Prevalence, incidence and concomitant co-morbidities of type 2 diabetes mellitus in South Western Germany--a retrospective cohort and case control study in claims data of a large statutory health insurance.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a world-wide epidemic. This chronic metabolic disease has a major impact on life expectancy and on quality of life. The burden of this disease includes a number of co-morbidities. However, estimates of prevalence, incidence and associated diseases as well as the current temporal development and regional differences are largely missing for South Western Germany. METHODS: Lifetime diagnosis-based prevalence, incidence and presence of concomitant co-morbidities were examined between the years 2007 and 2010 in the claims data set of all insured persons of the AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg, a large statutory health insurance. The analysis was based on the respective WHO-ICD-10 codes. Data were standardized for age and sex on the residential population of about 10 million inhabitants of South Western Germany. RESULTS: The total study cohort involved approximately 3.5 million persons each year. The standardized diagnosis-based prevalence (SDP) of T2DM rose from 6.6%, 7.4%, 8.0%, up to 8.6% in the years 2007 to 2010. Yearly SDP was between 14.0% and 18.9% at an age range of 60 to 64 years and between 26.7% and 31.8% at an age of 75 years or older. In the year 2010 the regional distributions of standardized diagnosis-based prevalence were between 7.6% and 11.6 %, respectively. Incidence rates were 8.3 in 2008, 7.8 in 2009, and 8.7 in 2010 (all rates per 1000). The excess disease risk (odds ratio) of T2DM was for adiposity 2.8 to 3.0, hypertension 2.4 to 3.7, coronary heart disease 1.8 to 1.9, stroke 1.7 to 1.8, renal insufficiency 2.8 to 3.4, and retinopathy 2.8 to 2.9 in the years 2007 to 2010. These co-morbidities appeared several years earlier compared to the non-diabetic population. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM is common and increasing in South Western Germany. In particular a quarter of the population in higher ages was afflicted by T2DM. Interestingly a region-specific pattern was observed as well as an increase in numbers during earlier years in life. Our data underline the need for diabetes awareness programmes including early diagnosis measures as well as structured and timely health surveys for major diseases such as T2DM and its concomitant co-morbidities.

Few associations between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and environmental factors in 4.5-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade inflammation in early childhood might protect from allergic diseases later in life. Our aim was to examine the effects of different environmental factors on low-grade inflammation measured with serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) at the age of 4.5 years. METHODS: The high-sensitivity CRP values (n = 653) and serum-specific IgE concentrations were measured from 4.5-year-old children in rural areas in five European countries (Austria, Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland). Children belonged to the prospective multi-center PASTURE birth cohort. Data on early and current farming environment and domestic animal exposure were collected by questionnaires. RESULTS: Females as well as obese or very obese children at age of 4.5 years had higher hsCRP values than males (aOR 1.84 95% CI 1.27-2.66) and healthy weight children (aOR 4.47 95% CI 1.94-10.31), respectively. Levels were lowest in the summer. Few associations were detected between hsCRP values and farm environmental factors or atopic sensitization. However, there was evidence of children with low levels of hsCRP (below the detection limit) who had increased prevalence of sensitization to inhaled and seasonal allergens. Among non-sensitized children, spending time in stables was associated with reduced hsCRP (15 min-10 h aOR 0.40 95% CI 0.16-0.96 and ≥10 h aOR 0.25 95% CI 0.07-0.90), and among sensitized children, maternal smoking was associated with higher hsCRP values (aOR 2.51 95% CI 1.12-5.59). CONCLUSION: We found few associations between early environmental farming factors and hsCRP levels, and between hsCRP levels and atopic sensitization in 4.5-year-old children. However, our results suggest that the role played by the environmental factors in low-grade inflammation may differ between sensitized and non-sensitized children.

Sleep duration and smoking cessation in student nurses.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess predictors of smoking cessation in young adults. DESIGN: Prospective study of smoking cessation. SETTING: 32 Schools of Nursing in Southwest Germany. PARTICIPANTS: 500 student nurses, 82% female, median age 19.9 years, who smoked at baseline. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Smoking status and potential predictors of smoking cessation were assessed by two questionnaires within a median time interval of 13.1 months. At follow-up, 10.6% of the participants had stopped smoking. Sleep duration was positively associated with smoking cessation. One hour additional sleep per night at baseline increased the relative probability to stop smoking by 1.48 (95% CI 1.14-1.93). The number of cigarettes per day and the 'self-assessment of smoking behaviour in 5 years' were additional factors predicting smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep duration may influence smoking cessation and may have relevance for advising people who want to quit smoking.