Stacking Ensemble Method for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prediction in Chinese Pregnant Women: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is closely related to adverse pregnancy outcomes and other diseases. Early intervention in pregnant women who are at high risk of developing GDM could help prevent adverse health consequences. The study aims to develop a simple model using the stacking ensemble method to predict GDM for women in the first trimester based on easily available factors. We used the data from the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study from July 2017 to November 2018. A total of 6,848 pregnant women in the first trimester were included in the analysis. Logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were considered as base learners. Optimal feature subsets for each learner were chosen by using recursive feature elimination cross-validation. Then, we built a pipeline to process imbalance data, tune hyperparameters, and evaluate model performance. The learners with the best hyperparameters were employed in the first layer of the proposed stacking method. Their predictions were obtained using optimal feature subsets and served as meta-learner's inputs. Another LR was used as a meta-learner to obtain the final prediction results. Accuracy, specificity, error rate, and other metrics were calculated to evaluate the performance of the models. A paired samples t-test was performed to compare the model performance. In total, 967 (14.12%) women developed GDM. For base learners, the RF model had the highest accuracy (0.638 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.628-0.648)) and specificity (0.683 (0.669-0.698)) and lowest error rate (0.362 (0.352-0.372)). The stacking method effectively improved the accuracy (0.666 (95% CI 0.663-0.670)) and specificity (0.725 (0.721-0.729)) and decreased the error rate (0.333 (0.330-0.337)). The differences in the performance between the stacking method and RF were statistically significant. Our proposed stacking method based on easily available factors has better performance than other learners such as RF.

Selenium nanoparticles with various morphology for antiangiogenesis through bFGF-mediated P13K/AKT signaling pathways.

Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) have potential antitumor activity and immune properties. However, the mechanism between its antitumor activity and nanoparticle morphology has not been evaluated. Therefore, a simple method was used to synthesize three special shapes of Se NPs, which are fusiform, flower and spherical. Compared with fusiform selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs (S)) and flower-shaped selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs (F)), spherical selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs (B)) have better cell absorption effect and stronger antitumor activity. HRTEM showed that Se NPs (B) entered the nucleus through endocytosis and inhibited tumor angiogenesis by targeting basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Se NPs (B) can competitively inhibit the binding of bFGF to fibroblast growth factor receptor through direct binding to bFGF, down-regulate the expression of bFGF in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and significantly reduce the MAPK/Erk and P13K/AKT pathways activation of signaling molecules to regulate HUVEC cell migration and angiogenesis. These findings indicate that Se NPs have a special role in antitumor angiogenesis. This research provides useful information for the development of new strategies for effective drug delivery nanocarriers and therapeutic systems.

Risk factors of chronic kidney diseases in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes.

In this study we conducted a cross sectional study to comprehensively evaluated the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a large sample of Chinese adults under primary care for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated the risk factors associated with the prevalence of CKD in adults with T2DM, who were enrolled in the Risk Factor Assessment and Management Programme for Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (RAMP-DM) of Hong Kong from July 2014 to June 2017. We collected the individual data of 31,574 subjects, with mean age of 63.0 (±10.8) years and mean DM duration of 7.4 (±6.4) years. Of them 9,386 (29.7%) had CKD and 7,452 (23.6%) had micro- or macro-albuminuria. After adjustment for multiple demographic and lifestyle confounders, we identified several modifiable risk factors associated with higher rate of CKD: obesity (OR = 1.54), current smoking (OR = 1.33), higher systolic blood pressure (OR = 1.01), dyslipidemia (OR = 1.32 and 0.61 for triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)), hyperglycemia (OR = 1.11 for HbA1c), diabetic retinopathy (OR = 1.36 and 2.60 for non-sight and sight threatening retinopathy), and stroke (OR = 1.43). The risk factors of lower dialytic blood pressure and coronary heart disease were identified only in men, whereas peripheral arterial disease only in women. In conclusion, several modifiable and gender specific risk factors were significantly associated with higher prevalence of CKD in Chinese adults with T2DM. The high-risk populations identified in this study shall receive regular screening for renal functions to achieve better patient management in primary care settings.

Influenza vaccination in older people with diabetes and their household contacts.

BACKGROUND: People with diabetes are at a higher risk of influenza infections and severe complications. The vaccination of close contacts could offer indirect protection to people with diabetes; this is known as "herd immunity." The aim of this study is to investigate the vaccination rates of people with diabetes and their household contacts in Hong Kong. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Face-to-face interviews with 158 patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and aged ⩾65years were conducted in clinics. Telephone interviews were then conducted with 281 adult household contacts. RESULTS: Seasonal influenza vaccination rates were 54.5% and 27.4%, in people with diabetes and their contacts, respectively. The vaccination status of patients was not significantly associated with the vaccination of their household contacts (p=0.073). Among household contacts, children or the elderly, the partners or couples of patients, and those with more hours of daily contact, or with chronic conditions, were associated with higher vaccination rates. However, only age remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors in logistic regression models. CONCLUSIONS: The low vaccination rates of people with diabetes and their close contacts highlight the need to promote vaccination in susceptible populations and to educate the public about herd immunity.

Passive smoking increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus independently and synergistically with prepregnancy obesity in Tianjin, China.

BACKGROUND: Passive smoking increased type 2 diabetes mellitus risk, but it is uncertain whether it also increased gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. We aimed to examine the association of passive smoking during pregnancy and its interaction with maternal obesity for GDM. METHODS: From 2010 to 2012, 12 786 Chinese women underwent a 50-g 1-hour glucose challenge test at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation and further underwent a 75-g 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test if the glucose challenge test result was ≥7.8 mmol/L. GDM was defined by the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group's cut points. Self-reported passive smoking during pregnancy was collected by a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Additive interaction between maternal obesity and passive smoking was estimated using relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (S). Significant RERI > 0, AP > 0, or S > 1 indicated additive interaction. RESULTS: A total of 8331 women (65.2%) were exposed to passive smoking during pregnancy. More women exposed to passive smoking developed GDM than nonexposed women (7.8% versus 6.3%, P = 0.002) with an adjusted OR of 1.29 (95%CI, 1.11 to 1.50). Compared with nonobesity and nonpassive smoking, prepregnancy obesity and passive smoking was associated with GDM risk with an adjusted OR of 3.09 (95%CI, 2.38-4.02) with significant additive interaction (P < .05 for RERI and AP). CONCLUSIONS: Passive smoking during pregnancy increased GDM risk in Chinese women independently and synergistically with prepregnancy obesity.

Measuring depression with CES-D in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: the validity and its comparison to PHQ-9.

BACKGROUND: The validity of the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale for depression screening in Hong Kong Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes remains unknown. We aimed to validate CES-D, compare its psychometric properties with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and explore whether one of the two is more suitable for depression screening in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Between June 2010 and July 2011, 545 consecutive Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent structured comprehensive assessments completed the CES-D and PHQ-9. Forty patients were retested within 2-4 weeks by telephone interview and 97 patients were randomly selected to undergo the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) by psychiatrists for clinical diagnosis of depression. RESULTS: The internal consistency (Cronbach's α) of CES-D was 0.85, with a test-retest correlation coefficient of 0.64. The area under the curve for CES-D compared to the clinical diagnosis of major depression was 0.85. A cut-off score of ≥21 for CES-D provided the optimal balance between sensitivity (78.3 %) and specificity (74.3 %) and identified 17.8 % (n = 97) of patients with depression. CES-D and PHQ-9 showed moderate agreement in depression screening (Cohen's Kappa: 0.45). Compared to non-depressed patients, those who screened positive by PHQ-9 had a higher HbA1c whereas the glycemic differences were not significant when using CES-D. CONCLUSION: The CES-D is a valid screening tool for depression in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients although the PHQ-9 was more discriminative in identifying those with suboptimal glycemic control.

[Weight change in association with the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adults from Qingdao, China].

OBJECTIVE: Since the incidence rates and risk factor for type 2 diabetes in Chinese populations had not been well known, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of weight change and other risk factors on incident type 2 diabetes in Qingdao, China. METHODS: A prospective population-based cohort study was carried out, based on subjects aged 35-74 years who participated in the 'Qingdao Diabetes Survey' in 2006. Subjects were free of diabetes at baseline. A total of 1 294 subjects attended the follow up survey between 2009 and 2011. The diagnostic criteria for Diabetes was classified according to both the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation 2006. A logistic regression was built using the backward stepwise selection to assess the effects of risk factors on the incident type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: During a 4-year follow up period, 120 cases with incident type 2 diabetes were identified, with cumulative incidence of diabetes as 11.8% . Participants who developed type 2 diabetes were significantly older, having significantly higher age-adjusted BMI/waist circumference/systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol, than those subjects who remained non-diabetic both in urban and rural areas. Among individuals with no diabetes at the baseline, factors as age, living in the rural areas, baseline BMI and weight change had all independently contributed to the development of diabetes. The multivariate adjusted relative risks (95%CIs) related to the incidence of diabetes were 1.45 (1.13-1.87), 1.93 (1.12-3.34), 1.46 (1.05-2.03) and 1.49 (1.18-1.88), respectively, for a one standard deviation increase in continuous variables. Compared with the reference group of non-obese and with stable weight, factor as weight loss >5% and BMI <28 kg/m² were independently associated with a 67% (RR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.11-0.97)reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, while BMI >28 kg/m² could increase the risk across the levels of weight change. Similar trends were observed in higher waist and weight gain at baseline. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the critical importance of obesity in the development of type 2 diabetes. Baseline BMI and weight gain appeared independent predictors on type 2 diabetes.

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Subjective Happiness Scale: evidence from the Hong Kong FAMILY Cohort.

BACKGROUND: With China's rapid economic growth in the past few decades, there is currently an emerging focus on happiness. Cross-cultural validity studies have indicated that the four-item Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) has high internal consistency and stable reliability. However, the psychometric characteristics of the SHS in broader Chinese community samples are unknown. PURPOSE: We evaluated the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SHS in the Hong Kong general population. METHODS: The Chinese SHS was derived using forward-backward translation. Of the Cantonese-speaking participants aged ≥15 years, 2,635 were randomly selected from the random sample component of the FAMILY Cohort, a territory-wide cohort study in Hong Kong. In addition to the SHS, a single-item overall happiness scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (APGAR) scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item short-form version 2 (SF-12) mental and physical health scales were administered. RESULTS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a single factor with high loadings for the four SHS items. Multiple group analyses indicated factor invariance across sex and age groups. Cronbach's alpha was 0.82, and 2-week test-retest reliability (n = 191) was 0.70. The SHS correlated significantly with single-item overall happiness (Spearman's rho [ρ] = 0.57), Family APGAR (ρ = 0.26), PHQ-9 (ρ = -0.34), and mental health-related quality of life (ρ = 0.40) but showed a lower correlation with physical health (ρ = 0.15). A regression model that included the PHQ-9 and Family APGAR scores explained 37% of the variance in SF-12 mental health scores; adding the SHS raised the variance explained to 41 %. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the reliability and validity of the SHS as a relevant component in the measurement battery for mental well-being in a Chinese general population.

Measuring depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in Hong Kong Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Depression is common in type 2 diabetes although the prevalence in Chinese patients remains unclear. We validated the Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ-9), a popular depression screening tool, in Chinese with type 2 diabetes, and documented the prevalence, demographic,and clinical characteristics associated with depression. METHODS: A consecutive cohort of 586 Hong Kong Chinese outpatients completed the PHQ-9 during comprehensive diabetes complication assessment. Within 2-4 weeks, 40 patients were retested via telephone survey. Ninety-nine randomly selected patients were interviewed by psychiatrists using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview as a golden standard. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess performance of the PHQ-9. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the PHQ-9 was 0.86 and test-retest reliability was 0.70. The 3 somatic items explained 53.6% of the PHQ-9 score. The optimal cutoff value was 7 with 82.6% sensitivity and 73.7% specificity, giving a depression prevalence of 18.3% (n=107). Of these, 18.7% had been previously diagnosed with depression. Depression was more prevalent in women than men. After controlling for confounders, patients with depression had higher HbA1c (7.80 ± 1.86% versus 7.43 ± 1.29%, [61.7 ± 20.4 versus 57.8 ± 14.1 mmol/mol], P<0.05), reduced likelihood of achieving HbA1c target of <7.0% (33.6% versus 41.8%, P<0.05), and were more likely to have self-reported hypoglycemia in the previous 3 months (18.7% versus 6.7%, P<0.01). LIMITATION: A small sample was used in the criterion validation and the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. CONCLUSIONS: PHQ-9 is a validated tool for screening for depression, which is common and frequently undiagnosed in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients and is associated with suboptimal glycemic control, hypoglycemia, and somatization.

Effects of depressive symptoms and family satisfaction on health related quality of life: the Hong Kong FAMILY study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of depressive symptoms and satisfaction with family support (FS) on physical and mental Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). METHODS: Data were obtained from the Hong Kong FAMILY Project baseline survey in 2009-2011, which included 16,039 community residents (age ≥ 20). The FS was measured using the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (APGAR, range 0-10) Questionnaire. HRQoL were assessed using the SF-12 version 2. Depressive symptoms were recorded using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Demographic and lifestyle variables, stressful life events, perceived neighborhood cohesion were also assessed. RESULTS: In a multilevel regression model, socio-demographic and behavioral variables explained 21% and 19% of the variance in physical and mental HRQoL. The presence of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10, standardized coefficients, ß of -1.73) and high FS (APGAR score 7-10, 1.15) were associated with mental HRQoL, after adjustment for age, education, household monthly income, drinking status, physical activity, chronic conditions, life stress and neighborhood cohesion. Not FS but the presence of depressive symptoms (ß of -0.88) was associated with physical HRQoL. The presence of depressive symptoms in women than men were more associated with a poorer physical HRQoL (p<0.01) while depressive symptoms in men were associated with a decrease in mental HRQoL (p<0.001). The interaction between FS and depressive symptoms was nonsignificant in relation to HRQoL. Among those with depressive symptoms, high FS was associated with a better mental HRQoL (41.1 vs. 37.9, p<0.001) in women but not contribute to variance in men. CONCLUSIONS: Higher FS and presence of depressive symptoms were significantly associated with HRQoL in general population in Hong Kong. Among those with depressive symptoms, high FS was associated with a favorable mental HRQoL in women but not men.

Cancer incidence and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with human insulin: a cohort study in Shanghai.

AIM: The aim was to investigate the association between human insulin and cancer incidence and mortality in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We recruited 8,774 insulin-naïve diabetes patients from the Shanghai Diabetes Registry (SDR). The follow-up rate was 85.4%. All subjects were divided into the insulin use cohort (n = 3,639) and the non-insulin use cohort (n = 5,135). The primary outcome was the first diagnosis of any cancer. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of cancer and mortality. RESULTS: We observed 98 cancer events in the insulin use cohort and 170 in the non-insulin use cohort. Cancer incidence rates were 78.6 and 74.3 per 10,000 patients per year in the insulin users and the non-insulin users, respectively. No significant difference in cancer risk was observed between the two cohorts (adjusted RR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.89-1.62, P = 0.228). Regarding site-specific cancers, only the risk of liver cancer was significantly higher in the insulin users compared to that in the non-insulin users (adjusted RR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.12-7.17, P = 0.028). The risks of overall mortality (adjusted RR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.47-2.43, P<0.0001) and death from cancer (adjusted RR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.39-3.35, P = 0.001) were all significantly higher in the insulin users than in the non-insulin users. CONCLUSION: There was no excess risk of overall cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with human insulin. However, a significantly higher risk of liver cancer was found in these patients. Moreover, insulin users showed higher risks of overall and cancer mortality. Considering that individuals treated with insulin were more likely to be advanced diabetic patients, caution should be used in interpreting these results.

For non-exercising people, the number of steps walked is more strongly associated with health than time spent walking.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the associations between walking (number of steps and minutes spent) and seven health indicators, including chronic health conditions, depressive symptoms, and blood pressure, among nonexercising people who did not regularly engage in any non-walking moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Under the FAMILY project, the number of steps per day and minutes spent walking were measured using an accelerometer. Participants (n=2417) whose only form of physical activity was walking were included in the present analysis. METHODS: Three indicators of walking (number of steps, minutes spent walking at moderate intensity, and minutes spent walking at light intensity) was measured by accelerometer. Associations between these indicators and seven health conditions were measured by the difference in z scores for those with, and those without, each health condition, adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: The number of steps per day was significantly and inversely associated with hypertension (difference in z=-0.22, p<0.01), cancer (difference in z=-0.43, p<0.05), stroke (difference in z=-0.63, p<0.01), depressive symptoms (difference in z=-0.15, p<0.01), health-related quality-of-life (difference in z=-0.13, p<0.05), and pulse rate (difference in z=-0.11, p<0.01). By contrast, time spent walking as measured by accelerometer was associated only with a single health indicator (hypertension, difference in z=-0.14, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Even among non-exercising people, accumulating number of steps appears to be related to fewer health problems and should be promoted as an accessible form of exercise, especially for those who lack the time or ability to engage in physical activity of at least moderate intensity.

Depressive symptoms in people with chronic physical conditions: prevalence and risk factors in a Hong Kong community sample.

BACKGROUND: Depression is predicted to become one of the two most burdensome diseases worldwide by 2020 and is common in people with chronic physical conditions. However, depression is relatively uncommon in Asia. Family support is an important Asian cultural value that we hypothesized could protect people with chronic physical conditions from developing depression. We investigated depressive symptom prevalence and risk factors in a Chinese sample with chronic medical conditions, focusing on the possible protective role of family relationships. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Hong Kong Jockey Club FAMILY Project cohort study in 2009-2011, which included 6,195 participants (age ≥15) with self-reported chronic conditions. Depressive symptoms were recorded using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Demographic and lifestyle variables, stressful life events, perceived family support and neighborhood cohesion were assessed. Factors associated with a non-somatic (PHQ-6) depression score were also examined. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≥5) was 17% in those with one or more chronic conditions, and was more prevalent in women than in men (19.7% vs. 13.9%; p < 0.001). In multilevel analyses, life stress, number of chronic conditions and satisfaction with family support explained 43% of the variance in PHQ-9 scores (standardized regression coefficients of 0.46, 0.15, and -0.12 respectively, all p <0.001). Body mass index, problem alcohol drinking, physical activity, and unmarried status were significantly associated with PHQ-9 scores, although these associations were weak. Variables associated with depression explained 35% of the variance in non-somatic (PHQ-6) depression scores. Satisfaction with family support played a stronger protective role against depressive symptoms (both PHQ-9 and PHQ-6 scores) among women than men (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acute life stress and the number of chronic conditions, together with socio-demographic factors, explain most variance in depressive symptoms among chronically ill Chinese individuals. Somatic items in the PHQ-9 increased the depression scores but they did not alter the pattern of predictors. Family support appears to be an important protective factor in Chinese cultures for individuals with chronic conditions.

Co-occurrence of diabetes and depression: conceptual considerations for an emerging global health challenge.

BACKGROUND: Considering the relationships between diabetes and depression may enhance programs to reduce their individual and shared disease burden. METHODS: This paper discusses relationships between diabetes and depression, the range of influences on each, conceptual issues central to their definition, and interventions including comprehensive, population approaches to their prevention and management. Foundational and exemplary literature was identified by the writing team according to their areas of expertise. RESULTS: Diabetes and depression influence each other while sharing a broad range of biological, psychological, socioeconomic and cultural determinants. They may be viewed as: (a) distinct but sometimes comorbid entities, (b) dimensions, (c) parts of broader categories, e.g., metabolic/cardiovascular abnormalities or negative emotions, or (d) integrated so that comprehensive treatment of diabetes includes depression or negative emotions, and that of depression routinely considers possible diabetes or other chronic diseases. LIMITATIONS: The choice of literature relied primarily on the authors' knowledge of the issues addressed. Some important perspectives and research may have been overlooked. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Collaboration among primary care and specialist clinicians as well as program and public health managers should reflect the commonalities among diabetes, depression, and other chronic mental and physical disorders. Interventions should include integrated clinical care and self-management programs along with population approaches to prevention and management. Self management and problem solving may provide a coherent framework for integrating the diverse tasks and objectives of those living with diabetes and depression or many other varieties of multi-morbidity.

Comprehensive risk assessments of diabetic patients from seven Asian countries: The Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) program.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the web-based Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) program is to establish a registry for quality assurance, monitoring, and evaluation. METHODS: The JADE electronic portal provides templates for data collection, supplemented by risk stratification, care protocols, and decision support. Herein, data from 3687 patients with Type 2 diabetes, enrolled over 15 months in 2007-2009 from seven Asian countries, are reported. RESULTS: Of the patients, 46.1% were men, the median (range) age was 58 (15-93 years), and median disease duration was 6.5 (0-71) years; 16.2% had at least one cardiovascular-renal complication (10.0% coronary heart disease, 3.3% stroke, 3.1% peripheral vascular disease, 0.4% end-stage renal disease), 20.4% had diabetic retinopathy, 15.0% had sensory neuropathy, 7.5% had chronic kidney disease, and 20.7% of men had erectile dysfunction. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and central obesity affected 84.6%, 76.8%, and 53.5% of patients, respectively. Treatment targets were HbA1c <7% in 35.3%, blood pressure <130/80 mmHg in 32.3%, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol <2.6 mmol/L in 34.0%. The rate of attaining one, two, and three targets was 38.7%, 23.4%, and 5.4%, respectively. Using the JADE Risk Engine, 60% of patients with clinical complications and 20% of those with multiple risk parameters were predicted to have a major event within 5 years. Older age, short disease duration, adherence to diet, control of other risk factors, and not smoking were independently associated with HbA1c <7% (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to use a web-based protocol to establish a registry for risk stratification and facilitate early intervention.

Diabetes-related distress and physical and psychological health in chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a Chinese version of the Diabetes Distress Scale (CDDS). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The CDDS was derived using forward-backward translation and administered in 189 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients with evaluation of its psychometric properties. RESULTS: On the basis of principal-component analysis, three factors of the 15-item version of the CDDS (CDDS-15) accounted for 63% of the variance. The correlation coefficient between the original 17-item and 15-item scales was 0.99. The Cronbach α for internal consistency was 0.90, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.74. The CDDS-15 score was significantly associated with glycemic control, obesity, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The CDDS-15 is a valid and reliable instrument to assess diabetes-related distress.

A large-scale diabetes prevention program in real-life settings in Qingdao of China (2006-2012).

AIMS: Qingdao Diabetes Prevention Program aims to translate the trial experience to real-life settings with goals to: (1) raise the public awareness of diabetes and diabetes risk factors, and promote healthy diet and physical activity; (2) reduce the number of high-risk people developing diabetes through lifestyle counselling; (3) early diagnosis of diabetes; (4) evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of the programs. PROGRAM DESIGN: The project's first phase (2006-2009) was focused on health promotion targeting at the entire population of 1.94 million, and training of professionals; and the second phase (2009-2012) on lifestyle counselling targeting at individuals with a diabetes risk score of >or=14. The effectiveness of the intervention and the cost-effectiveness of the program between the intervention arm (n=8000) and the control arm (n=4000) who are randomly selected from the project targeting and not-targeting areas will be evaluated with the diabetes incidence as the primary outcome. Milestone achieved from 2006 to 2009: 3993 health professionals finished training courses; 724,130 educational booklets were distributed to families and 318,284 high-risk individuals recorded and 130,164 underwent at least one follow-up counselling session.

Comparison of body mass index with waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-stature ratio as a predictor of hypertension incidence in Mauritius.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of BMI with waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-stature ratio (WSR) as a predictor of hypertension incidence. METHODS: A total of 1658 men and 1976 women of Mauritian Indian and Mauritian Creole ethnicity, aged 25-74 years, free of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and gout at baseline in 1987 or 1992, were re-examined in 1992 and/or 1998 using the same survey methodology. Hazard ratios (HRs) for hypertension incidence were estimated applying an interval censored survival analysis (R program) using age as timescale based on baseline obesity indicators. RESULTS: A total of 787 incident hypertension cases were identified during the follow-up. HRs for hypertension incidence adjusting for baseline systolic blood pressure and cohort corresponding to a 1 SD increase in BMI, waist circumference, WHR, and WSR were 1.20 (1.24), 1.19 (1.21), 1.14 (1.10), and 1.20 (1.26) in Mauritian Indian men (women) and 1.23 (1.32), 1.34 (1.23), 1.41 (1.13), and 1.43 (1.33) in Mauritian Creoles, respectively, indicating that all obesity indicators significantly predicted hypertension incidence except for WHR in Mauritian Creole women. Paired homogeneity tests showed that there was no difference between BMI and the other three indicators for most of the comparisons with two exceptions: WSR was stronger than BMI (P = 0.002) in Mauritian Creole men but BMI was stronger than WHR (P = 0.047) in Mauritian Indian women in predicting the incident cases of hypertension. CONCLUSION: The relation of the development of hypertension with BMI was as strong as that with central obesity indicators in the population studied.

Serum uric acid and components of the metabolic syndrome in non-diabetic populations in Mauritian Indians and Creoles and in Chinese in Qingdao, China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of serum uric acid (UA) with components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in different ethnic groups. METHODS: Nondiabetic men (3285) and nondiabetic women (4078) aged 25 to 74 years without a history of cardiovascular disease and gout from Mauritius and Qingdao China, comprising Mauritian Indians, Mauritian Creoles, and an urban Chinese population, were studied. The top quintile of waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, serum total cholesterol and triglycerides, plasma glucose levels, and the bottom quintile of HDL cholesterol was defined as the metabolic disorder. Hyperuricemia was defined if UA values were in the top quintile. RESULTS: In a multivariate model (adjusted for age, cohort, smoking, and alcohol consumption), waist circumference, BMI, and serum triglycerides appeared to be independently associated with hyperuricemia in both sexes and in all ethnic groups except in Chinese women. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for having three or more metabolic disorders vs fewer than three, corresponding to a one SD increase in serum UA concentration, were 1.75 (1.51 to 2.02), 2.19 (1.71 to 2.82) and 2.30 (1.68 to 3.16) in Indian, Creole, and Chinese men, respectively, and 1.74 (1.52 to 2.00), 1.75 (1.40 to 2.19) and 1.72 (1.37 to 2.16) in Indian, Creole, and Chinese women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In nondiabetics of Asian and African ancestry, elevated serum UA was closely associated with components of MetS, but whether UA provides additional information to the definition of the MetS in predicting future cardiovascular disease and diabetes needs to be studied.

Serum uric acid and incident diabetes in Mauritian Indian and Creole populations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of serum uric acid (UA) for the development of diabetes in Asian Indians and Creoles living in Mauritius. METHODS: A total of 1941 men (1409 Indians, 532 Creoles) and 2318 non-pregnant women (1645 Indians, 673 Creoles), aged 25-74 years and free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and gout at baseline examinations in 1987 or 1992, were re-examined in 1992 and/or 1998. Diabetes was determined according to WHO/IDF 2006 criteria. The relationship between baseline UA and the development of diabetes during the follow-up was estimated using interval censored survival analysis. RESULTS: In this cohort 337 (17.4%) men and 379 (16.4%) women developed diabetes during the follow-up. Individuals who developed diabetes during the follow-up had a lower serum UA levels at follow-up compared with their baseline UA levels, but this is not observed for post-menopausal women. Multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CIs) for the development of diabetes corresponding to one S.D. increase in UA concentration at baseline were 1.14 (1.01, 1.30) in Indian men and 1.37 (1.11, 1.68) in Creole men. They were 1.07 (0.95, 1.22) and 1.01 (0.84, 1.22), respectively, in Indians and Creole women. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum UA is an independent risk marker for future diabetes in Mauritian men, whereas the prediction is weak in women.