The scales of psychological capacities: adaptation to an adolescent population.

Given the dearth of pediatric outcome measures, Wallerstein's "scales of psychological capacities" (SPC), measuring psychotherapy changes with adults and reflecting shifts in character without specific adherence to a school of personality, was adapted to adolescents (Ad-SPC) and examined psychometrically. Twelve child psychoanalysts were consulted for content validity. Two investigators determined it to have high face validity after administering it to 40 adolescents. High inter-rater reliability was achieved for individual scale items. Construct validity was determined using Pearson correlations between multiple Ad-SPC items and co-administered validated measures of psychopathology. Preliminary psychometric properties support the Ad-SPC's potential for applicability in adolescent psychotherapy.

Combination therapy with sulfonylureas and metformin and the prevention of death in type 2 diabetes: a nested case-control study.

PURPOSE: To determine whether combination of sulfonylureas and metformin increases the risk of death from any cause in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted within a population-based cohort from the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD). The cohort included patients over the age of 40 who were prescribed a first oral hypoglycaemic agent between 1 January 1988 and 30 June 2008. Cases included all patients who deceased during follow-up. Up to 10 controls were matched to each case on year of birth, date of cohort entry (+/-1 year) and duration of follow-up. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of death from any cause associated with the use of combination of sulfonylureas and metformin, relative to sulfonylurea monotherapy. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 84 231 users of oral hypoglycaemic agents, of whom 14 996 died from any cause during a mean of 4.3 years of follow-up (mortality rate 4.1 per 100 per year). Patients currently exposed to a combination of sulfonylureas and metformin were at a decreased risk of death from any cause compared to patients exposed to sulfonylurea monotherapy (adjusted RR: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.70, 0.85). Similar results were obtained for patients currently exposed to metformin monotherapy (adjusted RR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.64, 0.75) when compared to sulfonylurea monotherapy. Patients had to be exposed to the combination therapy for at least 4 months prior to index date to experience a lower risk of mortality compared to sulfonylurea monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of sulfonylureas and metformin does not increase the risk of death. In contrast, it may moderately reduce this risk compared to sulfonylurea monotherapy.

Impact of bedtime snack composition on prevention of nocturnal hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes undergoing intensive insulin management using lispro insulin before meals: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of four bedtime (HS) snack compositions on nocturnal glycemic control, including frequency of hypoglycemia (<4 mmol/l) and morning hyperglycemia (>10 mmol/l), in adults with type 1 diabetes using lispro insulin before meals and NPH insulin at bedtime. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Substitutions of 15 g carbohydrate (one starch exchange) for an equivalent amount of uncooked cornstarch or pure protein were compared to a standard snack (control: two starch + one protein exchange) and to no snack (placebo) in 15 adults using a randomized, cross-over design. All snacks were equivalent in kcal, fat, and total available glucose. An intravenous facilitated hourly blood glucose sampling during the night (11:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M.). RESULTS: The glycemic level at bedtime (<7, 7-10, and >10 mmol/l) mediated the effects observed. A total of 14 hypoglycemic episodes, in 60% of patients, and 23 morning hyperglycemic episodes occurred over 50 nights. Most hypoglycemic episodes (10 of 14, 71%) occurred with no snack compared to any snack (P < 0.001) and at HS levels of <7 mmol/l (P = 0.05). The standard and protein snacks resulted in no nocturnal hypoglycemia at all HS glucose levels (P < 0.001). Only HS glucose >10 mmol/l was protective against hypoglycemia, even in the absence of a snack (P = 0.05); 46% of morning hyperglycemic episodes were associated (r = 0.37, P = 0.07) with this HS glucose level. CONCLUSIONS: The need for and composition of an HS snack depends on the HS glucose such that no snack is necessary at levels >10 mmol/l. At levels between 7 and 10 mmol/l, any snack is advised, and at <7 mmol/l, a standard or protein snack is recommended.