Chihiro Morita

Relation between psychosocial variables and the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional and prospective study

BackgroundThis cross-sectional and prospective study used a variety of psychological inventories to evaluate the relationship between psychosocial factors and the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsParticipants were 304 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated as outpatients at diabetes clinics. All participants were assessed for HbA1c and completed the following self-report psychological inventories: 1) Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ), 2) Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey (PAID), 3) Well-being Questionnaire 12 (W-BQ12), 4) Self-Esteem Scale (SES), 5) Social Support Scale, and 6) Self-Efficacy Scale. HbA1c was again measured one year later. The relationships between the psychosocial variables obtained by analysis of the psychological inventories and baseline or one-year follow-up HbA1c were determined.ResultsBaseline HbA1cwas significantly correlated with age, diet treatment regimen, number of microvascular complication of diabetes, and the total scores of DTSQ, W-BQ12, PAID, SES and the Self-Efficacy Scale. Hierarchical stepwise multiple regression revealed that significant predictors of baseline HbA1c were total DTSQ and PAID scores, along with age, diet treatment regimen, and number of microvascular complication of diabetes after adjustment for demographic, clinical and other psychosocial variables. Two hundred and ninety patients (95.4% of 304) were followed and assessed one year after baseline. Hierarchical stepwise multiple regression analysis showed the significant predictors of follow-up HbA1c to be total DTSQ and PAID scores, along with age and diet treatment regimen. However, the correlation between baseline and follow-up HbA1c was so high that the only other variable to retain significance was diet treatment regimen once baseline HbA1c was included in the regression of follow-up HbA1c.ConclusionThe DTSQ and the PAID predicted both current and future HbA1c to a similar and significant degree in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The relationship between the age of onset of type 1 diabetes and the subsequent development of a severe eating disorder by female patients.

Takii M, Uchigata Y, Kishimoto J, Morita C, Hata T, Nozaki T, Kawai K, Iwamoto Y, Sudo N, Kubo C. The relationship between the age of onset of type 1 diabetes and the subsequent development of a severe eating disorder by female patients.

Psychopathological features of anorectic patients who dropped out of inpatient treatment as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa often requires inpatient treatment that includes psychotherapeutic intervention in addition to physical and nutritional management for severe low body weight. However, such patients sometimes terminate inpatient treatment prematurely because of resistance to treatment, poor motivation for treatment, unstable emotions, and problematic behaviors. In this study, the psychopathological factors related to the personality of anorexic patients that might predict discontinuation of inpatient treatment were investigated using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).MethodsSubjects were 75 consecutive anorectic inpatients who received cognitive behavioral therapy with a behavior protocol governing privileges in a university hospital based general (not psychiatric) ward. The MMPI was done on admission for all patients. A comparison was done of patients who completed the process of inpatient treatment, including attainment of target body weight (completers), and patients who dropped out of inpatient treatment (dropouts). Results: No significant differences between completers (n = 51) and dropouts (n = 24) were found in the type of eating disorder, age of onset, duration of illness, age, or BMI at admission. Logistic regression analysis found the MMPI scales schizophrenia (Sc), hypomania (HYP), deviant thinking and experience, and antisocial attitude to be factors predicting completion or dropout.ConclusionDropouts have difficulty adapting to inpatient treatment protocols such as our behavior protocol governing privileges because they have social and emotional alienation, a lack of ego mastery (Sc), emotional instability (HYP) and an antisocial attitude. As a result, they have decreased motivation for treatment, leave the hospital without permission, attempt suicide, or shoplift, which leads them to terminate inpatient treatment prematurely. Treatments based on cognitive behavioral therapy with a behavior protocol governing privileges should be carefully adopted for anorectic patients who exhibit the psychopathological elements identified in this study.

Higher sleep fragmentation predicts a lower magnitude of weight loss in overweight and obese women participating in a weight-loss intervention

Background:Sleep has been identified as having an influence on the success of weight-loss interventions; however, knowledge of the mechanisms and the extent to which sleep disturbances affect the magnitude of weight reduction is inconclusive.Objective:To determine if sleep duration and quality can predict the magnitude of weight reduction in a weight-loss intervention program for overweight and obese women.Methods:Ninety overweight and obese women aged 25–65 years completed the 7-month weight-loss phase of our weight-loss intervention. Sleep duration and quality were evaluated before the intervention by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-report questionnaire, and by actigraphy. Serum levels of ghrelin, leptin, cortisol and insulin also were measured at baseline. Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).Results:The mean reduction rate of body mass index (BMI) after the intervention was 13.6%. Multiple linear regression revealed that the number of wake episodes (WEs) per night had a significant relationship with the reduction of BMI even after adjusting for other clinical variables (β=−0.341, P=0.001). The participants with five or more WEs per night (high-WE group) had a significantly lower reduction in BMI compared with those with fewer than five (normal-WE group), after adjusting for confounding variables. In contrast, the PSQI-assessed parameters, reflecting the subjective assessments of sleep quality and duration, failed to detect an association with the reduction in BMI. Baseline HOMA-IR was significantly higher in the high-WE group than in the normal-WE group after adjusting for confounding variables.Conclusions:Higher sleep fragmentation, as manifested by the increased number of WEs, predicts a lower magnitude of weight reduction in persons participating in weight-loss programs.

BMI, body composition, and the energy requirement for body weight gain in patients with anorexia nervosa

OBJECTIVE Theories abound about the energy requirements for body weight gain in anorexia nervosa (AN). We hypothesized that malnutrition status affects the energy requirements. METHOD On admission, 97 AN patients were measured for body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and body composition was investigated. In addition, 21 patients who completed our treatment program were tested for energy intake and body weight. RESULTS The relationship between BMI and both fat-free mass and fat mass (FM) on admission was curvilinear. The weight gain per excess energy was greater in the group of patients with FM < 4 kg or BMI < 14 kg/m(2) than in the group with FM > or = 4 kg or BMI > or = 14 kg/m(2) (p = .037, p = .055, respectively). DISCUSSION The energy requirements for weight gain in AN patients are related to the initial FM and BMI.

Somatic and psychological factors related to the body mass index of patients with anorexia nervosa.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine somatic and psychological factors related to the body mass index (BMI) of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients. Method: The analysis was of 24 hospitalized AN patients from the day after admission to the 4th day. The somatic factors analyzed were duration of AN, daily food intake, eating regulatory substances in blood (acylated ghrelin, desacyl ghrelin, leptin), serum cortisol, insulin and estimated creatinine clearance (CCr). The psychological factors analyzed were depression, anxiety, Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), and hunger/fullness feeling. Measurement of BMI and collection of blood samples were done on the morning after hospitalization. Statistical analysis was by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: BMI showed a reverse correlation with desacyl ghrelin (β=-0.486, p=0.015) and maturity fears (β=-0.375, p=0.046), but was not associated with any other factor by multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: The results suggest that desacyl ghrelin and maturity fears play important roles in the prolonged malnutrition state seen in AN patients.

The longitudinal BMI pattern and body composition of patients with anorexia nervosa who require urgent hospitalization: A case control study

BackgroundThe prevention of serious physical complications in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients is important. The purpose of this study is to clarify which physical and social factors are related to the necessity for urgent hospitalization of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients in a long-term starvation state. We hypothesized that the change of longitudinal BMI, body composition and social background would be useful as an index of the necessity for urgent hospitalization.MethodsAN patients were classified into; urgent hospitalization, due to disturbance of consciousness or difficulty walking(n = 17); planned admission (n = 96); and outpatient treatment only groups (n = 136). The longitudinal BMI pattern and the clinical features of these groups were examined. In the hospitalization groups, comparison was done of body composition variation and the social background, including the educational level and advice from family members.ResultsAfter adjusting for age and duration of illness, the BMI of the urgent hospitalization group was lower than that of the other groups at one year before hospitalization (P < 0.01) and decreased more rapidly (P < 0.01). Urgent hospitalization was associated with the fat free mass (FFM) (P < 0.01). Between the groups, no considerable difference in social factors was found.ConclusionsThe longitudinal pattern of BMI and FFM may be useful for understanding the severity in AN from the viewpoint of failure of the homeostasis system.

The outcome of Japanese anorexia nervosa patients treated with an inpatient therapy in an internal medicine unit

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of Japanese anorexia nervosa (AN) patients who were treated with the standard Japanese inpatient therapy. METHOD: Of the 88 female AN patients treated with our inpatient therapy between January 1997 and December 2002, 67 (76.1%) who agreed to cooperate in this study were assessed by the Global Clinical Score (GCS) at admission and follow-up, 6.3±1.8 years after discharge. Their clinical characteristics at admission and discharge were also examined. RESULTS: Four (6.0%) patients had died before follow-up. BMI was significantly increased during inpatient therapy. At follow-up, excellent, much improved, symptomatic, and poor outcomes on GCS were 57.1%, 14.3%, 14.3% and 14.3%, respectively. Younger age at admission and larger BMI at discharge were significantly associated with a better outcome. DISCUSSION: This study shows the potential for the use of this method for the treatment of AN patients in countries without specialized eating disorder units.

Predictors of Dropout by Female Obese Patients Treated with a Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Promote Weight Loss.

Objective: To investigate predictors of dropout from a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for overweight or obese women. Methods: 119 overweight and obese Japanese women aged 25-65 years who attended an outpatient weight loss intervention were followed throughout the 7-month weight loss phase. Somatic characteristics, socioeconomic status, obesity-related diseases, diet and exercise habits, and psychological variables (depression, anxiety, self-esteem, alexithymia, parenting style, perfectionism, and eating attitude) were assessed at baseline. Significant variables, extracted by univariate statistical analysis, were then used as independent variables in a stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis with dropout as the dependent variable. Results: 90 participants completed the weight loss phase, giving a dropout rate of 24.4%. The multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that compared to completers the dropouts had significantly stronger body shape concern, tended to not have jobs, perceived their mothers to be less caring, and were more disorganized in temperament. Of all these factors, the best predictor of dropout was shape concern. Conclusion: Shape concern, job condition, parenting care, and organization predicted dropout from the group CBT weight loss intervention for overweight or obese Japanese women.

Association of the c.385C>A (p.Pro129Thr) polymorphism of the fatty acid amide hydrolase gene with anorexia nervosa in the Japanese population.

The functional c.385C>A single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) gene, one of the major degrading enzymes of endocannabinoids, is reportedly associated with anorexia nervosa (AN). We genotyped the c.385C>A SNP (rs324420) in 762 lifetime AN and 605 control participants in Japan. There were significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of c.385C>A between the AN and control groups. The minor 385A allele was less frequent in the AN participants than in the controls (allele‐wise, odds ratio = 0.799, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.653–0.976, P = 0.028). When the cases were subdivided into lifetime restricting subtype AN and AN with a history of binge eating or purging, only the restricting AN group exhibited a significant association (allele‐wise, odds ratio = 0.717, 95% CI 0.557–0.922, P = 0.0094). Our results suggest that having the minor 385A allele of the FAAH gene may be protective against AN, especially restricting AN. This finding supports the possible role of the endocannabinoid system in susceptibility to AN.