Precipitating factors of diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes patients at a tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study with a two-time-period comparison.

Objective: To evaluate the precipitating factors of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with type 1 diabetes hospitalized through the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. Materials and methods: Individuals with type 1 diabetes hospitalized for DKA from January 2005 to March 2010 (first period [P1], n = 75) and from April 2010 to January 2017 (second period [P2], n = 97) were identified through a query of electronic medical records. Data were collected by reviewing medical records. Only the first hospitalization of each participant in each period was included. Results: In P2, 44 patients (45.4%) were women, mean age was 26.2 ± 14.5 years, and 74 patients (76.3%) had a previous diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Only 1 patient had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) below 64 mmol/mol (8.0%). Most patients (62.2%) had had a previous episode of DKA. In P1, non-adherence was the main cause of DKA (38.7%), followed by infection (24.0%). In P2, these rates were 34.0% and 24.7%, respectively; no statistical difference was observed between the two study periods (p = 0.790). Conclusion: Over time, non-adherence remained the main precipitating factor of DKA, followed by infection, and no significant difference was observed between the two study periods. Elevated HbA1c, outside the therapeutic range, indicates suboptimal diabetes care and may explain, at least in part, poor adherence as a precipitating factor of decompensation. Health strategies, such as improved self-management of type 1 diabetes, may contribute to a future reduction in DKA episodes.

The role of angiotensin receptor blockers in CVD risk management.

Introduction: Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are recommended as preferential drugs in the treatment of hypertension by guidelines. In this review, we reappraise their effectiveness to preventing major cardiovascular outcomes and the recent concerns with new adverse effects.Areas covered: ARBs were not superior to placebo in the prevention of all-cause deaths and combined cardiovascular events in seven randomized controlled trials (RCT). Several meta-analyses, with large number of participants, confirmed these findings. Three RCT trials, published in top journals, were retracted due to the uncertain reliability of their findings. Beside the low effectiveness in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), ARBs were implicated in one meta-analysis with an increased risk of cancer a finding that was not confirmed in another meta-analysis. In observational studies, ARBs were associated with a higher incidence of suicides. In addition, several lots of ARBs were contaminated with carcinogens.Expert opinion: ARBs have not been proven to reduce CVD risk and therefore should not be preferential drugs to treat hypertension. The implication of ARBs with suicide and cancer needs to be further studied.

Diabetes-Specific Questionnaires Validated in Brazilian Portuguese: A Systematic Review.

Two researchers conducted independent searches on five different electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, LiLACS and Web of Science. Studies were selected that covered cross-cultural adaptation methodology and validation in Brazil with type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients of any age. After reading the full-text articles, data related to psychometric characteristics were extracted from each study selected. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α (Cα). The initial searches identified 2,211 studies. After exclusions, 26 were included, covering a total of 31 questionnaires. Questionnaires were grouped into 11 domains based on their main focus of interest: adherence (n = 8), quality of life (n = 7), diabetes knowledge (n = 3), hypoglycemia (n = 3), self-efficacy (n = 3), satisfaction with pharmaceutical services (n = 1), emotional stress (n = 2), hope (n = 1), attitude towards diabetes (n = 1), perception of disease severity (n=1), and risk of developing diabetes (n = 1). This study identified and reviewed all of the diabetes-specific questionnaires that have been validated for Brazilian Portuguese, which should facilitate selection of the most appropriate instrument for each domain of interest in future research and clinical settings.

Quality indicators in type 2 diabetes patient care: analysis per care-complexity level.

BACKGROUND: This study was developed to evaluate quality indicators in type 2 diabetes patient care at the Unified Public Health System's primary and tertiary health care centers within a local population. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort of 488 patients with type 2 diabetes (148 in each primary health care unit, ESF and UBS, and 192 at the tertiary health care unit) with a 1-year follow-up to evaluate the following care quality indicators: nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy tests, yearly lipid profile and nutritional assessments, and an inquiry about tobacco use. The presence of > 50% of the quality of care assessment measures was considered acceptable. Indicators were also evaluated in relation to patients without proper diabetes control (HbA1c > 8.5%). RESULTS: In the results, a high percentage of patients were excluded specifically for not presenting the two HbA1c tests within a year (n = 208, 58.1% at ESF; n = 225, 58.4% at UBS; and n = 39, 16.9% at the tertiary health care unit). From the included patients, only 7 (4.7%) at ESF, 7 (4.7%) at UBS, and 52 (27.0%) at the tertiary health care unit showed > 50% of the quality criteria covered. When only patients without proper diabetes control were evaluated, none of them at any of the health care units showed all the quality criteria covered. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a low percentage of care assessment measures at each evaluated health care unit, pointing out the need to improve the protocols and care lines of diabetic patients.

Efficacy of chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide in combination with amiloride in multiple doses on blood pressure in patients with primary hypertension: a protocol for a factorial randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Thiazide diuretics have demonstrated favorable blood pressure lowering efficacy, but the equivalent doses of their more common agents, chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide, are still unclear. Further, concerns exist regarding adverse metabolic effects, which may be attenuated with the concomitant administration of a potassium-sparing diuretic, such as amiloride. This trial aims to investigate the efficacy of chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide, in combination with amiloride at different doses, for initial management of patients with primary hypertension. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a factorial (2 × 2) randomized double-blinded clinical trial comparing the association of a thiazide diuretic (chlorthalidone 25 mg/day or hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg/day) with a potassium-sparing diuretic (amiloride 10 mg/day or amiloride 20 mg/day) in patients with primary hypertension. The primary outcome will be the mean change from baseline in 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The secondary outcomes will be the mean change from baseline in daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, mean change from baseline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured by office blood pressure, incidence of adverse events, variation of laboratory parameters, and proportion of patients who achieved blood pressure control. The follow-up will last 12 weeks. For a P alpha of 0.05, power of 80%, standard deviation of 9 mmHg, and absolute difference of 6 mmHg on systolic blood pressure on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, it will be necessary to study a total of 76 patients. The sample size will be increased by 10% to compensate for losses, resulting in 84 patients being randomized. DISCUSSION: Diuretics are pivotal drugs for the treatment of hypertension. Chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide, in combination with amiloride in multiple doses, will be tested in terms of blood pressure lowering efficacy and safety. Since the intensity of blood pressure reduction is the major determinant of reduction in cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients, this study will help to determine which combination of diuretics represents the most appropriate treatment for this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03928145. Registered on 25 April 2019. Last update on 29 April 2019.

Precipitating factors of diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes patients at a tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study with a two-time-period comparison

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the precipitating factors of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with type 1 diabetes hospitalized through the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. Materials and methods: Individuals with type 1 diabetes hospitalized for DKA from January 2005 to March 2010 (first period [P1], n = 75) and from April 2010 to January 2017 (second period [P2], n = 97) were identified through a query of electronic medical records. Data were collected by reviewing medical records. Only the first hospitalization of each participant in each period was included. Results: In P2, 44 patients (45.4%) were women, mean age was 26.2 ± 14.5 years, and 74 patients (76.3%) had a previous diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Only 1 patient had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) below 64 mmol/mol (8.0%). Most patients (62.2%) had had a previous episode of DKA. In P1, non-adherence was the main cause of DKA (38.7%), followed by infection (24.0%). In P2, these rates were 34.0% and 24.7%, respectively; no statistical difference was observed between the two study periods (p = 0.790). Conclusion: Over time, non-adherence remained the main precipitating factor of DKA, followed by infection, and no significant difference was observed between the two study periods. Elevated HbA1c, outside the therapeutic range, indicates suboptimal diabetes care and may explain, at least in part, poor adherence as a precipitating factor of decompensation. Health strategies, such as improved self-management of type 1 diabetes, may contribute to a future reduction in DKA episodes.

Diabetes-Specific Questionnaires Validated in Brazilian Portuguese: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Two researchers conducted independent searches on five different electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, LiLACS and Web of Science. Studies were selected that covered cross-cultural adaptation methodology and validation in Brazil with type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients of any age. After reading the full-text articles, data related to psychometric characteristics were extracted from each study selected. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α (Cα). The initial searches identified 2,211 studies. After exclusions, 26 were included, covering a total of 31 questionnaires. Questionnaires were grouped into 11 domains based on their main focus of interest: adherence (n = 8), quality of life (n = 7), diabetes knowledge (n = 3), hypoglycemia (n = 3), self-efficacy (n = 3), satisfaction with pharmaceutical services (n = 1), emotional stress (n = 2), hope (n = 1), attitude towards diabetes (n = 1), perception of disease severity (n=1), and risk of developing diabetes (n = 1). This study identified and reviewed all of the diabetes-specific questionnaires that have been validated for Brazilian Portuguese, which should facilitate selection of the most appropriate instrument for each domain of interest in future research and clinical settings.