identified risks of CAD and CVD events among five levels of SBP and DBP. RESULTS: During the study period 2,240 CAD and 3,207 CVD events occurred. Compared with SBP ≤119 mmHg, which was the lowest quintile of SBP, hazard ratios (95% CI) for CAD/CVD in the 4 higher quintiles (120-129, 130-139, 140-149, ≥150 mmHg) gradually increased from 2.10 (1.73-2.56)/1.46 (1.27-1.68) in quintile 2 to 3.21 (2.37-4.34)/4.76 (3.94-5.75) in quintile 5 for normoglycemia, from 1.39 (1.14-1.69)/1.70 (1.44-2.01) in quintile 2 to 2.52 (1.95-3.26)/4.12 (3.38-5.02) in quintile 5 for borderline glycemia, and from 1.50 (1.19-1.90)/1.72 (1.31-2.26) in quintile 2 to 2.52 (1.95-3.26)/3.54 (2.66-4.70) in quintile 5 for diabetes. A similar trend was observed for DBP across 4 quintiles (75-79, 80-84, 85-89, and ≥90 mmHg) compared with ≥74 mmHg, which was the lowest quintile. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that cardiovascular risks gradually increased with increases in SBP and DBP regardless of the presence of and degree of a glucose abnormality. Further interventional trials are required to apply findings from this cohort study to clinical practice.

Severity of hypertension as a predictor of initiation of dialysis among study participants with and without diabetes mellitus.

To determine associations between severity of hypertension and risk of starting dialysis in the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus (DM). A nationwide database with claims data on 258 874 people with and without DM aged 19-72 years in Japan was used to elucidate the impact of severity of hypertension on starting dialysis. Initiation of dialysis was determined from claims using International Classification of Diseases-10 codes and medical procedures. Using multivariate Cox modeling, we investigated the severity of hypertension to predict the initiation of dialysis with and without DM. Hypertension was significantly associated with the initiation of dialysis regardless of DM. The incidence of starting dialysis in those with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤119 mm Hg and DM (DM+) was almost the same as in those with SBP ≥150 mm Hg and absence of DM (DM-). In comparison with SBP ≤119 mm Hg, SBP ≥150 mm Hg significantly increased the risk of the initiation of dialysis about 2.5 times regardless of DM+ or DM-. Compared with DM- and SBP ≤119 mm Hg, the HR for DM+ and SBP ≥150 mm Hg was 6.88 (95% CI 3.66 to 12.9). Although the risks of hypertension differed only slightly regardless of the presence or absence of DM, risks for starting dialysis with DM+ and SBP ≤119 mm Hg were equivalent to DM- and SBP ≥150 mm Hg, indicating more strict blood pressure interventions in DM+ are needed to avoid dialysis. Future studies are required to clarify the cut-off SBP level to avoid initiation of dialysis considering the risks of strict control of blood pressure.

Skipping breakfast, late-night eating and current smoking are associated with medication adherence in Japanese patients with diabetes.

AIMS: Little is known about the relationship between medication adherence for oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) and glycemic control after adjusting healthy adherer effect in large scale study. Thus, adjusting for health-related behaviors, we investigated the clinical variables associated with medication adherence and the relationship between medication adherence and glycemic control using a large claims database. METHODS: Analyzed were 8805 patients with diabetes whose medication records for OHA were available for at least 1year. Medication adherence was evaluated by the proportion of days covered (PDC). Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify clinical variables significantly associated with non-adherence. Multiple regression analysis evaluated the relationship between PDC and HbA1c after adjusting for health-related behaviors. RESULTS: Mean PDC was 80.1% and 32.8% of patients were non-adherence. Logistic analysis indicated that older age and taking concomitant medications were significantly associated with adherence while skipping breakfast (odds ratio 0.66 [95% CI 0.57-0.76]), late-night eating (0.86 [0.75-0.98]), and current smoking (0.89 [0.80-0.99]) were significantly associated with non-adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Skipping breakfast, late-night eating and current smoking were significantly associated with medication adherence, suggesting that clinicians pay attention to those health-related behaviors to achieve good medication adherence.

Relationship Between Number of Multiple Risk Factors and Coronary Artery Disease Risk With and Without Diabetes Mellitus.

PURPOSE: To determine the degree of control of multiple risk factors under real-world conditions for coronary artery disease (CAD) according to the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and to determine whether reaching multifactorial targets for blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), HbA1c, and current smoking is associated with lower risks for CAD. METHODS: We investigated the effects on subsequent CAD of the number of controlled risk factors among BP, LDL-C, HbA1c, and current smoking in a prospective cohort study using a nationwide claims database of 220,894 individuals in Japan. Cox regression examined risks over a 4.8-year follow-up. RESULTS: The largest percentage of participants had two risk factors at target in patients with DM (39.6%) and subjects without DM (36.4%). Compared with those who had two targets achieved, the risks of CAD among those who had any one and no target achieved were two and four times greater, respectively, regardless of the presence of DM. The effect of composite control was sufficient to bring CAD risk in patients with DM below that for subjects without DM with any two targets achieved, whereas the risk of CAD in the DM group with all four risk factors uncontrolled was 9.4 times more than in the non-DM group who had achieved two targets. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that composite control of modifiable risk factors has a large effect in patients with and without DM. The effect was sufficient to bring CAD risk in patients with DM below that in the non-DM group who had two targets achieved.

Overt Proteinuria, Moderately Reduced eGFR and Their Combination Are Predictive of Severe Diabetic Retinopathy or Diabetic Macular Edema in Diabetes.

Purpose: Since the combined effects of proteinuria and a moderately decreased eGFR on incident severe eye complications in patients with diabetes are still largely unknown, these associations were determined in a large historical cohort of Japanese patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: We evaluated the effects of overt proteinuria (OP) (dipstick 1+ and over) and/or moderately reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (MG) (baseline eGFR 30.0-54.9 mL/min/1.73 m2) on the incidence of treatment-required diabetic eye diseases (TRDED). We divided 7709 patients into four groups according to the presence or absence of OP and MG: no OP without MG (NP[MG-]), OP without MG (OP[MG-]), no OP with MG (NP[MG+]), and OP with MG (OP[MG+]). Multivariate Cox analyses were performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals for combinations of the presence and/or absence of OP and MG on the risk of developing TRDED. Results: During the median follow-up period of 5.6 years, 168 patients developed TRDED. HRs for OP and MG for incident TRDED were 1.91 (95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.87) and 1.90 (1.11-3.23), respectively. HRs for incident TRDED were 1.73 (1.11-2.69) and 5.57 (2.40-12.94) for OP(MG-) and OP(MG+), respectively, in comparison with NP(MG-). Conclusions: In Japanese patients with diabetes, OP and MG were separately as well as additionally associated with higher risks of TRDED. Results indicate the necessity of the simultaneous assessment of proteinuria and eGFR for appropriate evaluation of risks of severe eye complications in patients with diabetes.

Pulse Pressure is a Stronger Predictor Than Systolic Blood Pressure for Severe Eye Diseases in Diabetes Mellitus.

Background Evidence of the role of systolic blood pressure ( SBP ) in development of severe diabetic retinopathy is not strong, although the adverse effect of low diastolic blood pressure has been a partial explanation. We assessed the predictive ability of incident severe diabetic retinopathy between pulse pressure ( PP ) which considers both SBP and diastolic blood pressure, compared with SBP . Methods and Results Eligible patients (12 242, 83% men) aged 19 to 72 years from a nationwide claims database were analyzed for a median observational 4.8-year period. Severe diabetic retinopathy was defined as vision-threatening treatment-required diabetic eye diseases. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that hazard ratios (95% CI ) of treatment-required diabetic eye diseases for 1 increment of standard deviation and the top tertile compared with the bottom tertile were 1.39 (1.21-1.60) and 1.72 (1.17-2.51), respectively, for PP and 1.22 (1.05-1.41) and 1.43 (0.97-2.11), respectively, for SBP adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, fasting plasma glucose, lipids, and smoking status. In a model with SBP and PP simultaneously as covariates, the hazard ratios of only PP (hazard ratios [95% CI ], 1.57 [1.26-1.96]) but not SBP (0.85 [0.68-1.07]) were statistically significant. Delong test revealed a significant difference in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between PP and SBP (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI ], 0.58 [0.54-0.63] versus 0.54 [0.50-0.59]; P=0.03). The strongest predictor remained as hemoglobin A1c (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI ], 0.80 [0.77-0.84]). Conclusions After excluding the significant impact of glycemic control, PP in comparison with SBP is a better predictor of severe diabetic retinopathy, suggesting a role of diastolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness in pathology.