Joanne R. Morling

Severe hypoglycemia and cognitive decline in older people with type 2 diabetes: the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study.

OBJECTIVE People with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of age-related cognitive decline and dementia. Hypoglycemia is a candidate risk factor, but the direction of association between episodes of severe hypoglycemia and cognitive decline in type 2 diabetes remains uncertain. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In the Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study, cognitive function was assessed in 831 adults with type 2 diabetes (aged 60–75 years) at baseline and after 4 years. Scores on seven neuropsychological tests were combined into a standardized general ability factor g. Self-reported history of severe hypoglycemia at baseline (history of hypoglycemia) and at follow-up (incident hypoglycemia) was recorded. RESULTS A history of hypoglycemia was reported by 9.3% of subjects, and 10.2% reported incident hypoglycemia. Incident hypoglycemia was associated with poorer cognitive ability at baseline (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio for lowest tertile of g 2.04 [95% CI 1.25–3.31], P = 0.004). Both history of hypoglycemia and incident hypoglycemia were also associated with greater cognitive decline during follow-up (mean follow-up g adjusted for age, sex, and baseline g −0.25 vs. 0.03 [P = 0.02] and −0.28 vs. 0.04 [P = 0.01], respectively), including after addition of vascular risk factors and cardiovascular and microvascular disease to the models (−0.23 vs. 0.03 [P = 0.04] and −0.21 vs. 0.05 [P = 0.03], respectively). CONCLUSIONS The relationship between cognitive impairment and hypoglycemia appeared complex, with severe hypoglycemia associated with both poorer initial cognitive ability and accelerated cognitive decline.

Clinical and Subclinical Macrovascular Disease as Predictors of Cognitive Decline in Older Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study

OBJECTIVE Macrovascular disease may contribute to increased risk of accelerated cognitive decline in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to determine associations of measures of macrovascular disease with cognitive change in a cognitively healthy older population with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eight hundred thirty-one men and women (aged 60–75 years) attended two waves of the prospective Edinburgh Type 2 Diabetes Study (ET2DS). At baseline, clinical and subclinical macrovascular disease was measured, including cardiovascular event history, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), ankle brachial index (ABI), and serum N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Seven neuropsychological tests were administered at baseline and after 4 years; scores were combined to a standardized general ability factor (g). Adjustment of follow-up g for baseline g assessed 4-year cognitive change. Adjustment for vocabulary (estimated premorbid ability) was used to estimate lifetime cognitive change. RESULTS Measures of cognitive decline were significantly associated with stroke, NT-proBNP, ABI, and cIMT, but not with nonstroke vascular events. The association of stroke with increased estimated lifetime cognitive decline (standardized β, −0.12) and of subclinical markers with actual 4-year decline (standardized β, −0.12, 0.12, and −0.15 for NT-proBNP, ABI, and cIMT, respectively) reached the Bonferroni-adjusted level of statistical significance (P < 0.006). Results altered only slightly on adjustment for vascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Stroke and subclinical markers of cardiac stress and generalized atherosclerosis are associated with cognitive decline in older patients with type 2 diabetes. Further investigation into the potential use of subclinical vascular disease markers in predicting cognitive decline is warranted.

Adverse events after first, single, mesh and non-mesh surgical procedures for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in Scotland, 1997–2016: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND Concerns have been raised about the safety of surgery for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse using transvaginal mesh. We assessed adverse outcomes after first, single mesh procedures and comparable non-mesh procedures. METHODS We did a cohort study of women in Scotland aged 20 years or older undergoing a first, single incontinence procedure or prolapse procedure during 1997-98 to 2015-16 identified from a national hospital admission database. Primary outcomes were immediate postoperative complications and subsequent (within 5 years) readmissions for later postoperative complications, further incontinence surgery, or further prolapse surgery. Poisson regression models were used to compare outcomes after procedures carried out with and without mesh. FINDINGS Between April 1, 1997, and March 31, 2016, 16 660 women underwent a first, single incontinence procedure, 13 133 (79%) of which used mesh. Compared with non-mesh open surgery (colposuspension), mesh procedures had a lower risk of immediate complications (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 0·44 [95% CI 0·36-0·55]) and subsequent prolapse surgery (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0·30 [0·24-0·39]), and a similar risk of further incontinence surgery (0·90 [0·73-1·11]) and later complications (1·12 [0·98-1·27]); all ratios are for retropubic mesh. During the same time period, 18 986 women underwent a first, single prolapse procedure, 1279 (7%) of which used mesh. Compared with non-mesh repair, mesh repair of anterior compartment prolapse was associated with a similar risk of immediate complications (aRR 0·93 [95% CI 0·49-1·79]); an increased risk of further incontinence (aIRR 3·20 [2·06-4·96]) and prolapse surgery (1·69 [1·29-2·20]); and a substantially increased risk of later complications (3·15 [2·46-4·04]). Compared with non-mesh repair, mesh repair of posterior compartment prolapse was associated with a similarly increased risk of repeat prolapse surgery and later complications. No difference in any outcome was observed between vaginal and, separately, abdominal mesh repair of vaginal vault prolapse compared with vaginal non-mesh repair. INTERPRETATION Our results support the use of mesh procedures for incontinence, although further research on longer term outcomes would be beneficial. Mesh procedures for anterior and posterior compartment prolapse cannot be recommended for primary prolapse repair. Both vaginal and abdominal mesh procedures for vaginal vault prolapse repair are associated with similar effectiveness and complication rates to non-mesh vaginal repair. These results therefore do not clearly favour any particular vault repair procedure. FUNDING None.

Is there a divergence in time trends in the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes? A systematic review in South Asian populations

OBJECTIVE Recently, diabetes prevalence has increased in South Asians making it a global public health priority. There are suggestions that pre-diabetes, including impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), may not be increasing. We conducted a systematic review to explore the paradox. Research Design and Methods We searched electronic databases from inception to June 2009 for cross-sectional studies providing prevalence of pre-diabetes (using WHO criteria) in South Asian adult populations. Two reviewers independently screened articles, performed data extraction, quality appraisal and study classification with any discrepancies resolved by consensus. Repeated cross-sectional studies, categorized by pre-specified criteria, were used for the primary analysis, supplemented by analysis of comparable and all studies. RESULTS In total, 79 cross-sectional data sets (from 69 published studies) were identified resulting in the inclusion of 179 408 people. Four sets of repeated cross-sectional studies, conducted in Chennai, rural Tamil Nadu, Mauritius and Singapore (n = 30,399), provided time trend information. Three of them showed an increase in diabetes prevalence (P < 0.001) whereas IGT fell in two (P < 0.05), and was stable in the remainder. A similar pattern was seen among three other sets of comparable studies (n = 58,820) and in scatterplots of all 79 data sets. CONCLUSION This novel systematic review is the first to assess secular trends of pre-diabetes in any population. The data show diabetes prevalence is rising, whereas IGT prevalence is stable or falling. Explanations include: recent environmental or lifestyle changes favouring an increased rate of conversion from IGT to diabetes, or a cohort effect with improving maternal and infant nutrition resulting in reduced IGT with a fall in diabetes to follow.

Type 2 diabetes and risk of hospital admission or death for chronic liver diseases

BACKGROUND & AIMS The impact of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on hospital admissions and deaths due to common chronic liver diseases (CLDs) is uncertain. Our aim was to investigate associations between T2DM and CLDs in a national retrospective cohort study and to investigate the role of sex and socio-economic status (SES). METHODS We used International Classification of Disease codes to identify incident alcoholic liver disease (ALD), autoimmune liver disease, haemochromatosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and viral liver disease from linked diabetes, hospital, cancer and death records for people of 40-89years of age in Scotland 2004-2013. We used quasi Poisson regression to estimate rate ratios (RR). RESULTS There were 6667 and 33624 first mentions of CLD in hospital, cancer and death records over ∼1.8 and 24million person-years in people with and without T2DM, respectively. The most common liver disease was ALD among people without diabetes and was NAFLD among people with T2DM. Age-adjusted RR for T2DM compared to the non-diabetic population (95% confidence intervals) varied between 1.27 (1.04-1.55) for autoimmune liver disease and 5.36 (4.41-6.51) for NAFLD. RRs were lower for men than women and for more compared to less deprived populations for both ALD and NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS T2DM is associated with increased risk of hospital admission or death for all common CLDs and the strength of the association varies by type of CLD, sex and SES. Increasing prevalence of T2DM is likely to result in increasing burden of all CLDs.

Association Between Psychological Distress and Liver Disease Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Individual Study Participants

BACKGROUND & AIMS Risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity and hypertension, have been associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Psychological distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so it might also be associated, directly or indirectly, with liver disease. We investigated the relationship between psychological distress (measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire [GHQ]) and liver disease mortality. METHODS We performed a meta-analysis of data from individual participants in 16 prospective studies of the general population in the United Kingdom, initiated from 1994 through 2008. Subjects were assigned to groups based on GHQ score: 0 (no distress), 1-3, 4-6, or 7-12. RESULTS We analyzed data from 166,631 individuals (55% women; mean ± SD age, 46.6 ± 18.4 years; range, 16-102 years). During a mean follow-up period of 9.5 years, 17,368 participants died (457 with liver disease). We found a significant increase in liver disease mortality with increase in GHQ score (Ptrend < .001). The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for the highest GHQ score category (ie, 7-12), compared with the 0 score category, was 3.48 (95% confidence interval: 2.68-4.52). After adjustment for health behaviors, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and diabetes, this hazard ratio decreased to 2.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.82-3.68). CONCLUSIONS Based on a meta-analysis, psychological distress is associated with liver disease mortality, although this finding requires additional analysis. Although one is not likely to cause the other, we provide additional evidence for the deleterious effects of psychological problems on physical health.

Socioeconomic deprivation increases the effect of winter on admissions to hospital with COPD: retrospective analysis of 10 years of national hospitalisation data.

Background: Admission to hospital with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with deprivation and season. However, it is not known whether deprivation and seasonality act synergistically to influence the risk of hospital admission with COPD. Aims: To investigate whether the relationship between season/temperature and admission to hospital with COPD differs with deprivation. Methods: All COPD admissions (ICD10 codes J40-J44 and J47) were obtained for the decade 2001–2010 for all Scottish residents by month of admission and 2009 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile. Confidence intervals for rates and absolute differences in rates were calculated and the proportion of risk during winter attributable to main effects and interactions were estimated. Monthly rates of admission by average daily minimum temperatures were plotted for each quintile of SIMD. Results: Absolute differences in admission rates between winter and summer increased with greater deprivation. In the most deprived quintile, in winter 19.4% (95% CI 17.3% to 21.4%) of admissions were attributable to season/deprivation interaction, 61.2% (95% CI 59.5% to 63.0%) to deprivation alone, and 5.2% (95% CI 4.3% to 6.0%) to winter alone. Lower average daily minimum temperatures over a month were associated with higher admission rates, with stronger associations evident in the more deprived quintiles. Conclusions: Winter and socioeconomic deprivation-related factors appear to act synergistically, increasing the rate of COPD admissions to hospital more among deprived people than among affluent people in winter than in the summer months. Similar associations were observed for admission rates and temperatures. Interventions effective at reducing winter admissions for COPD may have potential for greater benefit if delivered to more deprived groups.

Commissioning prison health: Opportunities and challenges for creating a new prison public health system in Scotland

Scotland is at a cross-roads in relation to the provision of health care for prisoners and those within the criminal/community justice systems. In this paper we review the opportunities afforded by policy and structural changes, integrated within health care systems to make prison health a true public health service. The challenges that have to be overcome in achieving this aim are identified and discussed.

Systematic review with meta‐analysis: vasoactive drugs for the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome type 1

Hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (HRS1) is a functional, rapidly progressive, potentially reversible form of acute kidney injury occurring in patients with cirrhosis. Characterised by intense renal arterial vasoconstriction, it carries a very poor prognosis. There is a significant unmet need for a widely approved, safe and effective pharmacological treatment.

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality among people with type 2 diabetes and alcoholic or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease hospital admission

OBJECTIVE To describe associations between alcoholic liver disease (ALD) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) hospital admission and cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study by using linked population-based routine data from diabetes registry, hospital, cancer, and death records for people aged 40–89 years diagnosed with T2DM in Scotland between 2004 and 2013 who had one or more hospital admission records. Liver disease and outcomes were identified by using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for key risk factors. RESULTS A total of 134,368 people with T2DM (1,707 with ALD and 1,452 with NAFLD) were studied, with a mean follow-up of 4.3 years for CVD and 4.7 years for mortality. Among those with ALD, NAFLD, or without liver disease hospital records 378, 320, and 21,873 CVD events; 268, 176, and 15,101 cancers; and 724, 221, and 16,203 deaths were reported, respectively. For ALD and NAFLD, respectively, adjusted HRs (95% CIs) compared with the group with no record of liver disease were 1.59 (1.43, 1.76) and 1.70 (1.52, 1.90) for CVD, 40.3 (28.8, 56.5) and 19.12 (11.71, 31.2) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 1.28 (1.12, 1.47) and 1.10 (0.94, 1.29) for non-HCC cancer, and 4.86 (4.50, 5.24) and 1.60 (1.40, 1.83) for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS Hospital records of ALD or NAFLD are associated to varying degrees with an increased risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality among people with T2DM.