High triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio associated with albuminuria in type 2 diabetic subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic syndrome (MetS) predisposes diabetic subjects to nephropathy. Aside from hypertension and hyperglycemia, it is unclear which component of MetS also contributes to increased urinary albumin excretion (UAE). We compared the MetS profiles of subjects divided into two groups based on their UAE. METHODS: The Asia Pacific Real-Life Effectiveness and Care Patterns of Diabetes Management (AP RECAP-DM) study is a cross-sectional survey in which type 2 diabetic subjects using oral anti-hyperglycemic drugs were enrolled. We analyzed the data of 162 type 2 diabetic subjects with normotension or taking antihypertensive medications. RESULTS: There were 123 subjects with normal UAE (<30 mg/g) and 39 with abnormal UAE (≥30 mg/g). MetS was more prevalent in the abnormal UAE group (79.5%) than in the normal UAE group (58.5%) (P=0.018). Hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio=8.65, P<0.001) and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (odds ratio=3.27, P=0.022) were both independently associated with abnormal UAE. Using 3.4 as a cut-off value, a high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio was a useful marker (odds ratio=15.05, P<0.001) for abnormal UAE. CONCLUSIONS: A high triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol ratio was found to be an important risk factor for nephropathy in type 2 diabetic subjects.

Inertia on hypoglycemia: highlight from a Taiwan subgroup analysis of Real-Life Effectiveness and Care Patterns of Diabetes Management (RECAP-DM) study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global health issue. Patients with poor glycemic control often suffer from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, neuropathic, and nephropathic complications as well as other chronic conditions. Therapeutic guidelines recommend that diabetic patients should maintain their HbA(1c) level below a certain target in order to minimize the risk of developing complications. However, hypoglycemia is recognized as a major impediment to the adequate control of type 2 diabetes. Hypoglycemia can manifest symptoms of varying degrees of severity. Moreover, an association between hypoglycemia and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been reported. Here, we present a post hoc Taiwan subgroup analysis of these data collected in the RECAP-DM study to indicate probably more emphasis and concern on hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan. In this analysis, we found no significant difference was observed in treatment-related satisfaction between Taiwanese patients with or without hypoglycemia. Another finding of our study further shows that varying order of hypoglycemic symptoms or severity has no effect on patients' assessment of health-related quality of life scores. We need to pay more attention to this issue because of its enduring impact on compliance and concerns about hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients. Nevertheless, socio-demographic characteristics are also important factors influencing glycemic control and patients' health-related quality of life. Future interventions and therapeutic algorithms should emphasize the probable patients' unawareness or neglect on hypoglycemia in diabetic patients.

The risk factors for ultrasound-diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is garnering increasing interest and acceptance as one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for NAFLD among selected adolescent students in Hualien City, Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A stratified random sampling scheme was carried out among 1724 adolescent students aged 12 or 13 years old in Hualien City. In total, 220 students (normal: overweight: obese = 97:48:75) agreed to join the study. They underwent physical examination, laboratory tests and ultrasonography examination of the liver. Diagnosis of NAFLD in this study was based on sonographic evidence of a fatty liver and testing negative for serum HBsAg and anti- HCV antibody. RESULTS: Of the 220 participants, 4 were excluded because they tested positive for HBsAg or anti-HCV antibody. NAFLD was detected in 86 (39.8%) out of the 216 subjects. The rate of NAFLD in the adolescents increased progressively from 16.0% in the normal group to 50.5% in the overweight group, and 63.5% among the obese subjects. Compared to their normal counterparts, adolescents with NAFLD had a significantly higher weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride and nonhigh- density-lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. However, among the participants with NAFLD, only 20 (23.3%) showed ALT abnormality but there was an increasing trend of ALT abnormality as the severity of fatty liver increased. In addition, the higher ALT, Homeostasis model assessment- insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cholesterol, triglyceride, and non-HDL levels and lower HDL-C as the severity of fatty liver increased. In a stepwise logistic regression analysis, the most significant factor associated with the presence of NAFLD was weight category. When compared with their normal counterparts, overweight and obese adolescents had a 4.14 and 5.98 times the risk of having NAFLD, respectively. Elevated ALT was the second most important factor as adolescents with elevated ALT were more likely to have NAFLD (odds ratio = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.16 to 9.50). Non-HDL cholesterol level was the third most important factor associated with NAFLD with a 3.81-fold increase in risk incurred for every l n (1 mg/dL) increment. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity, ALT abnormality and elevated non-HDL-cholesterol are risk factors for NAFLD in adolescents. However, only 23.3% of the adolescents with NAFLD showed an abnormality for ALT. Therefore, ALT alone is not a sufficient indicator; and it is recommended that ultrasonography of the liver should be part of the routine health examination of obese adolescents.

Association of C-reactive protein and hyperuricemia with diabetic nephropathy in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

To investigate the relationship of micro-albuminuria with C-reactive protein (CRP) and hyperuricemia in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. All patients with type 2 diabetes, 40 years old and over were recruited consecutively from diabetic clinics at a medical center. Serum lipid, creatinine, uric acid, CRP, HbA(1C) and urinary albumin concentration were measured. A total of 515 patients, aged 60.3 +/- 10.7 years were recruited and the number (rate) of micro- and macro-albuminuria were 109 (21.2%) and 55 (10.7%). The prevalence of micro-albuminuria for the quartiles of CRP levels demonstrated a meaningful trend of increases between groups from 17.4, 21.1, 30.3, and 31.2% (P trend = 0.002). Besides, the median CRP concentrations was significantly higher in the patients with micro- and macro-albuminuria than those with non-albuminuria. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that CRP was significantly associated with abnormal albuminuria (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.12-1.64, P = 0.002). After excluding those subjects with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotension II receptor blockers or/and statin usage, the observed relationship between serum CRP levels and albuminuria was still persistent (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.24-2.08, P < 0.001). In addition, hyperuricemia were significantly associated with abnormal albuminuria in the patients without diuretics, uricosuric agents or alcohol usage. Both serum CRP levels and hyperuricemia were significantly related to the presence of albuminuria in patients with diabetes. In addition, Chinese type 2 diabetic patients with serum CRP levels in the lower range as other ethnic groups can lead to the development of micro-albuminuria.

The insulin sensitivity, glucose sensitivity, and acute insulin response to glucose load in adolescent type 2 diabetes in Taiwanese.

BACKGROUND: Insulin sensitivity (SI), glucose sensitivity (SG), acute insulin response to glucose load (AIR), and obesity in adolescent type 2 diabetes patients (young diabetes, YDM) in Taiwan were studied. METHODS: Forty patients diagnosed at <22 years of age were enrolled and divided into non-obese (NOYDM, BMI < 27 kg/m(2)) and obese groups (OBYDM BMI > 27 kg/m(2)). Adult-onset type 2 diabetes patients (ADM) >40 years old (n = 41) and nondiabetic young adults (N) (n = 23) served as controls. Fasting plasma lipids, insulin, and glucose were measured. Homeostasis model assessment was calculated to estimate insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function. A frequent-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed to evaluate SI, SG, and AIR. RESULTS: SI and AIR were significantly lower in YDM and ADM than in N (0.92 +/- 0.13, 0.8 +/- 0.15 and 3.24 +/- 0.47 x 10(-4)/U/mL for SI; 40.3 +/- 20.3, 107.3 +/- 50.2, 1208 +/- 306.3 uU/min for AIR). SG of YDM and ADM were lower compared with N (0.014 +/- 0.00138, 0.0292 +/- 0.0058 vs 0.034 +/- 0.0086 min(-1) respectively). No difference was noted between YDM and ADM. SI and SG were not different in NOYDM and OBYDM. AIR was higher in OBYDM (83.6 +/- 34.3 vs -7.6 +/- 13.66 uU/min). CONCLUSIONS: YDM had defects in SI, SG, and AIR compared to N, which was similar to the pathophysiology of ADM. The results imply that YDM may be either a different subtype of diabetes or the same type of diabetes as ADM, with severe defects associated with earlier age of onset. OBYDM had higher AIR than NOYDM.

The insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness and acute insulin response to glucose load of non-obese adolescent type 2 diabetes.

To determine the clinical characteristics in adolescent type 2 diabetes (young diabetes, YDM) in Taiwan, we enrolled 11 males who were diagnosed with YDM before 19 years of age into our study. Another 11 patients with adult type 2 diabetes (mature age diabetes, MADM) who were diagnosed after the age of 40 were enrolled as compare group. Subjects from both groups were being treated with oral hypoglycemic agents only at the time of enrollment, and none of the subjects had a history of diabetic ketoacidosis. Plasma lipid levels were measured from the fasting plasma sample. A homeostasis model assessment was used to estimate insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S) and beta-cell function (HOMA-B). Frequent-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was also performed to measure the insulin sensitivity (S(I)), glucose effectiveness (E(G)), and acute insulin response after glucose load (AIR). After adjusting for age and BMI, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and HOMA-B levels were similar between two groups. The fasting plasma insulin and HOMA-S were significantly higher in YDM. However, the S(I), E(G) and AIR in both groups were also not significantly different. In conclusion, the early onset of diabetes in YDM may be due to the early deterioration of the S(I), E(G) and AIR with similar severity compared with MADM. The role of E(G) might be more important than previously thought in these patients. Finally, the YDM might be a subtype of type 2 diabetes.

Association between depressive symptoms and twelve-year mortality among elderly in a rural community in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association between depression and mortality for adults has been established, but the results for older adults remain inconsistent. This study investigated whether depressive symptoms at baseline identify a group of community-residing Taiwanese elderly with a greater mortality over a 12-year period. METHODS: A cohort of 281 adults aged 65 years and over living in the Shin-Woo district of Taoyuan were interviewed to screen for depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) in 1986. During follow-up, one subject had relocated, therefore, 280 subjects were included in the subsequent mortality analysis. The variables selected for analyses were age, gender, physical health, educational level, marital status, religious beliefs, income, type of household, Family APGAR Index, and depressive symptoms. The primary outcome measure was 12-year mortality. Mortality data were collected through 1998. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to determine the association between CES-D score and mortality. RESULTS: Of the 280 study participants, 94 died within the 12-year study period. Univariate analysis revealed the following significant predictors of mortality: advanced age, type of household, marital status, and CES-D score. The multivariate age-adjusted hazard ratio for depressive symptoms (CES-D score >/= 15 vs < 15) was 1.55 (95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 2.44). CONCLUSIONS: Depression among community-residing elderly increased the risk of dying during the 12-year period of follow-up.