Prevalence and predictors of depression and anxiety in adult patients with type 1 diabetes in tertiary care setting.

AIMS: To determine gender and age differences in the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their predictive factors in adult patients with type 1 diabetes (DM1). METHODS: Random sample of DM1 adult patients from a tertiary care hospital cohort. To evaluate the presence of depression and anxiety, psychological evaluation was performed using structured clinical interview (MINI). For the specific evaluation of fear of hypoglycemia (FH), FH-15 questionnaire was used. RESULTS: 339 patients [51.6% male; 38.5 ± 12.9 years; HbA1c 7.5 ± 1.1% (58.5 ± 14.2 mmol/mol); 20.1 ± 12.0 years of DM1] met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and FH in men vs. women was as follows (%): depression: 15.4 vs. 33.5 (p < 0.05); anxiety: 13.7 vs. 26.2 (p < 0.05); and FH: 42.8 vs. 46.0 (p = NS). Among midlife female patients, prevalence of depression and anxiety was higher compared to male. Moreover, comorbid depressive and anxious symptoms were also higher in midlife female patients compared to age-matched male patients (3.5 vs. 14%, p < 0.05). Apart from age-related vulnerability, female gender, poor glycemic control, and microvascular and macrovascular complications were predictive factors for depressive and anxious symptomatology. Unawareness hypoglycemia and anxiety-prone personality were predictor factors for FH. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with DM1, prevalence of depression and anxiety is higher in women. Midlife patients, in particular women, show a significantly higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms and comorbid depression and anxiety. The presence of secondary complications and sustained poor glycemic control should alert to the possibility of these mental disorders, especially in the most vulnerable age population; clinical, gender and age-related patterns could help to design more effective psychological assessment and support in adult patients with DM1.

HbA1c levels are better predicted by prebreakfast than postbreakfast blood glucose self-analyses in type 2 diabetes. Influence of duration of diabetes and mode of treatment.

The present study aimed at assessing the capability of both prebreakfast and postbreakfast home blood glucose self-analyses to predict HbA1c in type 2 diabetic individuals and the influence of duration of diabetes or mode of treatment in this regard. Two hundred and twenty-seven type 2 diabetic individuals consecutively attending our diabetes clinic between January 2000 and December 2002 (42.3% placed on oral drugs and 57.7% receiving insulin therapy, either alone or as a combination with oral drugs) were retrospectively selected and three more recent values regarding both home prebreakfast and one-hour postbreakfast blood glucose self-analyses were averaged. Patients were classified by their mode of treatment (submission or not to insulin therapy) and by quartile of duration of diabetes. The correlations of HbA1c levels with either prebreakfast or postbreakfast blood glucose self-analyses were performed in the whole group and in every subset considered. HbA1c values had a stronger correlation with prebreakfast blood glucose self-analyses (r=0.53, p<0.001) than with one-hour postbreakfast home glucose self-analyses (r=0.39, p<0.001). Prebreakfast (but not onehour postbreakfast) blood glucose self-analysis was selected as independently associated to HbA1c levels in a multiple regression analysis performed upon the whole study group as well as in most of the subsets considered. HbA1c values had a stronger correlation with prebreakfast glucose self-analyses in individuals with a shorter duration of diabetes (r=0.71, p<0.001) and not submitted to insulin therapy (r=0.59, p<0.001). Increasing age characterised individuals with the highest postbreakfast glucose excursions (one-way ANOVA, p<0.01). These data suggest that prebreakfast blood glucose self-analyses are more closely related to HbA1c levels than one-hour postbreakfast blood glucose self-analyses in most of the clinical spectrum of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Variability in the presence of the metabolic syndrome in Type 2 diabetic patients attending a diabetes clinic. Influences of age and gender.

In this study, we have assessed age and gender-related influences on the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and closely related variables in Type 2 diabetic patients attending a diabetes clinic. For this purpose, we have taken retrospective clinical and biochemical data from consecutive Type 2 diabetic patients (n = 291) and we have classified them by gender, age (with 55 and 70 years as cut-off levels) and having or not having the MS (using both the WHO and NCEP-ATP III MS definitions). A higher prevalence of adiposity and hypertension was present in the females. Males were characterized by higher uric acid and lower HDL-cholesterol and apoA(1) levels (two-way ANOVA considering jointly age and gender as main effects, P < 0.05 in every case). Overall the prevalence of NCEP-ATP III-defined MS was less frequent than WHO-defined MS (63.2% versus 81.1%, respectively). This difference was greater for males (42.1% versus 77.6%, respectively) than for females (75.5% versus 83.2% respectively). The kappa-coefficient for the concordance between both MS definitions was 0.46 for males and 0.72 for females in the first age band, 0.29 for males and 0.48 for females in the second age band and 0.24 for males and 0.51 for females in the third age band. Thus, this study reveals relevant differences in the application of WHO and NCEP-ATP III MS definitions in a clinic-based Type 2 diabetic population from Southern Spain. In addition, the data suggest that gender confers a specific influence upon some MS-associated features in Type 2 diabetic patients attending a diabetes clinic irrespective of age band.

[Nutritional support in chylothorax secondary to lymphoma]. / Soporte nutricional en el quilotórax secundario a linfoma.

Chylothorax is a well-known, albeit infrequent, complication in certain neoplasias including lymphomas. The continuing loss of chyle leads to a profound deterioration in patients' nutritional and immunological status, prevented only by appropriate early nutritional support. There is currently some dispute over its handling, particularly with regard to the most appropriate type of nutritional support and the suitability of conservative treatment versus surgery. The present paper describes the case of a 41-year-old patient diagnosed as having secondary chylothorax following B-cell lymphoma where mixed nutritional support (fat-free enteral nutrition by mouth and total parenteral nutrition) was given, followed by talc pleurodesis, with optimal results. There is a review of the literature and a discussion of the most controversial aspects of its management.

[Recombinant human thyrotropin in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma]. / La TSH humana recombinante en el seguimiento de pacientes con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides.

PURPOSE: To determine the value of the use of radio-iodine scanning diagnostic and radio-iodine therapy during the follow-up of advanced differentiated thyroid cancer without stopping thyroid hormone suppression therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed 7 radio-iodine scans and 4 radioiodine therapies in 5 men and 1 woman, aged 39 to 79 years. Five patients had papillary thyroid cancer and one follicular thyroid cancer. Human recombinant thyrotropin was given intramuscularly at a dose of 0.9 mg/ml once a day for two days. Twenty-four hours after the second dose, serum thyrotropin, thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroglobulin autoantibodies were measured and each patient was given 2 mCi of 131I in postsurgery scans and 5 mCi of 131I in patients previously treated with 131I. Whole-body scans were obtained within 54 hours of injection and in the cases of diagnostic uncertainty a second scan was performed 72 hours after the injection. RESULTS: Four scans were positive and two were negative. One positive scan patient was not treated due to a serious clinical condition. An effective increase of serum TSH was observed in all 6 patients. Four patients had an effective increase of serum Tg; the other 2 cases had a decrease of serum Tg: One case was undifferentiated and in the other case the mass was smaller after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: rhTSH is an effective means of stimulating TSH levels and allowing scan and/or radioiodine treatment. rhTSH has no significant adverse effects. The use of rhTSH avoids all the disadvantages of hypothyroidism and maintains quality of life.

[Handbook for the preparation of evidence-based documents. Tools derived from scientific knowledge]. / Manual para la elaboración de documentos basados en la evidencia. Herramientas derivadas del conocimiento científico.

OBJECTIVES: This handbook is intended to be an accessible, easy-to-consult guide to help professionals produce or adapt Evidence-Based Documents. Such documents will help standardize both clinical practice and decision-making, the quality always being monitored in such a way that established references are complied with. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evidence-Based Health Care Committee, a member of "Virgen del Rocío" University Hospital quality structure, proposed the preparation of a handbook to produce Evidence-Based Documents including: a description of products, characteristics, qualities, uses, methodology of production, and application scope of every one of them. RESULTS: The handbook consists of seven Evidence-Based tools, one chapter on critical analysis methodology of scientific literature, one chapter with internet resources, and some appendices with different assessment tools. CONCLUSIONS: This Handbook provides general practitioners with a great opportunity to improve quality and as a guideline to standardize clinical healthcare, and managers with a strategy to promote and encourage the development of documents in an effort to reduce clinical practice variability, as well as giving patients the opportunity of taking part in planning their own care.

Pheochromocytoma in a pregnant woman with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2a.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of hypertension. Its coexistence with pregnancy is exceptional and laparoscopic removal has rarely been reported. We describe the case of a 34-year-old woman with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2a (MEN 2a) with adrenal pheochromocytoma diagnosed in the 6th week of pregnancy. After pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine, a successful transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in the twentieth week of gestation. The management of pheochromocytoma in pregnancy and the indications for laparoscopic surgery in pregnant patients are discussed.

Manual para la elaboración de documentos basados en la evidencia. Herramientas derivadas del conocimiento científico / Handbook for the preparation of evidence-based documents. Tools derived from scientific knowledge

Objetivo. El manual pretende ser una guía, accesible y fácil de consultar, que oriente a los profesionales en la elaboración o adaptación de documentos basados en la evidencia que ayuden a la estandarización de la práctica clínica y a la toma de decisiones velando siempre por la calidad de la misma de forma que siga unos referentes establecidos. Material y métodos. La Comisión de Atención Sanitaria Basada en la Evidencia (CASBE), perteneciente a la estructura de calidad del Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, propuso elaborar un manual para la elaboración de documentos basados en la evidencia que incorpore la relación de productos, la descripción de sus características, atributos, utilidad, metodología de elaboración y ámbito de aplicación de cada uno de ellos. Resultados. El manual contiene 7 herramientas basadas en la evidencia, un capítulo sobre metodología de análisis crítico de la literatura científica, un capítulo con recursos en Internet y anexos con herramientas de evaluación. Conclusiones. Este manual ofrece grandes oportunidades para la mejora de la calidad a los clínicos como guía de estandarización de la práctica asistencial, a los gestores como estrategia para promover y fomentar la elaboración de documentos que ayuden a reducir la variabilidad de la práctica clínica y a los pacientes la oportunidad de participar en la planificación de sus cuidados(AU)

Objectives. This handbook is intended to be an accessible, easy-to-consult guide to help professionals produce or adapt Evidence-Based Documents. Such documents will help standardize both clinical practice and decision-making, the quality always being monitored in such a way that established references are complied with. Materials and methods. Evidence-Based Health Care Committee, a member of “Virgen del Rocío” University Hospital quality structure, proposed the preparation of a handbook to produce Evidence-Based Documents including: a description of products, characteristics, qualities, uses, methodology of production, and application scope of every one of them. Results. The handbook consists of seven Evidence-Based tools, one chapter on critical analysis methodology of scientific literature, one chapter with internet resources, and some appendices with different assessment tools. Conclusions. This Handbook provides general practitioners with a great opportunity to improve quality and as a guideline to standardize clinical healthcare, and managers with a strategy to promote and encourage the development of documents in an effort to reduce clinical practice variability, as well as giving patients the opportunity of taking part in planning their own care(AU)

Importancia de mantener una suficiente concentración sérica de T4 materna en el primer trimestre del embarazo / Importance of ensuring sufficient maternal T4 levels in the first trimester of pregnancy

El feto impone al sistema endocrino materno unas condiciones de gran valor para su propio desarrollo óptimo, y quedan temporalmente sobreseídos mecanismos endocrinos habituales. La transferencia maternofetal de T4 representa una contribución importante a la economía tiroidea fetal, necesaria para un buen desarrollo del sistema nervioso central del feto, desde comienzos del embarazo hasta el nacimiento, en especial en la primera mitad, antes de que aparezca una significativa función tiroidea fetal propia. A estos efectos, es imprescindible contar con la integridad de la capacidad funcional tiroidea y sus mecanismos de regulación y disponer de adecuados almacenes de yodo. Estudios epidemiológicos y experimentales han puesto claramente en evidencia que la hipotiroxinemia materna en el primer trimestre de embarazo implica un incremento del riesgo para un pobre desarrollo neuropsicológico de los hijos (AU)

The maternal endocrine system is essential for optimal fetal development, and normal endocrine mechanisms are temporarily supplanted during pregnancy. Transplacental transfer of thyroid hormone plays a crucial role in fetal neurodevelopment throughout ontogeny, especially before mid-gestation when fetal thyroid synthesis becomes significant. Thus, normal maternal thyroid hormone function is essential, ensuring adequate thyroid hormone and iodine levels throughout pregnancy. Epidemiological and experimental studies have robustly shown that maternal hypothyroxinemiain the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk for adverse neurodevelopment land neuropsychological outcomes in offspring (AU)

La TSH humana recombinante en el seguimiento de pacientes con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides / Recombinant human thyrotropin in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Objetivo: Estimar el valor del uso de TSH humana recombinante (rhTSH), para el rastreo y tratamiento con I 131 en pacientes con CDT avanzado, en los que se desaconseja la interrupción de toma exógena de hormonas tiroideas.Material y métodos: Se realizan 7 rastreos y 4 tratamientos con I 131, en cinco hombres y una mujer, edad de 39 a 79 años.5 con carcinoma papilar de tiroides y 1 con carcinoma folicular.Pauta de administración de rhTSH: dos inyecciones intramusculares de 0,9 mg/ml, separadas 24 horas, a las 24 horas de la segunda inyección se determina en suero TSH, Tg y AbTg y se administra dosis trazadora de I131 (2 mCi en rastreos postcirugía y 5 mCi en pacientes ya tratados con I131); realizando a las 54 horas en todos los pacientes, y a las 72 horas en caso de duda diagnóstica, rastreo de cuerpo completo e imágenes estáticas de áreas de interés, en una gammacámara de un detector, con colimador de alta energía.Resultados: 4 rastreos positivos ( +) y 2 negativos (-). Hubo 1 rastreo positivo que no recibió tratamiento por situación clínica grave. En los 6 pacientes se elevó eficazmente la TSH, la Tg lo hizo en 4. En los 2 restantes la menor producción a la esperada de Tg tras el estímulo con rhTSH se explica por desdiferenciación del tumor y por disminución de la masa tumoral tras intervención quirúrgica.Conclusiones: La rhTSH eleva eficazmente la TSH, permitiendo el rastreo y/o el tratamiento con I131. Es bien tolerada y no presenta efectos adversos significativos. Evita las molestias de la situación de hipotiroidismo en pacientes de riesgo, manteniendo su calidad de vida (AU)