Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Higher Blood Pressure, and Infrequent Fundus Examinations Have a Higher Risk of Sight-Threatening Retinopathy.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common cause of preventable blindness among working-age adults. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the regularity of fundus examinations and risk factor control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on the prevalence and severity of DR. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six T2DM patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Results: In this sample, the prevalence of DR was 46.2%. Patients with no DR mainly did not examine the fundus regularly, while most patients with mild/moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR) underwent a fundus examination regularly. In 39.7% of patients, this was the first fundus examination due to diabetes, and 67% of them had sight-threatening DR (STDR). Diabetes duration (p = 0.007), poor glycemic control (HbA1c) (p = 0.006), higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p = 0.002) were the main predictors of DR. However, the impact of SBP (AOR 1.07, p = 0.003) and DBP (AOR 1.13, p = 0.005) on DR development remained significant even after adjustment for diabetes duration and HbA1c. The DR prevalence was higher in patients with higher blood pressure (≥130/80 mmHg) than in those with target blood pressure (<130/80 mmHg) (p = 0.043). None of the patients with target blood pressure had STDR. The peaks in SBP and DBP were observed in T2DM with DR and the first fundus examination due to diabetes. Conclusions: In this T2DM sample, DR prevalence was very high and strongly related to blood pressure and a lack of regular fundus examinations. These results indicate the necessity of establishing systematic DR screening in routine diabetes care and targeting blood pressure levels according to T2DM guidelines.

Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure Are Independent Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes and represents the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for DR in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with and without diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: A total of 160 patients with T2DM were included in the study. Photodocumented retinopathy status was determined according to the EURODIAB protocol. Renal function was determined using creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Binary univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the main predictors of DR. RESULTS: The prevalence of DR in this studied sample was 46.3%. No significant correlation was observed between DR and age, body mass index, serum lipids, and renal function. Binary logistic regression analysis (no DR/DR) showed that longer diabetes duration (p = 0.008), poor glycemic control (HbA1c) (p = 0.008), higher systolic blood pressure (p = 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.003) were the main predictors of DR in patients with T2DM. However, the influence of systolic blood pressure (AOR = 1.06, p = 0.004) and diastolic blood pressure (AOR = 1.12, p = 0.007) on DR development remained significant even after adjustment for diabetes duration and HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that systolic and diastolic blood pressure are independent risk factors for DR in patients with T2DM.

BLOOD PRESSURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY IN TYPE 1 BUT NOT IN TYPE 2 DIABETES.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to determine the differences between these two types of diabetes. This cross-sectional study included 84 patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and 107 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Ophthalmologic retinal examination included indirect slit-lamp fundoscopy, color fundus photography according to EURODIAB (EUROpe and DIABetes) protocol and optical coherence tomography. Blood pressure was measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer after a 10-minute rest period. In T1DM, DR was positively associated with SBP (p = 0.035), HbA1cmedian (p < 0.001) and hypertensive retinopathy (p < 0.001), while in T2DM DR was positively related only to HbA1cmedian (p = 0.021). Binary logistic regression analysis (no DR/DR) showed that diabetes duration and HbA1cmedian were the main predictors of DR in both types of diabetes. In contrast, SBP (OR = 1.05, p = 0.045) and hypertensive retinopathy (OR = 3.75, p < 0.001) were the main predictors/indicators of DR only in T1DM. In conclusion, blood pressure is associated with DR in type 1 but not in type 2 diabetes.

HDL cholesterol is a protective predictor in the development and progression of retinopathy in type 1 diabetes: A 15-year follow-up study.

AIMS: To evaluate the 15-year incidence of development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 diabetic patients (T1DM) and determine the associated risk factors. METHODS: 123 T1DM were included in this prospective cohort study and followed for 15 years. Demographic, clinical, laboratory parameters, and retinal photographs were collected and analyzed. Risk factors for DR development and progression were identified using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, 87 (71%) patients had no DR, and 36 (29%) had nonproliferative DR (NPDR). After 15 years, 54 patients (43.9%; 29.3/1000 person-years) developed NPDR or progressed to proliferative DR (PDR); 24 (27.6%) developed new NPDR, and 30 (83.3%) progressed to PDR. HbA1c (HR = 1.48, p = 0.008) and urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) (HR = 1.58, p = 0.045) were associated with the risk of DR development and progression, and a protective association was found for HDL cholesterol (HR = 0.17, p = 0.021). The presence of DR at baseline (HR = 2.95, p = 0.023) was associated with the risk of its progression to PDR. CONCLUSIONS: The 15-year incidence of DR development and progression in T1DM is still very high, which points to the need for close monitoring of T1DM, especially those with higher HbA1c, higher AER, the initial presence of DR, and lower HDL cholesterol.

Plasma homocysteine is associated with nonproliferative retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes without renal disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to assess the role of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in the development of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without chronic kidney disease. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that included 94 T2DM. Hcy, serum 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate were determined by the CMIA method. NPDR was determined according to the EURODIAB retinal photography methodology and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macula. RESULTS: Compared to patients without NPDR, patients with NPDR had longer diabetes duration (p < 0.001), higher Hcy (p < 0.001), lower vitamin B12 (p = 0.028) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p = 0.004). NPDR was positively associated with diabetes duration (p < 0.001), HbA1c (p = 0.049) and Hcy (p < 0.001), and negatively with vitamin B12 (p = 0.027) and eGFR (p = 0.005). Logistic regression analyses showed that diabetes duration (OR = 1.13, p < 0.001), Hcy (OR = 1.06, p = 0.047), and eGFR (OR = 0.96, p = 0.004) were the main predictors of NPDR in T2DM. Stepwise regression analyses showed that the best model for predicting Hcy (R2 = 0.104) included vitamins B12 and D. CONCLUSIONS: Higher Hcy is associated with NPDR and may play a role as a risk factor for its development in T2DM. Vitamins B12 and D seem to modify this association.

Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia are Associated with Cataract Development in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with diabetes have up to five times higher incidence of cataract, mainly at a younger age, and cataract in these patients progresses more rapidly than senile cataract, especially in eyes affected with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR). AIM: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with cataract development in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: This case-control cross-sectional study included 90 T2DM (56M/34F). Metabolic risk factors glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were determined using routine laboratory methods. Blood pressure was measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer after a 10-min resting period. Lens opacity was graded according to the Lens Opacity Classification System version III (LOCS III). RESULTS: According to the LOCS III, patients were divided into two groups: group 1-patients with clear crystalline lens, and group 2-patients with initial cataract. Compared to patients with a clear crystalline lens, those with initial cataract had longer diabetes duration (p = 0.002), higher HbA1c (p = 0.037), higher total cholesterol (p = 0.029), higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p = 0.014), and lower creatinine clearance (p = 0.017). Cataract was positively associated with diabetes duration (p = 0.001), HbA1c (p = 0.035), LDL cholesterol (p = 0.042), and DBP (p = 0.009), while negatively with creatinine clearance (p = 0.005). Logistic regression analysis showed that the influence of DBP (AOR = 1.06, p = 0.014) and creatinine clearance (AOR = 2.93, p = 0.045) on cataract development remained significant even after adjustment for diabetes duration and HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes duration and various metabolic risk factors, particularly poor glycemic control, hypercholesterolemia, DBP, and diabetic nephropathy's coexistence, are associated with cataract development in T2DM.

Systemic inflammation and dyslipidemia are associated with retinopathy in type 2 but not in type 1 diabetes.

The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors and role of systemic inflammation, dyslipidemia and obesity in development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and determine the differences in risk factors between these two types of diabetes. Eighty-four type 1 and 107 type 2 diabetic patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Diabetes duration, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were assessed. C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting and postprandial blood glucose (fBG, ppBG), HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (TG) were determined using routine methods. HbA1cmedian was obtained by statistical analysis of the CroDiabNet data and used as a marker of long-term glycemic control. Albumin excretion rate (AER) was measured in a 24-hour urine collection. Ophthalmologic retinal examination included indirect slit-lamp fundoscopy, color fundus photography according to EURODIAB (EUROpe and DIABetes) protocol and optical coherence tomography. DR was positively related to diabetes duration (p < .001), HbA1cmedian (p < .001) and AER (p = .008) in type 1, and diabetes duration (p < .001), HbA1cmedian (p = .018), AER (p < .001), CRP (p = .048) and TG (p = .041) in type 2 diabetes. Regression analysis showed that diabetes duration (OR 1.20, p = .005) and HbA1cmedian (OR 6.92, p = .007) were the main predictors of DR in type 1, and diabetes duration (OR 1.17, p < .001), fBG (OR 1.45, p = .024) and TG (OR 2.08, p = .025) in type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, systemic inflammation and dyslipidemia are associated with DR in type 2 but not in type 1 diabetes.

Association between arsenic exposure and biomarkers of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Croatian population: A comparative observational pilot study.

Chronic exposure to high inorganic As levels in drinking water has been related to many diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The association with low and moderate As levels, however, remains controversial and has yet not been studied in European populations. This study aimed to investigate possible association between As exposure and biomarkers of T2D in Croatian population. Observation recruited 86 adults from Eastern Croatia, where groundwater is contaminated with inorganic As, and 116 adults from Western Croatia, where As levels in drinking water are low. Both populations were divided in patient groups (T2D or prediabetes) and healthy controls. Exposure was assessed by determining total As in blood and urine and As metabolites in urine. Eastern Croatian population had a significantly higher content of As in urine than Western, whereas the opposite was true for arsenobetain. Total As and As metabolites in urine positively correlated with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and negatively with albuminuria. This study provides important preliminary data on the levels of As in urine and blood and their association with biomarkers of T2D in Croatian population exposed to low or moderate levels of As through drinking water as a solid basis for further research of the pathophysiological effects of such As exposure on the status and complications of diabetes.

Diabetic Macular Edema: Traditional and Novel Treatment

Diabetes is one of the leading public health problems worldwide. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes. Ideal metabolic control of diabetes is the primary goal of treatment and the basic way of preventing and stopping the progression of DME. Although laser photocoagulation has been the standard treatment of DME for nearly three decades, superior outcomes can be achieved with novel, intravitreal anti-VEGF and steroid therapy. Novel treatment option for DME depends on visual acuity and location/extent of macular thickening based on optical coherence tomography scans. According to the International Clinical Classification Scale, DME is divided into no center-involving DME and center-involving DME (CI-DME). New guidelines recommend intravitreal treatment as the treatment of choice for patients with CI-DME and moderate visual impairment. Patients with no CI-DME and mild visual impairment should be treated with modified ETDRS laser photocoagulation and closely observed. Vitrectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with a tractional component of DME. Nowadays, traditional treatment goal of preventing blindness in patients with DME has been changed by the new goal aiming to restore impaired vision, prevent further vision loss and improve visual function. Therefore, many trials addressing this new concept have been underway worldwide.

Age-dependent systemic DNA damage in early Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

Oxidative stress, capable of eliciting damage to various biomolecules including DNA, is a recognized component of diabetes mellitus and its complications. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as well as other unfavorable outcomes. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the development of T2DM, by investigating association of oxidative DNA damage with metabolic parameters in subjects with MetS and early T2DM. Selected anthropometric and biochemical parameters of MetS, inflammation and oxidative DNA damage: body mass index (BMI), fatty liver index (FLI), waist circumference (WC), total cholesterol, HDL and LDL-cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), uric acid, C-reactive protein (CRP), total leukocyte/neutrophil count, and urinary 8-hidroxy-deoxyguanosine (u-8-OHdG) were assessed in male subjects with MetS and both younger (≤55 years) and older (>55 years) subjects with T2DM of short duration without complications. BMI, FLI, WC, total and LDL-cholesterol and uric acid were higher, while the u-8-OHdG was lower in MetS group, when compared to older T2DM subjects. None of these parameters were different neither between MetS and younger T2DM, nor between two sub-groups of subjects with T2DM. Values of CRP, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, GGT, leukocytes and neutrophils were not different between all examined groups of subjects. Higher 8-OHdG in older subjects with T2DM suggests that both aging process and diabetes could contribute to the development of DNA damage. Oxidative DNA damage cannot serve as an universal early marker of T2DM.

Inverse Levels of Adiponectin in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Are in Accordance with the State of Albuminuria.

Aims. To investigate the behaviour of adiponectin (ApN) in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Methods. ApN and inflammatory and other markers of the metabolic syndrome were compared across diabetes types, albumin excretion rate (AER), and creatinine clearance (CrCl) categories in 219 type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Results. Significant differences among ApN levels according to AER were found in both types of diabetes (F = 8.45, df = 2, P < 0.001). With the progression of albuminuria, ApN increased in type 1 and decreased in type 2 diabetes. Patients with decreased CrCl had higher ApN levels than those with normal CrCl in either type of diabetes (F = 12.7, df = 1, P < 0.001). The best model for ApN (R (2) = 0.9002) obtained from stepwise regression in type 1 diabetes included CrCl, BMI, WBC, CRP, and age, while in type 2 diabetes (R (2) = 0.2882) it included ppPG, LDL, and UA. Conclusion. ApN behaved differently in relation to albuminuria, increasing with its progression in type 1 diabetes and decreasing in type 2 diabetes. It was however increased in the subgroups with decreased CrCl in both types of diabetes. Albuminuria seems to be more important than renal insufficiency in the definition of ApN levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Body mass index and retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients.

Aim. To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) independently or in correlation with other risk factors is associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression. Methods. The study included 176 patients with type 1 diabetes divided into three groups according to DR status: group 1 (no retinopathy; n = 86), group 2 (mild/moderate nonproliferative DR; n = 33), and group 3 (severe/very severe NPDR or proliferative DR; n = 57). Results. A significant deterioration of HbA1c, an increase in total cholesterol, systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and diabetic nephropathy with the progression of retinopathy were found. DR progression was correlated with diabetes duration, HbA1c, hypertension, total cholesterol, and the presence of nephropathy. In patients without nephropathy, statistical analyses showed that progression of retinopathy increased significantly with higher BMI (gr. 1: 24.03 ± 3.52, gr. 2: 25.36 ± 3.44, gr. 3: 26.93 ± 3.24; P < 0.01). A positive correlation between BMI and a significant deterioration of HbA1c, an increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, and hypertension was observed. Conclusion. BMI in correlation with HbA1c, cholesterol, and hypertension appears to be associated with the progression of DR in type 1 diabetic patients without nephropathy. However, additional studies are required to investigate the pathogenic role of obesity and weight loss in retinal diabetic complications particularly relating to nephropathy.

Inflammation, haemostatic disturbance, and obesity: possible link to pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes.

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is insufficiently understood but may possibly involve chronic, low-grade inflammation. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between inflammatory and haemostatic markers, other markers of endothelial dysfunction and anthropometric parameters, and their association with DR in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: According to the DR status patients were divided into three groups: no retinopathy, mild/moderate nonproliferative (NPDR), and severe NPDR/proliferative retinopathy (PDR). RESULTS: The groups did not differ in the levels of inflammatory and haemostatic markers, other markers of endothelial dysfunction, and anthropometric parameters. After dividing the patients according to the level of obesity (defined by BMI, WC, and WHR) into three groups ANOVA showed the differences in C-reactive protein according to the WC (P = 0.0265) and in fibrinogen according to the WHR (P = 0.0102) as well as in total cholesterol (P = 0.0109) and triglycerides (P = 0.0133) according to the BMI. Logistic regression analyses showed that diabetes duration and prolonged poor glycemic control are the main predictors of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: Interrelations between obesity, inflammation, haemostatic disturbance, and other risk factors may possibly play an important additional role in endothelial dysfunction involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.

Body mass index: a risk factor for retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether body mass index (BMI) independently or in correlation with other risk factors is associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression. The study included 545 patients with type 2 diabetes. According to DR status, they were divided into three groups: group 1 (no retinopathy; n = 296), group 2 (mild/moderate nonproliferative DR; n = 118), and group 3 (severe/very severe NPDR or proliferative DR; n = 131). Patients without DR were younger than those with signs of retinopathy at time of diabetes onset whilst diabetes duration was longer in groups with severe NPDR and PDR. DR progression was correlated with diabetes duration, BMI, HbA1c, hypertension, and cholesterol. Statistical analyses showed that the progression of retinopathy increased significantly with higher BMI (gr. 1: 26.50 ± 2.70, gr. 2: 28.11 ± 3.00, gr. 3: 28.69 ± 2.50; P < 0.01). We observed a significant deterioration of HbA1c and a significant increase in cholesterol and hypertension with an increase in BMI. Correlation between BMI and triglycerides was not significant. Thus, BMI in correlation with HbA1c cholesterol and hypertension appears to be associated with the progression of DR in type 2 diabetes and may serve as a predictive factor for the development of this important cause of visual loss in developed countries.

Inflammation and pharmacological treatment in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus, is estimated to be the leading cause of new blindness in the working population of developed countries. Primary interventions such as intensive glycemic control, strict blood pressure regulation, and lipid-modifying therapy as well as local ocular treatment (laser photocoagulation and pars plana vitrectomy) can significantly reduce the risk of retinopathy occurrence and progression. Considering the limitations of current DR treatments development of new therapeutic strategies, it becomes necessary to focus on pharmacological treatment. Currently, there is increasing evidence that inflammatory processes have a considerable role in the pathogenesis of DR with multiple studies showing an association of various systemic as well as local (vitreous and aqueous fluid) inflammatory factors and the progression of DR. Since inflammation is identified as a relevant mechanism, significant effort has been directed to the development of new concepts for the prevention and treatment of DR acting on the inflammatory processes and the use of pharmacological agents with anti-inflammatory effect. Inhibiting the inflammatory pathway could be an appealing treatment option for DR in future practices, and as further prospective randomized clinical trials accumulate data, the role and guidelines of anti-inflammatory pharmacologic treatments will become clearer.

The role of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.

The pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is insufficiently understood and presumed to possibly involve inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between inflammation markers, other markers of endothelial dysfunction and anthropometric parameters and their association with DR in patients with type 2 diabetes, divided into three groups: no retinopathy (N = 65), mild/moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR; N = 19) and severe NPDR/proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR; N = 23). The groups did not differ in the levels of inflammation markers, other markers of endothelial dysfunction and anthropometric parameters. C-reactive protein was correlated with fibrinogen, HbA1c, LDL-cholesterol, BMI, WC, WHR and C index. HbA1c was correlated with cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, BMI and WC. Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes duration and HbAlc median were the main predictors of retinopathy. The study demonstrated that the association between obesity, inflammation and other risk factors plays an important role in endothelial impairment involved in the pathogenesis of DR.

Validation of Point-of-Care Glucose Testing for Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.

Point-of-care (POC) glucose technology is currently considered to be insufficiently accurate for the diagnosis of diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of an innovative, interference-resistant POC glucose meter (StatStrip glucose hospital meter, Nova Biomedical, USA) in subjects with a previous history of dysglycaemia, undergoing a 75 g diagnostic oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT). Venous and capillary blood sampling for the reference laboratory procedure (RLP) and POC-glucose measurement was carried out at fasting and 2 h oGTT, and categories of glucose tolerance were classified according to 2006 WHO diagnostic criteria for the respective sample type. We found an excellent between-method correlation at fasting (r = 0.9681, P < 0.0001) and 2 h oGTT (r = 0.9768, P < 0.0001) and an almost perfect diagnostic agreement (weighted Kappa = 0.858). Within a total of 237 study subjects, 137 were diagnosed with diabetes with RLP, and only 6 of them were reclassified as having glucose intolerance with POC. The diagnostic performance of POC-fasting glucose in discriminating between the normal and any category of disturbed glucose tolerance did not differ from the RLP (P = 0.081). Results of this study indicate that StatStrip POC glucose meter could serve as a reliable tool for the diabetes diagnosis, particularly in primary healthcare facilities with dispersed blood sampling services.

The prevalence of depression and anxiety in seafarers type 2 diabetic patients.

Depression and anxiety are co-morbid condition in diabetes as disease-related psychological reactions on this chronic metabolic illness. This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of depression and anxiety in seafarer's type 2 diabetic patients. A random sample of 52 diabetic seafarers treated with diet and oral glucose lowering agents, and 56 healthy seafarers were screened for depression with The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and for anxiety with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1, STAI 2). Depression (BDI > 18.5) and anxiety (STAI < 28.5) was significantly higher in the group of diabetic seafarers than in control group (more than 30%). Significant correlation was noted between depression and duration of diabetes mellitus, degree of obesity and poor glycaemic control (HbA1C > 8%) and longer duration of shipping routes (over 6 months). The proportion of depression and anxiety was found higher in seafarer's type 2 diabetic patients than in the healthy seafarers.

Lipoprotein(a) predicts progression of carotid artery intima-media thickening in patients with type 2 diabetes: A four-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to establish whether increased levels of serum lipoprotein(a) significantly contribute to an increase in intima-media thickness and the number of carotid artery plaques, and consequently to cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Lipoprotein(a) levels, intima-media thickness and the number of carotid artery plaques were determined at the beginning of the study in 146 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients were divided into two groups according to serum lipoprotein(a) levels (> or 30 mg/dl had more cardiovascular events, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that lipoprotein(a) is an independent, genetically determined risk factor closely associated with progression of intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetes.

Adiponectin has different mechanisms in type 1 and type 2 diabetes with C-peptide link.

PURPOSE: Adiponectin (ApN) is considered to be responsible for reduction of inflammation and is known to be included in lipid metabolism. This study was designed to assess the role of adiponectin in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to determine parameters important in the prediction of adiponectin. METHODS: Adiponectin, high sensitive C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocysteine, C-peptide, and lipid panel in addition to clinical and laboratory parameters important for the definition of diabetes, obesity and the metabolic syndrome were measured in 118 patients. RESULTS: The best model (R2=0.989) for predicting adiponectin in type 1 diabetes included fibrinogen, white blood cell count, uric acid and triglycerides. In type 2 diabetes the best model (R2=0.751) included C-peptide, white blood cell count, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. ANOVA showed among-group differences in adiponectin (P=0.028), body mass index (P < 0.001), fasting blood glucose (P < 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P =0.012) according to the type of diabetes. Between-group differences were also observed in adiponectin (P =0.033) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P =0.009) according to sex. Adiponectin correlated (P < 0.05) with body mass index, C-peptide, pulse pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Adiponectin levels were higher in type 1 diabetes. The association between C-peptide and adiponectin is probably one of the reasons for their different respective levels in different types of diabetes. Interrelations between adiponectin and inflammation, dyslipidemia, C-peptide levels and sex appear to be important for complex adiponectin modulation and action.