Development of a machine learning-based model for the prediction and progression of diabetic kidney disease: A single centred retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a diabetic microvascular complication often characterized by an unpredictable progression. Hence, early detection and recognition of patients vulnerable to progression is crucial. OBJECTIVE: To develop a prediction model to identify the stages of DKD and the factors contributing to progression to each stage using machine learning. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study was conducted in a South Indian tertiary care hospital and collected the details of patients diagnosed with DKD from January 2017 to January 2022. Bayesian optimization-based machine learning techniques such as classification and regression were employed. The model was developed with the help of an optimization framework that effectively balances classification, prediction accuracy, and explainability. RESULTS: Of the 311 patients diagnosed with DKD, 227 were selected for the study. A system for predicting DKD has been created for a patient dataset utilizing a variety of machine-learning approaches. The eXtreme gradient (XG) Boost method excelled, achieving 88.75% accuracy, 88.57% precision, 91.4% sensitivity,100% specificity, and 89.49% F1-score. An interpretable data-driven method highlights significant features for early DKD diagnosis. The best explainable prediction model uses the XG Boost classifier, revealing serum uric acid, urea, phosphorous, red blood cells, calcium, and absolute eosinophil count as the major predictors influencing the progression of DKD. In the case of regression models, the gradient boost regressor performed the best, with an R2 score of 0.97. CONCLUSION: Machine learning algorithms can effectively predict the stages of DKD and thus help physicians in providing patients with personalized care at the right time.

Effect of exercise-based rehabilitation on functional capacity and renal function in type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephropathy: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic nephropathy is a growing public health challenge with implications on health. Renal function decline impacts the functional ability and overall health and well-being of individuals with diabetic nephropathy due to development of several renal manifestations. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of an exercise-based rehabilitation program on functional capacity and renal function among individuals with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: A total of 283 individuals were screened and 60 eligible participants aged 45-70 years with diabetic nephropathy were randomly allocated (n = 30 each) to the intervention group (IG) and control group (CG), respectively. The study outcome measures comprised of functional capacity (6-min walk test) and renal function assessed at baseline, 12th week and 24th week. Participants allocated to IG received 12 weeks of exercise based rehabilitation (comprising of supervised + home-based exercises) along with standard care and followed-up till 24th week. RESULTS: The repeated measures ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction indicated significant timepoint*group interaction effect for 6-min walk distance F (1.71, 90.59) = 619, p < 0.001, serum creatinine F (1.23, 65.14) = 174.8, p < 0.001, estimated glomerular filtration rate F (1.15, 60.88) = 105.2, p < 0.001, serum urea F (1.48, 78.45) = 261.4, p < 0.001 and urine protein F (1.13, 59.82) = 4.58, p < 0.328. CONCLUSION: The study found that exercise based rehabilitation improved both functional capacity and renal function among individuals with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

Effect of a Customized Physical Activity Promotion Program on Visceral Fat and Glycemic Parameters in Individuals With Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity of any amount results in substantial health benefits. However, public awareness of physical activity benefits in chronic diseases is inadequate in India. Prediabetes is a significant health issue on a global scale. Visceral fat (VF) is considered as an early predictor of prediabetes. Ethnicity and race have a substantial impact on VF. Hence, this study intended to evaluate the effect of a customized physical activity promotion program on VF and glycemic parameters in individuals with prediabetes. METHODS: In the current, parallel group randomized controlled trial, a total of 158 participants were recruited: 79 in intervention and 79 in control group. The study included the prediabetes individuals based on American Diabetes Association criteria. Participants from the intervention group received the customized physical activity promotion program for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measures of the study were VF level and glycemic parameters that included fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin. Two-way mixed analysis of variance was used to study the mean difference of an outcome between 2 groups over time. RESULTS: The study found a statistically significant interaction between the intervention and times on VF level, F1,136 = 23.564, fasting blood sugar levels, F1,136 = 8.762, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels, F1,136 = 64.582 at the end of 24 weeks (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that a customized physical activity promotion program was effective in reducing VF in individuals with prediabetes as compared with controls. It improved glycemic control by reducing fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin levels.

Measurement of visceral fat for early prediction of prediabetes-Cross-sectional study from Southern India.

Objective: Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus and routine screening of prediabetes is crucial. Visceral fat (VF) is associated with prediabetes and insulin resistance. Ethnic and racial differences resulting in different levels of VF in the Indian population necessitates an India-specific study. There is a dearth of literature on the cut-off values of VF measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) to predict prediabetes in the Indian population. Hence, the main objective of this study was to determine the sex-specific cut-off value of VF on BIA to predict prediabetes in the Indian population. Methods: Three hundred individuals aged 18-55 years of both sexes were selected for this cross-sectional study. VF was evaluated as a part of body composition analysis using BIA. The body composition variables for the prediction of prediabetes were examined using backward logistic regression. Optimal cut-off levels of VF to predict prediabetes were identified using receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Results: VF, total fat, and age were found to be associated with prediabetes (p ≤ 0.05). In females, the cut-off value of VF for predicting prediabetes was identified as 8 with 77.8% sensitivity and 69.3% specificity; in males, it was 11 with 84% sensitivity and 62.9% specificity. Conclusion: This study contributes to the sex-specific cut-off values of VF level on BIA that can be used for predicting prediabetes in the Indian population.

Foot Kinetic and Kinematic Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Peripheral Neuropathy A Hospital-Based Study from South India.

BACKGROUND: A kinetic change in the foot such as altered plantar pressure is the most common etiological risk factor for foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus. Kinematic alterations in joint angle and spatiotemporal parameters of gait have also been frequently observed in participants with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Diabetic peripheral neuropathy leads to various microvascular and macrovascular complications of the foot in type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is a gap in the literature for biomechanical evaluation and assessment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with DPN in the Indian population. We sought to assess and determine the biomechanical changes, including kinetics and kinematics, of the foot in DPN. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a diabetic foot clinic in India. Using the purposive sampling method, 120 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and DPN were recruited. Participants with active ulceration or amputation were excluded. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age, height, weight, body mass index, and diabetes duration were 57 ± 14 years, 164 ± 11 cm, 61 ± 18 kg, 24 ± 3 kg/m2, and 12 ± 7 years, respectively. There were significant changes in the overall biomechanical profile and clinical manifestations of DPN. The regression analysis showed statistical significance for dynamic maximum plantar pressure at the forefoot with age, weight, height, diabetes duration, body mass index, knee and ankle joint angle at toe-off, pinprick sensation, and ankle reflex ( R = 0.71, R2 = 0.55, F12,108 = 521.9 kPa; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: People with type 2 diabetes mellitus and DPN have significant changes in their foot kinetic and kinematic parameters. Therefore, they could be at higher risk for foot ulceration, with underlying neuropathy and biomechanically associated problems.

Kinetics and kinematics of diabetic foot in type 2 diabetes mellitus with and without peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus patients are at increased risk of developing diabetic foot with peripheral neuropathy, vascular and musculoskeletal complications. Therefore they are prone to develop frequent and often foot problems with a relative high risk of infection, gangrene and amputation. In addition, altered plantar pressure distribution is an important etiopathogenic risk factor for the development of foot ulcers. Thus the review on study of foot kinematic and kinetic in type 2 diabetes mellitus to understand the biomechanical changes is important. METHODOLOGY: Scientific articles were obtained using electronic databases including Science Direct, CINAHL, Springer Link, Medline, Web of Science, and Pubmed. The selection was completed after reading the full texts. Studies using experimental design with focus on biomechanics of diabetic foot were selected. RESULTS: The meta-analysis report on gait velocity (neuropathy = 128 and non-diabetes = 131) showed that there was a significantly lower gait velocity in neuropathy participants compared to non-diabetes age matched participants at a high effect level (-0.09, 95 % CI -0.13 to 0.05; p < 0.0001). Regarding knee joint flexion range there was a significant difference between neuropathy and non-diabetes group (4.75, 95 % CI, -7.53 to 1.97, p = 0.0008). CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review with meta-analysis reported significant difference in kinematic and kinetic variables among diabetic with neuropathy, diabetic without neuropathy and non-diabetes individuals. The review also found that the sample size in some studies were not statistically significant to perform the meta-analysis and report a strong conclusion. Therefore a study with higher sample size should be done.

Hyponatraemia induced hyperCKaemia.

A 32-year-old woman presented to Kasturba Hospital, Manipal with the features of gastroenteritis and one episode of generalised tonic clonic seizure with loss of consciousness for 5 min. No abnormalities were found during neurological examination. Her baseline investigations showed low sodium, low serum osmolality, normal renal and liver function tests, urine myoglobin and antinuclear antibodies profile were negative. Incidentally her creatine kinase (CK) levels were found to be very high. She was treated with intravenous fluids and high salt diet for hyponatraemia. With correction of hyponatraemia, CK levels also improved, suggesting the probable diagnosis of hyponatraemia induced myopathy leading to hyperCKaemia. The importance of early recognition of this potentially-dangerous and rare condition is emphasised.

A complicated case of altered sensorium.

Tuberculosis and malaria are two common diseases afflicting the population of the Indian subcontinent. Both are associated with fatal neurological complications. Clinically, it may be difficult to differentiate between the two, except for that the focal neurological complications are more common with central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis than with cerebral malaria. We report the case of a 48-year-old woman who presented with a history of fever and altered sensorium of short duration. She was initially treated for falciparum malaria on the basis of positive peripheral smear and normal CT scan of the brain, but later on diagnosed to have CNS tuberculosis on the basis of persistence of symptoms, development of focal neurological symptoms and MRI of the brain showing multiple tuberculomas. She improved significantly with a course of antitubercular treatment (ATT) and systemic corticosteroids.

Hemihydranencephaly: rare disease with key to secrets of the brain.

A 21-year-old male presented to us in status epilepticus. On investigation, he was found to have an extremely rare disorder called 'hemihydranencephaly'. Review of literature revealed that hemihydranencephaly was not always incompatible with life and that research into this disorder would help in understanding the development, functioning, untapped potential and reorganisation capacity of the brain.

Sitagliptin-induced hemolysis.

Sitagliptin is a newer oral hypoglycemic drug of the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitor class. It appears to be a promising newer oral hypoglycemic agent. The advantages are the absence of hypoglycemia when used as monotherapy and they cause less gain weight. We report a case of sitagliptin-induced hemolysis, a rare side effect, not reported in the literature. As sitagliptin is widely used in type 2 diabetes mellitus physicians should be aware of the possibility of this rare but potentially serious adverse drug reaction.

Symptomatic hypocalcemia in primary hyperaldosteronism: a case report.

The metabolic alterations caused by hyperaldosteronism are being increasingly recognized and have generated considerable interest among the medical fraternity. Hyperaldosteronism is suspected to have a pivotal role in the patho-physiology of congestive cardiac failure where it has been studied extensively. But its effects on calcium metabolism, parathyroid metabolism and renal handling of calcium are less well described. Recent experimental models have shed light into the roles played by previously unknown mechanisms in causing these metabolic alterations. We hereby report a case of primary hyperaldosteronism due to adrenal adenoma (Conn's syndrome) who presented with a myriad of clinical features including symptomatic hypocalcemia, significant weight loss along with uncontrolled hypertension for a prolonged period before eventually detected to have primary hyperaldosteronism. Surgical removal of the causative tumor resulted in prompt disappearance of all the symptoms and signs and regain of lost weight.