The Impact of Diabetic Neuropathy on Balance and on the Risk of Falls in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

IntroductionDiabetic neuropathy (DN) is a prevalent complication of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) with a major impact on the health of the affected patient. We hypothesized that mediated by the dysfunctionalities associated with DN’s three major components: sensitive (lack of motion associated sensory), motor (impairments in movement coordination) and autonomic (the presence of postural hypotension), the presence of DN may impair the balance in the affected patients. Our study’s main aim is to evaluate the possible association between the presence and severity of DN and both the balance impairment and the risk of falls in patients with T2DM.ResultsThe presence of DN was associated with significant decreases in the BBS score (40.5 vs. 43.7 points; p<0.001) and SLS time (9.3 vs. 10.3 seconds; p = 0.003) respectively increases in TUG time (8.9 vs. 7.6 seconds; p = 0.002) and FES-I score (38 vs. 33 points; p = 0.034). The MNSI score was reverse and significantly correlated with both BBS score (Spearman’s r = -0.479; p<0.001) and SLS time (Spearman’s r = -0.169; p = 0.017). In the multivariate regression model, we observed that patient’s age, DN severity and depression’s symptoms acted as independent, significant predictors for the risk of falls in patients with T2DM.ConclusionsThe presence of DN in patients with DM is associated with impaired balance and with a consecutively increase in the risk of falls.     

Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Population-Based Case-Control Study

Objective

Type 2 diabetes is associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation and could potentially trigger the progression of other, more prominent inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the risk of incident RA in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes using a population-based health claims database.

Methods

This nationwide, population-based, case-control study used administrative data to identify 1,416 patients with RA (age ≥20 years) as cases and 7,080 controls that were frequency-matched for sex, 10-year age group, and year of catastrophic illness certificate application date (index year). All subjects were retrospectively traced back, up to 13 years prior to the index year, for their first diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to quantify the association between incident RA and type 2 diabetes.

Results

The odds of developing RA were significantly higher in female (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.24–1.72) but not in male (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.72–1.37) patients who had previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Subgroup analysis indicated that the odds of developing RA were more prominent in younger females (20 to 44 years of age) with type 2 diabetes. In addition, the odds of developing RA in female patients with type 2 diabetes were higher in those with a shorter time interval between the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and RA.

Conclusions

This large nationwide, population-based, case-control study showed an elevated risk of RA in female Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings were consistent with the hypothesis that chronic low-grade inflammation in type 2 diabetes may elicit the development of RA in genetically susceptible individuals.     

Recent HbA1c Values and Mortality Risk in Type 2 Diabetes. Population-Based Case-Control Study

This study aimed to evaluate mortality within 365 days of HbA1c values of <6.5% or >9.0% in participants with clinical type 2 diabetes mellitus. A matched nested case-control study was implemented, within a cohort of participants with type 2 diabetes from 2000 to 2008. Conditional logistic regression was used to model the odds ratio for mortality adjusting for comorbidity and drug utilisation. There were 97,450 participants with type 2 diabetes; 16,585 cases that died during follow up were matched to 16,585 controls. The most recent HbA1c value was <6.5% (48 mmol/mol) for 22.2% of cases and 24.2% of controls, the HbA1c was >9.0% for 9.0% of cases and 7.7% of controls. In a complete case analysis, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for mortality associated with most recent HbA1c <6.5% was 1.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21,1.42). After multiple imputation of missing HbA1c values the AOR was 1.20 (CI: 1.12,1.28). The complete case analysis gave an AOR for HbA1c >9.0% of 1.51 (CI: 1.33, 1.70), in the multiple imputation analysis this was 1.29 (1.17,1.41). The risk associated with HbA1c <6.5% was age dependent. In the multiple imputation analysis the AOR was 1.53 (CI: 0.84 to 2.79) at age<55 years but 1.04 (CI: 0.92, 1.17) at age 85 years and over. In non-randomised data, values of HbA1c that are either <6.5% or >9.0% may be associated with increased mortality within one year in clinical type 2 diabetes. Relative risks may be higher at younger ages.     

Thyroid Cancer Risk Is Not Increased in Diabetic Patients

Objective

This study evaluated thyroid cancer risk with regards to diabetes status and diabetes duration, and with the use of anti-diabetic drugs including sulfonylurea, metformin, insulin, acarbose, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, by using a population-based reimbursement database in Taiwan.

Methods

A random sample of 1,000,000 subjects covered by the National Health Insurance was recruited. After excluding patients with type 1 diabetes, 999730 subjects (495673 men and 504057 women) were recruited into the analyses. Logistic regression estimated the odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for independent variables including age, sex, diabetes status/duration, anti-diabetic drugs, other medications, comorbidities, living regions, occupation and examinations that might potentially lead to the diagnosis of thyroid cancer in various models.

Results

The diabetic patients had a significantly higher probability of receiving potential detection examinations (6.38% vs. 5.83%, P<0.0001). After multivariable-adjustment, the OR (95% CI) for diabetes status was 0.816 (0.652–1.021); and for diabetes duration <1 year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years and ≥5 years vs. non-diabetes was 0.071 (0.010–0.507), 0.450 (0.250–0.813), 0.374 (0.203–0.689) and 1.159 (0.914–1.470), respectively. Among the anti-diabetic agents, only sulfonylurea was significantly associated with thyroid cancer, OR (95% CI): 1.882 (1.202–2.947). The OR (95% CI) for insulin, metformin, acarbose, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone was 1.701 (0.860–3.364), 0.696 (0.419–1.155), 0.581 (0.202–1.674), 0.522 (0.069–3.926) and 0.669 (0.230–1.948), respectively. Furthermore, patients with benign thyroid disease or other cancer, living in Kao-Ping/Eastern regions, or receiving potential detection examinations might have a significantly higher risk; and male sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, vascular complications or use of statin, aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs might be associated with a significantly lower risk.

Conclusions

There is a lack of an overall association between diabetes and thyroid cancer, but patients with diabetes duration <5 years have a significantly lower risk. Sulfonylurea may increase the risk of thyroid cancer.     

Comparison of New Glucose-Lowering Drugs on the Risk of Pancreatitis in Type 2 Diabetes: A Network Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveTo explore whether new glucose-lowering drugs increase the risk of pancreatitis in individuals with type 2 diabetes. This present network meta-analysis aimed to investigate the risk of pancreatitis associated with the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched. The literature was published from the date of their inception to July 21, 2021, including placebo-controlled or head-to-head trials of 2 new glucose-lowering drugs. The relative ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the risk of GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors for pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer among patients with type 2 diabetes.ResultsSeventeen studies were identified, covered 102 257 participants. The pooled results showed a neutral relationship between GLP-1 agonists and pancreatitis (overall RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.31-3.00) or pancreatic cancer (overall RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.31-4.10) compared with placebo. Meanwhile, DPP-4 inhibitors were not associated with the increased risk of pancreatitis (overall RR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.25-11.00) or pancreatic cancer (overall RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.26-2.40). Among them, lixisenatide and saxagliptin may be the safest drugs compared with other drugs according to the ranking of probability. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis confirmed the stability of the core results.ConclusionThe most obvious finding of this study is that GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors are safe with respect to the risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer compared with placebo. This conclusion may provide useful evidence for correlated clinical researches.     

Urinary Prostaglandin E2 Metabolite and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Case-Control Study in Urban Shanghai

Pancreatic cancer has been increasing in importance in Shanghai over the last four decades. The etiology of the disease is still unclear. Evidence suggests that the COX-2 pathway, an important component of inflammation, may be involved in the disease. We aimed to evaluate the association between urinary prostaglandin E₂ metabolite (PGE-M) level and risk of pancreatic cancer. From a recent population-based case-control study in Shanghai, 200 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases and 200 gender- and age- frequency matched controls were selected for the present analysis. Urinary PGE-M was measured with a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric assay. Adjusted unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A positive association was observed between PGE-M leve and pancreatic cancer risk: OR = 1.63 (95% CI 1.01–2.63) for the third tertile compared to the first. Though the interactions were not statistically significant, the associations tended to be stronger among subjects with diabetes history (OR = 3.32; 95% CI 1.20–9.19) and higher meat intake (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.10–4.06). The result suggests that higher urinary PGE-M level may be associated with increased risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.     

Impact of Prandial Plus Basal vs Basal Insulin on Glycemic Variability in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

ObjectiveTo determine whether metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes given an analogue mixture of basal and rapid-acting insulins (insulin lispro protamine suspension plus insulin lispro) would have less glycemic variability than patients given basal insulin glargine.MethodsTwo post hoc analyses were used to compare 7-point blood glucose profiles from 3 published studies comparing basal plus prandial premixed insulin lispro mixtures with insulin glargine in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes. Glycemic variability indices used included standard deviation of mean daily blood glucose, coefficient of variation, M-value, mean amplitude of glycemic excursion, and J-index.ResultsPatients on the twice-daily insulin lispro mix 75/25 (75% insulin lispro protamine suspension/25% insulin lispro) plus metformin regimen had significantly lower standard deviation, M-value, and J-index than patients on the insulin glargine plus metformin regimen, but not lower coefficient of variation or mean amplitude of glycemic excursion. Patients on the 3 times daily insulin lispro mix 50/50 (50% insulin lispro protamine suspension/50% insulin lispro) plus metformin regimen had significantly lower values for all 5 indices than patients on the insulin glargine plus metformin regimen.ConclusionUse of basal plus prandial insulin lispro mixtures at 2 or 3 meals was associated with lower glycemic variability in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes. (Endocr Pract. 2009;15:343-348)     

Metformin Reduces Thyroid Cancer Risk in Taiwanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background

Whether metformin may affect thyroid cancer risk has not been studied. This study investigated the association between metformin use and thyroid cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

The reimbursement databases of all diabetic patients from 1996 to 2009 were retrieved from the National Health Insurance. An entry date was set at 1 January 2006 and 1,414,723 patients with type 2 diabetes were followed for thyroid cancer incidence until the end of 2009. Incidences for ever-users, never-users and subgroups of metformin exposure using tertile cutoffs for cumulative duration of therapy and cumulative dose were calculated and adjusted hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression. Additional sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

There were 795,321 ever-users and 619,402 never-users, with respective numbers of incident thyroid cancer of 683 (0.09%) and 1,614 (0.26%), and respective incidence of 24.09 and 87.33 per 100,000 person-years. The overall fully adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.683 (0.598–0.780), and all categories of the dose-response parameters showed significantly lower risk with P-trends <0.0001. The protective effect of metformin on thyroid cancer incidence was also supported by sensitivity analyses, disregarding age (<50 or ≥50 years) and sex; and was not affected by excluding users of insulin, sulfonylurea, and insulin and/or sulfonylurea respectively, by previous diagnosis of other cancers or by potential detection examinations that might lead to differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence for the first time that metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes may reduce the risk of thyroid cancer.     

单中心研究2型糖尿病合并高血压的相关危险因素

目的:探讨2型糖尿病合并高血压的相关危险因素。方法:186例2型糖尿病患者分为并发高血压组(A组136例)患者和正常血压组(B组50例),对其进行问卷及体格检查,分别观察患者性别、年龄、病程、体重指数、腰围、腰臀围比(WHR)、高血压家族史、糖尿病家族史并加以分析。结果:A组患者占73.1%;两组间性别、年龄、病程差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),A组患者体重指数(BMI)、腰臀围比(WHR)、腰围、高血压家族史比例显著高于B组患者(P<0.05～<0.01),B组糖尿病家族史比例显著高于A组(P<0.05)。结论:高的BMI、腰围、腰臀围比(WHR)以及高血压家族史增加2型糖尿病合并高血压发生的危险。     

单中心研究2型糖尿病合并高血压的相关危险因素

目的：探讨2型糖尿病合并高血压的相关危险因素。方法：186例2型糖尿病患者分为并发高血压组（A组136例）患者和正常血压组（B组50例）,对其进行问卷及体格检查,分别观察患者性别、年龄、病程、体重指数、腰围、腰臀围比（ⅦR）、高血压家族史、糖尿病家族史并加以分析。结果：A组患鼻上73．1％;两组间性别、年龄、病程差异无统计学意义（P〉O．05）,A组患者体重指数（BMI）、腰臀围比（WHR）、腰围、高血压家族史比例显著高于B组患者（P〈0．05-〈0．01）,B组糖尿病家族史比例显著高于A组（p〈0．05）。结论：高的BMI、腰围、腰臀围比（WHR）以及高血压家族史增加2型糖尿病合并高血压发生的危险。     

The Lipid Profile and Mortality Risk in Elderly Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Ten-Year Follow-Up Study (ZODIAC-13)

Background

The precise relationship between the lipid profile and mortality in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the lipid profile over time, and mortality in elderly patients with T2DM.

Methods and Findings

In 1998, 881 primary care patients with T2DM aged 60 years and older participated in the ZODIAC study, a prospective observational study. The cohort was divided into two age categories: 60–75 years and older than 75 years. Updated means of all lipid profile indices were calculated after a median follow-up time of 9.8 years. These values were used as time dependent covariates in a Cox proportional hazard model. The cholesterol-HDL ratio and LDL-cholesterol were positively related to both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the low age group. In contrast, except for the triglyceride level, none of the other lipid profile indices were related to all-cause mortality in patients aged over 75 years. The mortality risk decreased by 17% (95%CI: 5% to 27%) for each 1 mmol/L higher serum level of triglycerides. The relationships between the various lipid profile indices and cardiovascular mortality were not significant. However, the results were different after stratification for diabetes duration. In the subgroup of elderly patients with a diabetes duration of 8 years and longer, higher lipids were predictive of increased cardiovascular mortality. The main limitation of this study is its observational design, which prevents us drawing conclusions about causality.

Conclusion

Although the lipid profile was not predictive in the overall group of elderly patients, higher lipids were related to increased cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes of long duration. In order to make valid recommendations concerning lipid-lowering treatment, a randomized controlled trial or a meta-analysis concerning this specific population is mandatory.     

Risk of Breast Cancer by Type of Menopausal Hormone Therapy: a Case-Control Study among Post-Menopausal Women in France

Background

There is extensive epidemiological evidence that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) increases breast cancer risk, particularly combinations of estrogen and progestagen (EP). We investigated the effects of the specific formulations and types of therapies used by French women. Progestagen constituents, regimen (continuous or sequential treatment by the progestagen), and time interval between onset of menopause and start of MHT were examined.

Methods

We conducted a population-based case-control study in France in 1555 menopausal women (739 cases and 816 controls). Detailed information on MHT use was obtained during in-person interviews. Odds ratios and 95% confidence interval adjusted for breast cancer risk factors were calculated.

Results

We found that breast cancer risk differed by type of progestagen among current users of EP therapies. No increased risk was apparent among EP therapy users treated with natural micronized progesterone. Among users of EP therapy containing a synthetic progestin, the odds ratio was 1.57 (0.99-2.49) for progesterone-derived and 3.35 (1.07-10.4) for testosterone-derived progestagen. Women with continuous regimen were at greater risk than women treated sequentially, but regimen and type of progestagen could not be investigated independently, as almost all EP combinations containing a testosterone-derivative were administered continuously and vice-versa. Tibolone was also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Early users of MHT after onset of menopause were at greater risk than users who delayed treatment.

Conclusion

This study confirms differential effects on breast cancer risk of progestagens and regimens specifically used in France. Formulation of EP therapies containing natural progesterone, frequently prescribed in France, was not associated with increased risk of breast cancer but may poorly protect against endometrial cancer.     

2型糖尿病患者呼吸丙酮影响因素分析

呼出气中的丙酮是糖尿病的潜在生物标志物,本文利用基于光腔衰荡光谱(cavity ringdown spectroscopy,CRDS)技术的呼吸丙酮分析仪对2型糖尿病患者(type 2 diabetic,T2D)呼出气中的丙酮浓度进行定量测量,分析丙酮与患者临床指标的关系,探索影响呼出气中丙酮浓度的因素,以期为糖尿病呼吸丙酮的临床应用提供参考.利用CRDS技术的呼吸丙酮分析仪测量147名T2D患者(81名男性,66名女性,年龄14~83岁)的512个呼出气体样品和52名健康人(30名男性,22名女性,年龄20~48岁)的119个呼出气体样品.对呼出气中的丙酮浓度与相应的血糖(blood glucose,BG)、糖化血红蛋白(glycohemoglobin A1C,A1C)、性别、年龄、身体质量指数(body mass index,BMI)、糖尿病患病年限及气体样本采集状态等指标,进行相关性统计分析并构建丙酮的多元线性回归模型.结果表明,性别、气体样本采集状态、BMI、年龄、A1C及BG等指标影响T2D患者的呼吸丙酮浓度.健康人呼吸丙酮浓度与性别、年龄及BMI无相关关系.T2D患者呼吸丙酮与BG及A1C均有弱相关关系,相关系数分别为0.093和0.1246.男性呼吸丙酮平均体积分数(1.75×10-6)显著性高于女性(1.15×10-6),且男性呼吸丙酮浓度随年龄的升高而降低(R=-0.154).男性呼吸丙酮浓度与BMI呈负相关(R=-0.2),且BMI25的患者呼吸丙酮平均体积分数(1.75×10-6)高于BMI25的患者(1.25×10-6).女性呼吸丙酮浓度与患病年限呈正相关(R=0.17),而男性呈负相关(R=-0.14).男性和女性空腹呼吸丙酮浓度均高于餐后2 h的呼吸丙酮浓度.多元线性回归分析结果表明,影响呼吸丙酮浓度的因素为:性别(β=0.374)、气体样本采集状态(β=-0.289)、A1C(β=0.083)、BG(β=0.002)、BMI(β=-0.046)及年龄(β=-0.009).     

2型糖尿病下肢血管病变的危险因素分析

目的:探讨2型糖尿病合并下肢血管病变的主要危险因素.方法:选择2011年2月至2012年2月我院收治的220例2型糖尿病患者为研究对象,采用彩色多普勒超声对其双下肢血管进行检查,根据检查结果将患者分为下肢血管病变组与无下肢血管病变组,对两组患者的年龄、性别、腰围、体质量指数(BMI)、收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)、空腹血糖(FBG)、餐后2h血糖(2hBG)、糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)、胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR)、甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)进行测定及分析.结果:220例患者中,152例患者合并下肢血管病变,发生率69.1％.单因素分析表明年龄、SBP、2hBG、HbA1c、HOMA-IR、TC、LDL-C等因素与合并下肢血管病变有关.而多因素分析表明年龄、TC、合并神经病变是引起2型糖尿病下肢血管病变的独立危险因素.结论:2型糖尿病患者下肢血管病变的发生较高,临床应根据上述危险因素进行积极干预及预防.     

Zinc Intake and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis

Zinc is an essential dietary element that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, a cancer that disproportionately affects men of African descent. Studies assessing the association of zinc intake and prostate cancer have yielded inconsistent results. Furthermore, very little is known about the relationship between zinc intake and prostate cancer among African Americans. We examined the association between self-reported zinc intake and prostate cancer in a hospital-based case-control study of African Americans. We then compared our results with previous studies by performing a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence regarding the association between zinc and prostate cancer. Newly diagnosed African American men with histologically confirmed prostate cancer (n = 127) and controls (n = 81) were recruited from an urban academic urology clinic in Washington, DC. Controls had higher zinc intake, with a mean of 14 mg/day versus 11 mg/day for cases. We observed a non-significant, non-linear increase in prostate cancer when comparing tertiles of zinc intake (OR _{<6.5 vs 6.5–12.5mg/day} 1.8, 95% CI: 0.6,5.6; OR _{<6.5 vs >12.5mg/day} 1.3, 95% CI: 0.2,6.5). The pooled estimate from 17 studies (including 3 cohorts, 2 nested case-control, 11 case-control studies, and 1 randomized clinical trial, with a total of 111,199 participants and 11,689 cases of prostate cancer) was 1.07_{hi vs lo} 95% CI: 0.98–1.16. Using a dose-response meta-analysis, we observed a non-linear trend in the relationship between zinc intake and prostate cancer (p for nonlinearity = 0.0022). This is the first study to examine the relationship between zinc intake in black men and risk of prostate cancer and systematically evaluate available epidemiologic evidence about the magnitude of the relationship between zinc intake and prostate cancer. Despite of the lower intake of zinc by prostate cancer patients, our meta-analysis indicated that there is no evidence for an association between zinc intake and prostate cancer.     

Risk of Gastric Cancer by Water Source: Evidence from the Golestan Case-Control Study

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is the world’s fifth most common cancer, and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Over 70% of incident cases and deaths occur in developing countries. We explored whether disparities in access to improved drinking water sources were associated with GC risk in the Golestan Gastric Cancer Case Control Study.

Methods and Findings

306 cases and 605 controls were matched on age, gender, and place of residence. We conducted unconditional logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, head of household education, place of birth and residence, homeownership, home size, wealth score, vegetable consumption, and H. pylori seropositivity. Fully-adjusted ORs were 0.23 (95% CI: 0.05–1.04) for chlorinated well water, 4.58 (95% CI: 2.07–10.16) for unchlorinated well water, 4.26 (95% CI: 1.81–10.04) for surface water, 1.11 (95% CI: 0.61–2.03) for water from cisterns, and 1.79 (95% CI: 1.20–2.69) for all unpiped sources, compared to in-home piped water. Comparing unchlorinated water to chlorinated water, we found over a two-fold increased GC risk (OR 2.37, 95% CI: 1.56–3.61).

Conclusions

Unpiped and unchlorinated drinking water sources, particularly wells and surface water, were significantly associated with the risk of GC.     

Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease among Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Asymptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerosis: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective

To investigate whether asymptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, 2,144 Hong Kong Chinese with type 2 diabetes and without history of stroke or atrial fibrillation were recruited in 1994–1996 and followed up for a median of 14.51 years. Participants were assessed at baseline for MCA stenosis using transcranial Doppler. We performed survival analysis to assess the association between asymptomatic MCA stenosis and first CVD event, defined as ischemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or cardiovascular death.

Results

Of the 2,144 subjects, MCA stenosis at baseline was detected in 264 (12.3%). Rates of stroke, ACS and cardiovascular death per 100 were, respectively, 2.24, 2.92 and 1.11 among participants with stenosis, higher than among those without stenosis. Ten-year cumulative occurrence of stroke, ACS and cardiovascular death in subjects with MCA stenosis was 20%, 24% and 10%, respectively, higher than the corresponding values for subjects without stenosis(all P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates, MCA stenosis was found to be an independent predictor of stroke [hazard ratio (HR) 1.40, 95%CI 1.05–1.86; P = 0.02], ACS (HR 1.35, 95%CI 1.04–1.75; P = 0.02) and cardiovascular death(HR 1.56, 95%CI 1.04–2.33; P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Asymptomatic MCA stenosis is a risk factor for CVD in Chinese with type 2 diabetes, and detection of asymptomatic MCA stenosis by transcranial Doppler can identify diabetic individuals at high risk of future CVD. This finding is particularly important for diabetic individuals in Asia, where intracranial atherosclerosis is common.     

胰岛素持续皮下输注对2型糖尿病微血管病变影响的研究

目的:观察持续皮下胰岛素输注(CSⅡ)对2型糖尿病(T2DM)微血管病变的影响.方法:80例T2DM微血管病变患者应用4周CSⅡ强化治疗,比较治疗前后患者血清炎症因子:C-反应蛋白(CRP)、高敏C-反应蛋白(hSCRP);血清Ⅳ型胶原(CⅣ);纤溶因子:组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)、组织型纤溶酶原激活剂抑制物(PAI-1)浓度的变化.结果:①T2DM微血管病变组患者CRP、hsCRP、CⅣ、PAI-1水平显著高于正常对照组(P＜0.01),t-PA水平显著低于正常对照组(P＜0.01).②CSⅡ治疗4周后空腹血糖、餐后2h血糖显著降低(P＜0.01);糖化血红蛋白、胰岛素抵抗指数、CRP、hsCRP、CⅣ均降低(P＜0.05);PAI-1显著降低(P＜0.0l),t-PA显著升高(P＜0.01).结论:T2DM微血管病变与血清炎症因子;CⅣ;纤溶因子有关,CSⅡ治疗除能降血糖外,还能显著降低血清炎症因子、CⅣ水平,改善纤溶因子功能,减轻胰岛素抵抗.     

Cigarette Smoking and Risk of Breast Cancer in a New Zealand Multi-Ethnic Case-Control Study

Background

The association between breast cancer and tobacco smoke is currently unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of smoking behaviours on the risk of breast cancer among three ethnic groups of New Zealand women.

Methods

A population-based case-control study was conducted including breast cancer cases registered on the New Zealand Cancer Registry between 2005 and 2007. Controls were matched by ethnicity and 5-year age-group. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between breast cancer and smoking at different time points across the lifecourse, for each ethnic group. Estimated odds ratios (OR) were adjusted for established risk factors.

Results

The study comprised 1,799 cases (302 Māori, 70 Pacific, 1,427 non-Māori/non-Pacific) and 2,540 controls (746 Māori, 191 Pacific, 1,603 non-Māori/non-Pacific). There was no clear association between smoking and breast cancer for non-Māori/non-Pacific women, although non-Māori/non-Pacific ex-smokers had statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer when smoking duration was 20 years or more, and this remained significant in the fully adjusted model (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.66). Māori showed more consistent increased risk of breast cancer with increasing duration among current smokers (<20 years OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.55 to 4.74; 20+ years OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.29 to 3.22). There was a clear pattern of shorter duration since smoking cessation being associated with increased likelihood of breast cancer, and this was apparent for all ethnic groups.

Conclusion

There was no clear pattern for cigarette smoking and breast cancer incidence in non-Māori/non-Pacific women, but increased risks were observed for Māori and Pacific women. These findings suggest that lowering the prevalence of smoking, especially among Māori and Pacific women, could be important for reducing breast cancer incidence.     

Low Serum Creatine Kinase Levels in Breast Cancer Patients: A Case-Control Study

Background

Previous studies provide an ambiguous picture of creatine kinase (CK) expression and activities in malignancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of serum CK level in breast cancer patients.

Patients and Methods

823 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer were consecutively recruited as cases, and 823 age-match patients with benign breast disease were selected as controls. Serum CK was analyzed by commercially available standardized methods.

Results

Serum CK level was significantly associated with breast cancer (P = 0.005) and subtypes of breast cancer, including breast cancer with diameter>2 cm (P = 0.031) and stage IIIbreast cancer (P = 0.025). The mean serum CK level in patients with>2 cm tumor was significantly lower than that in≤2 cm (P = 0.0475), and the mean serum CK level of stage III breast cancer patients was significantly lower than that of stage I and II breast cancer patients (P = 0.0246). Furthermore, a significant difference (P = 0.004) was observed between serum CK level and ERBB2+breast cancer not other molecular subtypes.

Conclusions

Serum CK levels in cases was significantly lower compared with controls. Notably, our results indicated for the first time that there was a negative correlation between serum CK levels and breast cancer stage. Serum CK level, which may reflect the status of host immunity, may be an important factor in determining breast cancer development and progression.