GALIPDIA study: Reaching lipid targets in a population with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) from the Northwest of Spain.

AIM: To assess the degree of compliance with the European ESC/EAS 2016 and 2019 dyslipidaemia guidelines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted in 380 adults with T2DM and dyslipidaemia in 7 Spanish health areas. INCLUSION CRITERIA: minimum follow-up of one year in Endocrinology Units, at least one visit in 2020 and a lipid profile measurement in the last 3 months. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: familial hypercholesterolaemia, recent hospitalisation, active oncological pathology and dialysis. RESULTS: According to the 2016 and 2019 guidelines the majority of patients were classified as being at very high cardiovascular risk (86.8% vs. 72.1%, respectively). LDL-c compliance was adequate in 62.1% of patients according to the 2016 guidelines and 39.7% according to the 2019 guidelines (p<0.001). Clinical conditions such as history of cardiovascular disease and therapy-related aspects (use of statins, especially high-potency statins, combination therapies and good adherence) were significantly associated with greater achievement of lipid targets. CONCLUSION: There is a discrepancy between dyslipidaemia guideline recommendations and the reality of lipid control in patients with T2DM, despite most of these patients being at very high cardiovascular risk. Strategies to optimise lipid-lowering treatments need to be implemented.

El lavado de la aguja aumenta la rentabilidad diagnóstica de la punción-aspiración con aguja fina de tiroides / Needle washing increases the diagnostic yield of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland

Introducción y objetivo La enfermedad nodular tiroidea es un proceso frecuente en nuestra práctica clínica y la punción-aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) es la técnica diagnóstica de elección. Su mayor limitación es la prevalencia de muestras no diagnósticas. Desde la implantación en 2007 de los criterios de Bethesda (documento de consenso sobre los criterios morfológicos y la terminología diagnóstica en la interpretación de las extensiones citológicas de tiroides) se demostró en nuestro servicio una mayor prevalencia de PAAF no diagnósticas. Decidimos añadir a la técnica habitual la recogida y el centrifugado del material remanente en las agujas de punción mediante lavado en una solución ThinPrep® y evaluar el aumento de la rentabilidad diagnóstica de la PAAF tras este cambio. Pacientes y métodos Muestreo sistemático de 168 pacientes a los que se realizó una PAAF en el Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición del Hospital Xeral-Cíes de Vigo desde enero de 2010 hasta noviembre (..) (AU)

Background and objective Nodular thyroid disease is a common condition in our clinical practice, and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the diagnostic procedure of choice. Its main limitation is the number of non-diagnostic samples. Since the Bethesda criteria were implemented in 2007 (a consensus document on the morphologic criteria and diagnostic terminology for interpretation of thyroid cytological samples), a higher prevalence of non-diagnostic FNAB was shown. In addition to the standard technique, we decided to collect and centrifuge the material remaining in puncture needles by washing them in a ThinPrep® solution, and to assess the increase in the diagnostic yield of FNAB after this change. Patients and methods Systematic sampling of 168 patients who underwent FNAB at the Nutrition and Endocrinology Department of the Xeral-Cies Hospital (Vigo, Spain) from January 2010 to November 2011. Patients were classified into 2 groups: 75 patients in whom the residual material in the needle was not collected (non-washing group) and 93 patients in whom the material was collected (washing-group). All FNABs were performed by the same endocrinologist. Data are shown as percentage (± standard error) for ordinal variables or as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables. A Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis (..) (AU)

Needle washing increases the diagnostic yield of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nodular thyroid disease is a common condition in our clinical practice, and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the diagnostic procedure of choice. Its main limitation is the number of non-diagnostic samples. Since the Bethesda criteria were implemented in 2007 (a consensus document on the morphologic criteria and diagnostic terminology for interpretation of thyroid cytological samples), a higher prevalence of non-diagnostic FNAB was shown. In addition to the standard technique, we decided to collect and centrifuge the material remaining in puncture needles by washing them in a ThinPrep(®) solution, and to assess the increase in the diagnostic yield of FNAB after this change. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Systematic sampling of 168 patients who underwent FNAB at the Nutrition and Endocrinology Department of the Xeral-Cies Hospital (Vigo, Spain) from January 2010 to November 2011. Patients were classified into 2 groups: 75 patients in whom the residual material in the needle was not collected (non-washing group) and 93 patients in whom the material was collected (washing-group). All FNABs were performed by the same endocrinologist. Data are shown as percentage (± standard error) for ordinal variables or as mean (± standard deviation) for quantitative variables. A Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis of comparisons between percentages, and a Student's t test for comparisons between quantitative variables. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups in age, sex, plasma TSH levels or nodule size. The rate of non-diagnostic FNABs was 44% (± 0.06) in the non-washing group and 17.2% (± 0.04%) in the washing group, with a significant difference (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Collection and subsequent processing of the residual material in the needle after FNAB significantly decreased the prevalence of non-diagnostic punctures in our patients. Collection of the residual material in the needle in this way is strongly recommended.

Tratamiento con dosis fija de tiroxina en gestantes con hipotiroidismo subclínico / Treatment with fixed thyroxine doses in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism

Introducción El tratamiento del hipotiroidismo se hace habitualmente calculando la dosis de tiroxina en función del peso del paciente. En algunas situaciones se ha comprobado la utilidad de administrar dosis fijas de la hormona para normalizar la concentración de TSH, cuyo control es especialmente importante en el caso de pacientes gestantes. Pacientes y métodos Se administró una dosis fija de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina a 68 mujeres con hipotiroidismo subclínico diagnosticado durante la gestación, autoinmune o no, y se evaluó trimestralmente a través de la concentración de TSH la necesidad de modificarla. Se programaron incrementos o decrementos de 25 mcg/día en los casos en los que el cambio de dosis fuese necesario. Resultados El 42% de las pacientes alcanzaron una concentración plasmática de TSH inferior a 3μU/mL con la dosis de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina. Si se toman como referencia los valores de la población general no gestante, dicha dosis fue óptima durante el embarazo en el 79,4% de las pacientes; y no lo fue en el 20,6% restante. Discusión Nuestros datos sugieren que una dosis fija de 50 mcg/día de tiroxina es insuficiente en un porcentaje elevado de pacientes con hipotiroidismo diagnosticado en la gestación, tanto si se toman como valores de referencia de concentración de TSH los de la población general como (especialmente) si se usan las recomendaciones más recientes. Dosis de 75 mcg/día serán probablemente más adecuadas, aunque se necesitan estudios que evalúen la posibilidad de sobretratamiento con dichas dosis (AU)

Background Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroxine doses on patient weight. In some cases, however, fixed doses have proved to useful to normalize TSH levels, which is especially important during pregnancy. Patients and methods Sixty-eight women diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, autoimmune or not, during pregnancy were given a fixed dose of thyroxine 50mcg/day. TSH measurements were performed to assess the need to change the dose, which was increased or decreased by 25mcg/day when necessary. Results With a dose of 50mcg/day of thyroxine, 42% of patients reached a TSH level less than 3μU/mL, 79.4% reached a TSH level less than 4.5μU/mL, and 20.6% had TSH levels higher than 4.5μU/mL.Discussion Our data suggest that a fixed dose of thyroxine 50mcg/day is inadequate in a significant proportion of pregnancy-diagnosed hypothyroidism regardless of whether the reference of TSH level used is 4.5 or 3μU/mL. Starting dose of 75mcg/day is probably more adequate, but studies are needed to evaluate the possibility of overtreatment with such dose (AU)

Treatment with fixed thyroxine doses in pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism is usually treated with thyroxine doses on patient weight. In some cases, however, fixed doses have proved to useful to normalize TSH levels, which is especially important during pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight women diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, autoimmune or not, during pregnancy were given a fixed dose of thyroxine 50 mcg/day. TSH measurements were performed to assess the need to change the dose, which was increased or decreased by 25 mcg/day when necessary. RESULTS: With a dose of 50 mcg/day of thyroxine, 42% of patients reached a TSH level less than 3 µU/mL, 79.4% reached a TSH level less than 4.5 µU/mL, and 20.6% had TSH levels higher than 4.5 µU/mL. DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that a fixed dose of thyroxine 50 mcg/day is inadequate in a significant proportion of pregnancy-diagnosed hypothyroidism regardless of whether the reference of TSH level used is 4.5 or 3 µU/mL. S starting dose of 75 mcg/day is probably more adequate, but studies are needed to evaluate the possibility of overtreatment with such dose.