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Aim: To quantify the future risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in women with gestational diabetes (GD) based on baseline metabolic characteristics and the number of abnormal values during a 3‐hour 100‐g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Materials and Methods: We conducted a population‐based retrospective cohort study of 10 023 pregnant women who underwent testing for GD in a large health maintenance organization in Israel using a 100‐g OGTT. Glucose values were obtained at four time points, 0, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. Results: We identified 9939 women who met the study criteria. Median follow‐up was 3.25 (interquartile range 1.5‐5.1; maximum 10.1) years. Using women without GD as reference, women with GD were at an increased risk of future T2D (hazard ratio [HR] 5.33 [95% confidence interval {CI} 3.86‐7.34]). This risk increased with a greater number of abnormal OGTT values, with the highest risk seen in women with four abnormal values (HR 16.67 [95% CI 7.94‐35.01]). In a multivariate model, a higher number of abnormal values, Arab ethnicity, higher body mass index, triglycerides and prepregnancy glucose were significantly associated with increased risk. Future T2D risk was also affected by the type of OGTT abnormality; an abnormal fasting value had the greatest risk, whereas an abnormal 3‐hour value had the lowest risk (HR 3.61 [95% CI 2.42‐5.38] vs. 1.50 [95% CI 0.93‐2.43], respectively). Conclusions: GD is a heterogenous disease, with varying degrees of glucose intolerance and subsequent T2D risk. Targeting interventions to women at the highest risk may help to improve postpartum adherence and effective long‐term follow‐up strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We evaluated the impact of flash continuous glucose monitoring (FCGM) on glycemic control and healthcare burden in a large real‐world cohort of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) initiating FCGM technology. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included adults (age ≥18 years) with T1D from a large Health Maintenance Organization in Israel, who initiated FCGM during 2018. Primary outcomes included change in HbA1c ≥3 months following FCGM commencement and change in rate of internal‐medicine hospitalization. Additional outcomes included changes in glucose test strip purchases, diabetes related outpatient health care visits and hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and/or severe hypoglycemia. Results: The study included 3490 patients, followed for a median of 14 (inter‐quartile range 11‐15) months after FCGM commencement. Among 2682 patients with an HbA1c measured both at baseline and ≥3 months after FCGM initiation, average HbA1c declined from 8.1% ± 1.46% to 7.9% ± 1.31% (P <.001) at first measurement and was maintained during follow up. Specifically, in those with HbA1c ≥8%, a mean decline of 0.5% (P <.001) was observed. A clinically significant HbA1c reduction of ≥0.5% was experienced by 25.5% of the patients. The rate of internal medicine hospitalization, visits to primary care, or visits to endocrine/diabetes specialists in the period following FCGM commencement vs the 6 months prior was significantly reduced (P <.001). Hospitalization for DKA and/or hypoglycemia declined as well (P =.004). Conclusions: FCGM was associated with significant and durable improvement in glycemic control as well as reduced consumption of healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) presents a significant health concern during pregnancy, predisposing individuals to future diabetes. Despite established postpartum diabetes screening guidelines, adherence to follow-up remains inadequate., Aims: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of the 50-gram glucose challenge test (GCT) for post-pregnancy diabetes development., Materials and Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted on pregnant women aged 18-45 who underwent GCT screening between November 2007 and July 2017 in a large Israeli community medical organization. Baseline characteristics, GCT results, and diabetes development during follow-up were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses., Results: Among 8,675 women included, 2.4% developed diabetes over a median follow-up of 73.23 months. Elevated GCT results correlated with a higher risk of future diabetes, with a 4% rise in risk per 1 mg/dL increase in glucose above 140 mg/dL. Multivariate analysis revealed a 60-fold rise in the risk of future diabetes in women with GCT results ≥ 200 mg/dL compared to those with GCT < 140 mg/dL, adjusting for age, body mass index, pre-pregnancy glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. A GCT result between 140 and 199 mg/dL was a predictor of future diabetes, even when adjusted for GDM based on a subsequent GTT if performed., Conclusions: GCT results during pregnancy strongly predict future diabetes development, with higher GCT values significantly increasing risk. Recognizing abnormal GCT results as indicative of a prediabetic state offers a practical approach for risk stratification, facilitating early diagnosis, and intervention in post-pregnancy care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Flash glucose monitoring has been widely used in Israel for diabetes treatment and since 2018, the cost is reimbursed for all people with type 1 diabetes nationally. In the current study, we present the daily scanning behavior for FreeStyle Libre users in Israel and how this was associated with a range of metrics for glycemic assessment., Methods: Deidentified data from FreeStyle Libre readers were collected between September 2014 and October 2020. Scan-rate data from Israel was extracted and sorted into 10 equal-sized groups based on scan frequency. The glucose parameters derived for each group were: estimated HbA1c (eA1c), time in range (TIR) between 70 and 180 mg/dL, and time with glucose levels of <70 mg/dL, <54 mg/dL, and >180 mg/dL., Results: The data set for Israel included 12 370 readers, with data from 131 639 separate glucose sensors representing 152 million automatically recorded individual glucose readings. Users performed an average of 15 daily glucose scans, ranging from a mean of 4.1 scans per day (lowest, 10%), rising to a mean of 38.7 scans/day (highest, 10%) (median, 12; IQR, 8-18 for all readers). As the scan rates increased, the eA1c decreased from 7.6% to 6.7% (P < .001). Mean TIR increased from 56.9% to 70.0% with increasing scan rates (P < .001). Concordantly, time with glucose levels of >180 mg/dL and <54 mg/dL decreased from 37.2% to 23.6% (P < .001) and from 2.23% to 1.99%, respectively, as scan frequency increased., Conclusion: In Israel, people with diabetes under real-world conditions record higher rates of FreeStyle Libre scanning. These are associated with improvements in TIR, eA1c, and reduced time with glucose levels of >180 mg/dL or <54 mg/dL., (Copyright © 2022 AACE. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Reduced sensitivity to thyroid hormone (RSTH) syndrome describes a group of rare heterogeneous genetic disorders. Precise diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary treatment., Objectives: To identify and characterize previously undiagnosed patients with RSTH in Israel., Methods: Patients with suspected RSTH throughout Israel were referred for study. After clinical evaluation, genomic DNA was obtained and all coding exons of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (THRB) gene were sequenced. If mutations were found, all available blood relatives were evaluated. The common polymorphism rs2596623, a putative intronic regulatory variant, was also genotyped. Genotype/phenotype correlations were sought, and the effect of mutation status on pregnancy outcome was determined., Results: Eight mutations (one novel; two de-novo, six dominant) were identified in eight probands and 13 family members. Clinical and genetic features were similar to those reported in other populations. Previous suggestions that rs2596623 predicts clinical features were not confirmed. There was no evidence of increased risk of miscarriage or fetal viability. Mothers carrying a THRB mutation tended to have increased gestational hypertension and low weight gain during pregnancy. Their affected offspring had increased risk of small-for-gestational age and poor postnatal weight gain., Conclusions: Clinical heterogeneity due to THRB mutations cannot be explained by the variant rs2596623. Mothers and newborns with THRB mutations seem to be at increased risk of certain complications, such as gestational hypertension and poor intrauterine and postnatal growth. However, these issues are usually mild, suggesting that routine intervention to regulate thyroid hormone levels may not be warranted in these patients.

Objective: To study the association between bed occupancy in psychiatric wards and rate of adverse incidents (AIs) including aggressive behavior and falls., Methods: This is a retrospective study analyzing bed occupancy and AIs' data in 4 closed wards in a state psychiatric hospital in Israel over a 20-month period. Ward-level daily records were extracted from the hospital's electronic admission-discharge and AI registries, creating a log of 609 days for each of the 4 wards. Relationships between gross and net bed occupancy and AIs rate were calculated, in general and for each ward and type of incidents., Results: Average gross occupancy was 106±14.8% and net occupancy was 96.4±15.6%. Gross occupancy >100% was recorded in 51% of days. Net occupancy was higher on days with at least 1 incident than on no-incident days (98.6±14.8% vs. 95.7±15.7%, P<0.0001). AIs occurred in 18.6% of days in the lowest occupancy quadrant (up to 85% occupancy), compared with 26.7% of days in the highest occupancy quadrant (106% and above). Moreover, aggressive behavior-type incidents were significantly lower in the lowest occupancy quadrant days compared with the highest occupancy quadrant (8.3% vs. 14.1%, P<0.01). Evidence of a dose-response effect of bed occupancy on AIs rate was found., Conclusions: Overoccupancy is prevalent in psychiatric wards and is associated with an increased rate of aggressive AIs and falls. Policy makers should be convinced about the necessity to reduce overcrowding in psychiatric wards and to improve safety of inpatient facilities.