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Background Occupational exposure to metals such as nickel, chromium and cobalt can be associated with contact dermatitis, which can adversely affect an individual's health, finances and employment. Despite this, little is known about the incidence of metal-related occupational contact dermatitis over prolonged periods of time. Objectives To investigate the medically reported trends in the incidence of work-related contact dermatitis attributed to nickel, chromium and cobalt in the UK. Methods Incidence and trends in cases of occupational contact dermatitis caused by nickel, chromium or cobalt between 1996 and 2019 (inclusive), reported to the EPIDERM surveillance scheme, were investigated and compared with trends in the incidence of occupational contact dermatitis attributed to agents other than the aforementioned metals. A sensitivity analysis restricting the study cohort to cases attributed to only one type of metal was also conducted. Results Of all cases reported to EPIDERM during the study period, 2374 (12%) were attributed to nickel, chromium or cobalt. Cases predominantly comprised females (59%), with a mean (SD) age (males and females) of 38 (13) years. Cases were most frequently reported in manufacturing, construction, and human health and social activity industries. The most frequently reported occupations were hairdressing, and sales and retail (assistants, cashiers and checkout operators). The highest annual incidence rate of contact dermatitis was observed in females (2.60 per 100 000 persons employed per year), with the first and second peak seen in those aged 16–24 and ≥ 65 years, respectively. A statistically significant decrease in the incidence of occupational contact dermatitis attributed to metals over the study period was observed for all occupations (annual average change –6.9%, 95% confidence interval –7.8 to –5.9), with much of the decrease occurring between 1996 and 2007. Similar findings were obtained in the sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Over a period of 24 years, there has been a statistically significant decline in the incidence of metal-related occupational contact dermatitis in the UK. This could be attributed not only to improvements in working conditions, which have reduced metal exposure, but could also be due to the closure of industries in the UK that might have generated cases of contact dermatitis owing to metal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current recommendations advocate the achievement of an optimal glucose control (HbA1c < 69 mmol/mol) prior to elective surgery to reduce risks of peri- and post-operative complications, but the relevance for this glycaemic threshold prior to Bariatric Metabolic Surgery (BMS) following a specialist weight management programme remains unclear. Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent BMS over a 6-year period (2016–2022) at a regional tertiary referral following completion of a specialist multidisciplinary weight management. Post-operative outcomes of interest included 30-day mortality, readmission rates, need for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care and hospital length of stay (LOS) and were assessed according to HbA1c cut-off values of < 69 (N = 202) and > 69 mmol/mol (N = 67) as well as a continuous variable. Results: A total of 269 patients with T2D were included in this study. Patients underwent primary Roux en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB, n = 136), Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG, n = 124), insertion of gastric band (n = 4) or one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB, n = 4). No significant differences in the rates of complications were observed between the two groups of pre-operative HbA1c cut-off values. No HbA1c threshold was observed for glycaemic control that would affect the peri- and post-operative complications following BMS. Conclusions: We observed no associations between pre-operative HbA1C values and the risk of peri- and post-operative complications. In the context of a specialist multidisciplinary weight management programme, optimising pre-operative HbA1C to a recommended target value prior to BMS may not translate into reduced risks of peri- and post-operative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) reduce cardio-metabolic and renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) but their efficacy and safety in older or frail individuals remains unclear. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRA and Google Scholar and selected randomised controlled trials and observational studies comparing SGLT2Is versus placebo/other glucose-lowering agent for people with frailty or older individuals (>65 years) with T2D and heart failure (HF). Extracted data on the change in HbA1c % and safety outcomes were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis model. Results We included data from 20 studies (22 reports; N  = 77,083 patients). SGLT2Is did not significantly reduce HbA1c level (mean difference −0.13, 95%CI: −0.41 to 0.14). SGLT2Is were associated with a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.81, 95%CI: −0.69 to 0.95), cardiac death (RR 0.80, 95%CI: −0.94 to 0.69) and hospitalisation for heart failure (HHF) (RR 0.69, 95%CI: 0.59–0.81). However, SGLT2Is did not demonstrate significant effect in reducing in the risk of macrovascular events (acute coronary syndrome or cerebral vascular occlusion), renal progression/composite renal endpoint, acute kidney injury, worsening HF, atrial fibrillation or diabetic ketoacidosis. Conclusions In older or frail patients with T2D and HF, SGLT2Is are consistently linked with a decrease in total mortality and the overall burden of cardiovascular (CV) events, including HHF events and cardiac death, but not protective for macrovascular death or renal events. Adverse events were more difficult to quantify but the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis or acute kidney injury was not significantly increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the extent of therapeutic inertia related to the weekly injectable glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists dulaglutide and semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the United Kingdom. Materials and methods: Adults with T2D who received their first primary care prescription of dulaglutide or semaglutide between January and July 2019 were identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD primary care database. Doses prescribed, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI) and concomitant T2D medications were assessed at first prescription and at 3, 6 and 9 months. Results: Of the patients prescribed dulaglutide (N = 748; mean [SD] age 59.0 [11.2] years) and semaglutide (N = 437; mean [SD] age 58.4 [10.6] years), 93.0% and 89.0%, respectively, had an HbA1c level ≥7.5% (≥58.46 mmol/mol), and 56.4% and 54.9%, respectively, had an HbA1c level ≥9.0% (≥74.86 mmol/mol), at first prescription. At 6 to 9 months, 75.0% of those on dulaglutide 0.75 mg and 57.6% of those on semaglutide 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg had an HbA1c level ≥7.5% (≥58.46 mmol/mol). At 9 months, 21.9% of the dulaglutide cohort were on the suboptimal dose of 0.75 mg, and 46.1% of the semaglutide cohort were on the suboptimal doses of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg. Conclusions: Multiple examples of therapeutic inertia were identified, including first prescription at HbA1c levels considerably above target and failure to escalate to optimal doses even with evidence of suboptimal metabolic control. A substantial proportion of patients therefore did not achieve optimal HbA1c targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To confirm the reno‐protective effects of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors compared with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors on the onset and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in routine clinical practice. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum database linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. The primary outcome was risk of the composite CKD endpoint based on the recent consensus guidelines for kidney disease: >40% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), kidney death or end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD; a composite of kidney transplantation, maintenance of dialysis, sustained low eGFR <15 ml/min/1.73m² or diagnosis of ESKD). Secondary outcomes were components of the composite CKD endpoint, analysed separately. Patients were propensity‐score‐matched 1:1 for SGLT2 inhibitor versus DPP‐4 inhibitor use. Results: A total of 131 824 people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) were identified; 79.0% had no known history of CKD. During a median follow‐up of 2.1 years, SGLT2 inhibitor initiation was associated with lower risk of progression to composite kidney endpoints than DPP‐4 inhibitor initiation (7.48 vs. 11.77 events per 1000 patient‐years, respectively). Compared with DPP‐4 inhibitor initiation, SGLT2 inhibitor initiation was associated with reductions in the primary composite CKD endpoint (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56‐0.74), all‐cause mortality (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.64‐0.86) and ESKD (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25‐0.55), reduced the rate of sustained low eGFR (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19‐0.57), and reduced diagnoses of ESKD in primary care (HR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01‐0.18). Results were consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: In adults with T2D, initiation of an SGLT2 inhibitor was associated with a significantly reduced risk of CKD progression and death compared with initiation of a DPP‐4 inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the proportion of UK patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who meet the cardiovascular (CV) or combined CV/core eligibility criteria used for the CV outcome trials (CVOTs) of UK‐marketed glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) showing CV benefit (dulaglutide in REWIND, liraglutide in LEADER and injectable semaglutide in SUSTAIN‐6). Materials and Methods: Adults with T2D on/before June 2018 were identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD primary care database and linked to Hospital Episode Statistics data (Protocol 19_262). Patient CV and clinical data were evaluated against the CVOT eligibility criteria. Data were analysed descriptively. Results: The study cohort (N = 33 118 patients with T2D) had a mean (standard deviation) age of 66.0 (13.3) years and 56.6% were male. Almost two‐thirds (64.5%) of the study cohort met the CV criteria for REWIND, versus 43.0% for both LEADER and SUSTAIN‐6. The proportions of the study cohort who met the CVOT criteria of "established CV disease" and "CV risk factors only" for REWIND were 22.4% and 42.1%, respectively, versus 38.7% and 4.3%, respectively, for both LEADER and SUSTAIN‐6. The proportions of patients satisfying both CV and core criteria were 44.4% for REWIND, 13.3% for LEADER and 13.5% for SUSTAIN‐6. Study findings remained consistent when restricted to GLP‐1RA users. Conclusions: REWIND captured a trial population more representative of the real‐world T2D population in the United Kingdom than LEADER or SUSTAIN‐6 with regard to both CV and combined CV/core eligibility criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess if sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reduce the risk of all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) to a greater extent than dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP4is) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with or without established cardiovascular and/or renal disease (CVRD). Methods: This retrospective cohort study propensity‐matched 24 438 patients receiving an SGLT2i 1:1 to a patient receiving a DDP4i, stratified based on the presence of CVRD. The primary outcomes were the time to each of the following: all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF, myocardial infarction, stroke and CKD. Results: Overall, SGLT2is were associated with reductions in all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization for HF and hospitalization for CKD compared with DPP4is. In patients with no CVRD history, SGLT2is were associated with reductions in all‐cause mortality (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57‐0.88; P =.002), hospitalization for HF (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59‐0.98; P =.035) and hospitalization for CKD (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63‐0.88; P <.001). In patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) or at high risk, SGLT2is were associated with reductions in all‐cause mortality (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.59‐0.82; P <.001), cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62‐0.95; P =.014), hospitalization for HF (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.63‐0.85; P <.001), hospitalization for stroke (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59‐0.94; P =.013) and hospitalization for CKD (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.43‐0.54; P <.001). Conclusion: There was consistency across subgroups and sensitivity analyses. SGLT2is were associated with a reduced risk of all‐cause mortality and hospitalization for HF and CKD compared with DPP4‐is, highlighting the need to introduce SGLT2is early in the management of patients with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor has been linked to an increased risk of lower extremity amputation (LEA) in patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and is known to induce volume depletion through osmotic diuresis. We investigated the potential association between diuretics use and the LEA risk in insulin-treated T2D patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 10,320 insulin-treated T2D patients within the UK population. Cox proportional hazard models were utilised to estimate LEA hazard ratios. Amputation risk was compared between a propensity score-matched cohort of diuretics users versus non-users over a 20-year period. Among 10,320 subjects, 6454 (52.3%) were on diuretics. In the full cohort, diuretic-treated patients had significantly higher risk of LEA than the non-diuretic individuals (HR: 1.89; 95%CI: 1.34–2.68). When adjusting for possible confounding effects, a 2.3-fold higher risk of amputation was observed (aHR: 2.45; 95%CI: 1.63–3.69). In the matched cohort (n = 580), this association is marginally significant (HR: 3.33; 95%CI: 1.17–18.9; p =.029). While diuretic use appeared to be associated with an increased risk of LEA among insulin-treated T2D patients, this association is marginally significant after controlling for confounding factors by cohort matching. These results suggest that volume depletion may be a factor in increasing the risk of LEA amongst high-risk T2D patients, but the strength of this association is weak when adjusted for all other risk factors. Thus, patient selection is crucial when determining the safe use of agents that induce volume depletion in high risk patients with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To compare the effect of bariatric surgery on renal, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes among obese patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes (T2D) with and without microalbuminuria (i.e., uACR > 3.0 mg/mmol). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 11,125 active patients with T2D from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. Propensity score matching (up to 1:6 ratio) was used to identify patients who underwent bariatric surgery (N = 131) with a non-bariatric cohort (N = 579). Follow-up was undertaken for 10 years (6487 person-years) to compare differences in risk of cardiovascular events and in renal outcomes. Results: For the matched cohort at baseline: mean age 52 ± 13 years (60% female); weight 116 ± 25 kg, body mass index (BMI) 41 ± 9kg/m2, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); 70.4 ± 20 mL/min/1.73 m2, and median albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) 2.0 mg/mmol (interquartile range (IQR): 0.9–5.2 mg/mmol). Bariatric surgery was associated with a 54% reduction in developing CKD compared to their matched non-bariatric cohort (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.24–0.85, P = 0.02). Among patients with microalbuminuria at baseline, bariatric surgery was protective against CKD (aHR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.18–0.99, P = 0.050). eGFR was significantly increased from baseline favouring the bariatric group during 75% of the follow-up time (calculated mean difference between groups: 4.1 mL/min/1.73 m2; P < 0.05), especially at 5-year point (74.2 vs 67.8 mL/min/1.73 m2; P < 0.001). However, no significant change was observed with non-fatal CVD episodes (aHR: 0.36, 95%CI: 0.11–1.13, P = 0.079). Albumin levels were significantly reduced throughout the 2 years following the surgery (3.9 vs 4.1 g/dL, P < 0.001). uACR and total protein levels had little or no statistical association to the intervention. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery may protect patients with diabetes with or without microalbuminuria against the risk of CKD and with a modest protective effect on non-fatal CVD risk. Bariatric surgery is also associated with improvements in overall renal outcomes such as eGFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background our aim was to study the relationship between HbA1c and cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality among older insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) after adjustment for multiple confounders. Methods data for 4589 adults with T2D (>65 years) on insulin treatment were sourced from 532 UK General Practices via the Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan–Meier estimators were fitted to derive the hazards of all-cause mortality by HbA1c categories (<6.5, 6.5–7.4, 7.5–8.4, 8.5–9.4, 9.5–10.4, 10.5–11.4%; and 11.5% and above) after 5 years of follow-up following insulin initiation. Results we observed a U-shaped relationship between all-cause mortality and HbA1c, with the lowest risk seen in the HbA1c range of 6.5–7.4% and marked increased in risk with HbA1c > 11%. The highest mortality risks of 31 and 40% were significantly associated with the lowest (<6.5%) and highest (11.5% and above) HbA1c categories: aHR: 1.31; (95%CI: 1.10–1.56; P = 0.002) and aHR: 1.40; (95%CI: 1.01–1.96; P = 0.039), respectively. Conclusions both low and high HbA1c were associated with increased all-cause mortality, among older patients with insulin-treated T2D. This cohort study supports the need for individualisation of care and suggests better outcomes with HbA1c levels around 6.5–7.4% and markedly excess risk with HbA1c > 11% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many patients with diabetes may require high-dose insulin treatment to achieve target HbA1c level, but the prevalence, disease burden, and patient characteristics of the population remain unclear. We therefore investigated people with insulin-treated diabetes in the UK from 2009 to 2013, who were prescribed high daily doses (> 200 units/day).Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the UK primary care electronic dataset from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Trends of demographics, insulin dose, clinical characteristics, and annualized incidence rate of the insulin initiators were analyzed. Patients with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) and who were prescribed insulin between 2009 and 2013 were categorized into either a low- or high-dose insulin user group. Two-sample t test and chi-square test were used for comparison of continuous variables and categorical variables, respectively. A multivariable negative binomial regression analysis with (log) person time as an offset was used to assess the impact of different covariates on incidence of high-dose insulin initiation.Results: Between 2009 and 2013, 19,631 patients with diabetes were treated with insulin (T1DM, 7620; T2DM, 12,011). In 2013, 415 high-dose insulin initiators were identified (T1DM, N = 170; T2DM, N = 245). More than half were male (T1DM/T2DM, 62.4%/56.3%) and 94.1%/83.7% of T1DM/T2DM patients were prescribed an insulin analogue at high-dose insulin initiation. At 6 months, 43.6% of T1DM and 42.6% of T2DM remained to have suboptimal HbA1c level of ≥ 8% (64 mmol/mol). Overall, 15.9%/63.3% of high-dose insulin initiators (HDII) with T1DM/T2DM took oral antidiabetics. From 2009 to 2013, the estimated glomerular filtration rate worsened in both T1DM and T2DM HDII.Conclusion: Despite a number of patients requiring high doses of insulin in the UK, achievement of optimal HbA1c levels remains poor. Early identification of HDII is important in order to plan for alternative/adjuvant antidiabetic and lifestyle strategies to achieve optimal glycemic targets in this patient group.Funding: Eli Lilly and Company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Objectives Insulin therapy induces weight gain but whether it causes long term adverse metabolic and CV outcomes in obese patients remains unclear. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 12,725 insulin initiators with T2D derived from UK General Practices. Multivariate linear, logistic regression analyses and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HbA1c, BMI, risk of composite CV events between baseline BMI categories at 5 years. Results Mean age was 58.6 ± 13.8 years. The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c targets decreased across increasing BMI categories at 6 and at 12 months; p = 0.0001, but not significant beyond 24 months. 1095 composite events of all-cause mortality, non-fatal stroke and MI occurred with an adjusted hazard risk (aHR) relative to normal of: (1.10; 95%CI: 0.90–1.35) in the overweight, (1.05; 95%CI: 0.86–1.29) in the obese class I, (1.03; 95%CI: 0.83–1.29) in the obese class II and (1.30; 95%CI: 1.02–1.66) in the obese class III BMI categories. Conclusion Among patients with T2D insulin initiators, obesity adversely influences HbA1c up to 12 months, but not beyond 24 months and is associated with a decrease in BMI compared to non-obese groups. Morbidly obese patients initiating insulin have 30% increased risk of composite CV events after 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bariatric surgery is effective at achieving weight loss in the severely obese, with the majority of procedures performed laparoscopically. A short-term pre-operative energy restrictive diet is widely adopted to enable surgery by reducing liver size and improving liver flexibility. However, the dietary approach is not standardised. This observational study reports on pre-operative restrictive diets in use across bariatric services in the UK. Methods: Between September and November 2012, information was collected from bariatric services on current or past pre-operative diets, and any research providing evidence for the use or modification of their diets. Results: Around one third of bariatric services (28) in the UK responded, with a total of 49 diets in current use. Types of diet include low energy, low carbohydrate and liquid, with 59 % offering low energy/low carbohydrate food-based, 21 % milk/yoghurt, 18 % meal replacement (liquid) and 2 % clear liquid. Diet duration varies between 7 and 42 days. Limited anecdotal evidence was provided by services evaluating the pre-operative diet, and its alternative approaches, with dietary choice primarily clinician-led. Conclusions: This study has highlighted variability and lack of consensus in the form of pre-bariatric surgery diet used across different centres. Further research comparing outcomes for alternative diets would support best practice in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is a superior predictor of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) particle number and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared with LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Current evidence has shown a degree of discordance between LDL-C with ApoB levels among patients not receiving lipid-lowering therapy. The extent of this discordance among patients receiving LDL-lowering therapies however is less clear. Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the InPractice data looking at the concordance between LDL-C, non-high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (nonHDL-C) and total cholesterol with ApoB values. The study involved 786 high-risk CVD patients from 34 primary care centers initially treated with simvastatin (S) 40 mg at baseline subsequently randomized to adding ezetimibe 10 mg to S 40 mg (E/S40) or changed to atorvastatin (A) 40 mg or to rosuvastatin (R) 5–10 mg for 6 weeks. Results: At 6 weeks after treatment, the association between LDL-C and ApoB values for the different treatment regimes were similar; Pearson’s correlation coefficients between LDL-C and ApoB were 0.84 (E/S40), 0.82 (A), and 0.83 (R). Overall, ApoB appeared to have a slightly greater correlation with nonHDL-C than with LDL-C across all treatment groups, for baseline and posttreatment values. The analysis of quintile frequencies showed a similar pattern; the proportion of patients who had values that fell in the same quintile post treatment for ApoB and LDL-C levels were 52.2% (E/S40), 44.5% (A), and 49.4% (R). Concordance between ApoB and nonHDL-C was 60.6% (E/S40), 62.4% (A), and 61.8% (R). Kappa analysis confirmed fair agreement between LDL-C and ApoB levels for all treatment groups; 0.59 (E/S40), 0.54 (A), and 0.56(R). Conclusion: We showed that the association between ApoB and LDL-C is similar across different lipid-lowering treatment regimes, which suggests that the use of different lipid-lowering agent confers similar ability to predict ApoB levels. When determining CVD risk at an individual patient level, limitation exists when using LDL-C or nonHDL-C per se as risk markers. In the absence of ApoB measurement, we believe that information from both LDL-C and nonHDL-C should be used together to improve the estimation of residual CVD risk among patients who are already receiving lipid lowering therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study which examines the function of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide in predicting 1-year mortality due to acute stroke. The study involves patients of all ages who have acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Moreover, it reveals possible evidence of occult cardiac dysfunction in patients who have experienced acute stroke.

The article offers news briefs related to medical topics in Great Britain. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has completed a review of rimonabant after concerns about its psychiatric safety. A study showed that aspirin is for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes. Public Citizen has filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban rosiglitazone in a wide variety of serious complications including heart and liver damage.

OBJECTIVE -- Strategies for initiating statin use among adult patients with diabetes for primary cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention include treating all patients (assuming diabetes is a coronary risk equivalent) or treating patients who are at risk of developing CVD. The aim of the study was to combine both strategies to derive an appropriate age cutoff for prescribing statins. By considering different strategies, we also aim to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different strategies to reduce CVD events. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- This was a cross-sectional primary care population study using electronic patient files from 304 general practitioner practices in England and Wales. Of 60,258 patients with diabetes, 11,005 men and women aged 30-74 years full-filled criteria for primary CVD prevention. Model outcomes were extrapolated to an estimated national diabetes prevalence of 3.6%. RESULTS -- The age transition from a low-risk to a moderate-risk category for diabetic men and women occurred at ages 40.6 and 44.2 years, respectively, and sensitivity and specificity for fulfilling moderate CVD risk criteria were 97.9 and 61.8% for men and 92.0 and 77.0% for women. When applied to the national population, the age cutoff strategies were an effective and efficient strategy, potentially avoiding 11,094 events with a number needed to treat of 25.1. CONCLUSIONS -- A strategy to treat all men and women with diabetes aged >40 and 45 years, respectively, with statins showed good compromise between high effectiveness and high efficiency for reducing CVD events. Strategy to intervene if cholesterol was >5 mmol/l was the least effective and efficient in preventing CVD events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related to obesity, diabetes, and metabolism. The new data released by the Great Britain National Health Service (NHS) has reported that diabetes medication has cost 725 million pounds to NHS from 2010-2011. A study by the scientists at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain has confirmed that cardiotrophin 1 can treat obesity and metabolic syndrome. Moreover, a study has shown that insulin Degludec can be effective to treat type 2 diabetes when flexibly.

The article offers medical news briefs related to diabetes. The National Institutes of Health in Great Britain stopped the controlled trial of people with type 2 diabetes at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) because of safety concerns. The Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) launched its Foundation Module to educate people with type 2 diabetes. Eli-Lily has announced the discontinuation clinical development of their inhalable insulin products.

Summary: To assess associated healthcare costs and risk of developing obesity‐related comorbidities among patients with type 2 diabetes with severe obesity and receiving insulin treatment, following bariatric surgery (BS). A retrospective cohort study was conducted from a UK electronic primary care database. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed for BS with non‐BS cohort. Follow‐up was over 5 years (694 person‐years), comparing drug utilization with clinical cost differences, such as visits to General practitioners (GPs), hospitalization, and laboratory use. Cox proportional regression was used to compute differences in the risk of obesity‐related comorbidities and chi‐square analysis to explore differences in insulin independency and diabetes remission proportions during follow‐up. Eighty patients who received BS were matched to 80 non‐BS (N = 160). The baseline mean age was 48.3 years (SD: 12.9) (61% female), and body mass index was 39.3 kg/m2 (SD: 9.3). During follow‐up, antidiabetic drug cost was significantly lower in the BS group than in the non‐BS (median cost/person [£]: 527.77 [interquartile range (IQR): 1196.11] vs. 1564.13 [IQR: 1576.01]; p < 0.001). Overall, aggregate cost analysis showed a significant total healthcare cost reduction in the BS group (median cost/person [£]: 1597.96 [IQR: 2631.84] vs. 2440.12 [IQR: 2242.95]; p = 0.050). BS significantly protected against obesity‐related comorbidities compared with the non‐BS (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.32–0.96; p = 0.036) and increased insulin independency throughout all follow‐up points: at year 5: 48.1% versus 28.9%; p = 0.044, respectively. While BS shows evidence of cost efficiency, cost saving was not identified. The efficiency is evident by the protective effect against crude obesity‐related comorbidities associated with increased insulin independency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apart from baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), little is known about clinical parameters that affect glycemic response to a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor when used in routine clinical practice. We aimed to use a large primary care database to assess the variability in response to a DPP4 inhibitor when used as add-on therapy.Materials and Methods: Data on 25,386 patients with type 2 diabetes, newly treated with a DPP4 inhibitor (2007-2013), were sourced from a United Kingdom general practice database via the Health Improvement Network database. Baseline clinical parameters of patients (n = 13,525) for whom a DPP4 inhibitor was added because of suboptimal glucose control (HbA1c >7%) were compared with 12-month follow-up data. An optimum response to the DPP4 inhibitor was defined as an HbA1c level of <7.0% at 12 months. Descriptive analyses and unadjusted comparisons using χ(2) and t tests were carried out to ascertain glycemic and body weight responses to treatment intensification with a DPP4 inhibitor. Predictor of response analyses were performed using multivariate logistic regression.Results: Overall, 1,708 (13%) of our study population achieved an HbA1c level of <7%. Intensification with a DPP4 inhibitor was associated with significant reductions in HbA1c (-0.5%), body weight (-0.9 kg), and total cholesterol (-0.1 mmol/L) (P < 0.001). Independent predictors of achieving optimal HbA1c target of <7% included the use of metformin (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.18-3.04) and use of metformin plus sulfonylurea (1.42; 95% CI, 1.21-1.68) as opposed to no use. The independent predictors of suboptimal glucose control included a higher baseline HbA1c level (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.61-0.68) (i.e., 1% increase in HbA1c was associated with a 36% reduced likelihood of response), longer diabetes duration (per every year increase) (OR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.83-0.88), and intensification therapy below 9 months compared with 9-12 months.Conclusions: There is a significant variability in glycemic response to a DPP4 inhibitor in routine practice. The best effect is achieved as add-on to metformin and metformin plus sulfonylurea, but responses are significantly lower with increased diabetes duration and among patients with high HbA1c levels at baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]