Juana A. Flores-Le Roux

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: More than a restrictive bariatric surgery procedure?

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a restrictive bariatric surgery technique that was first used as part of restrictive horizontal gastrectomy in the original Scopinaro type biliopancreatic diversion. Its good results as a single technique have led to a rise in its use, and it is currently the second most performed technique worldwide. SG achieves clearly better results than other restrictive techniques and is comparable in some aspects to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the current gold standard in bariatric surgery. These benefits have been associated with different pathophysiologic mechanisms unrelated to weight loss such as increased gastric emptying and intestinal transit, and activation of hormonal mechanisms such as increased GLP-1 hormone and decreased ghrelin. The aim of this review was to highlight the salient aspects of SG regarding its historical evolution, pathophysiologic mechanisms, main results, clinical applications and perioperative complications.

Seven-year mortality in heart failure patients with undiagnosed diabetes: an observational study

BackgroundPatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure have adverse clinical outcomes, but the characteristics and prognosis of those with undiagnosed diabetes in this setting has not been established.MethodsIn total, 400 patients admitted consecutively with acute heart failure were grouped in three glycaemic categories: no diabetes, clinical diabetes (previously reported or with hypoglycaemic treatment) and undiagnosed diabetes. The latter was defined by the presence of at least two measurements of fasting plasma glycaemia ≥ 7 mmol/L before or after the acute episode.Group differences were tested by proportional hazards models in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality during a 7-year follow-up.ResultsThere were 188 (47%) patients without diabetes, 149 (37%) with clinical diabetes and 63 (16%) with undiagnosed diabetes. Patients with undiagnosed diabetes had a lower prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, peripheral vascular disease and previous myocardial infarction than those with clinical diabetes and similar to that of those without diabetes. The adjusted hazards ratios for 7-year total and cardiovascular mortality compared with the group of subjects without diabetes were 1.69 (95% CI: 1.17-2.46) and 2.45 (95% CI: 1.58-3.81) for those with undiagnosed diabetes, and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.10-1.99) and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.40-2.89) for those with clinical diabetes.ConclusionsUndiagnosed diabetes is common in patients requiring hospitalization for acute heart failure. Patients with undiagnosed diabetes, despite having a lower cardiovascular risk profile than those with clinical diabetes, show a similar increased mortality.

Statins for primary cardiovascular prevention in the elderly

The elderly population is increasing worldwide, with subjects > 65 years of age constituting the fastest-growing age group. Furthermore, the elderly face the greatest risk and burden of cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity. Although elderly patients, particularly those older > 75, have not been well represented in randomized clinical trials evaluating lipid-lowering therapy, the available evidence supporting the use of statin therapy in primary prevention in older individuals is derived mainly from subgroup analyses and post-hoc data. On the other hand, elderly patients often have multiple co-morbidities that require a high number of concurrent medications; this may increase the risk for drug-drug interactions, thereby reducing the potential benefits of statin therapy. The aim of this review was to present the relevant literature regarding statin use in the elderly for their primary cardiovascular disease, with the associated risks and benefits of treatment.

Peripartum metabolic control in gestational diabetes

OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate intrapartum metabolic control in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients and maternal factors influencing intrapartum glycemic control and neonatal hypoglycemia risk. STUDY DESIGN A prospective observational study included 129 women with GDM admitted for delivery. Data collected included maternal intrapartum capillary blood glucose (CBG) and ketonemia, use of insulin, and neonatal hypoglycemia. RESULTS In all, 86% of maternal intrapartum CBG values fell within target range (3.3-7.2 mmol/L) without need for insulin use. There were no cases of maternal hypoglycemia or severe ketosis. Intrapartum CBG >7.2 mmol/L was associated with third-trimester glycated hemoglobin (P = .02) and lack of endocrinologic follow-up (P = .04). Risk of neonatal hypoglycemia was related with pregnancy insulin use compared with dietary control (60.5% vs 29.5%; P = .02). CONCLUSION Peripartum metabolic control in GDM patients was achieved without insulin in most cases. Intrapartum glycemic control was related with third-trimester glycated hemoglobin and with no endocrinologic follow-up. Neonatal hypoglycemia was associated with insulin use during pregnancy.

Preoperative Predictors of Weight Loss at 4 Years Following Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the influence of patient characteristics, preoperative weight loss, and type of surgical procedure on long-term weight loss after bariatric surgery (BS). METHODS Subjects were a prospective cohort of 95 patients who underwent BS with 4 years of follow-up. Seventy-seven patients (81.1%) underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and 18 (18.9%) had laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Age, gender, initial body mass index (BMI), preoperative percentage of excess weight loss, presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, current smoking status, and surgical technique were analyzed via multivariate linear regression analysis to identify predictors of weight loss during the 4 years after the surgery. RESULTS Maximum percentage of excess weight loss was obtained at 18 months. Age and preoperative BMI were negatively associated with percentage of excess weight loss at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years after BS (P < .005). At 4 years, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was independently associated with a higher weight loss than laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Younger age, lower BMI, and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are independent predictors of long-term weight loss after BS.

A prospective evaluation of neonatal hypoglycaemia in infants of women with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE To analyse first-day-of-life glucose levels in infants of women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and the influence of maternal, gestational and peripartum factors on the development of neonatal hypoglycaemia. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study including newborns of GDM mothers. Capillary blood glucose (CBG) was measured serially on the first day of life. CBG values were defined as normal (≥ 2.5 mmol/l), mild hypoglycaemia (2.2-2.4 mmol/l), moderate hypoglycaemia (1.6-2.1 mmol/l) and severe hypoglycaemia (<1.6 mmol/l). RESULTS One hundred and ninety infants were included: 23 (12.1%) presented mild, 20 (10.5%) moderate and only 5 (2.6%) severe hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemic infants were more frequently large-for-gestational-age (29.3% vs 11.3%, p=0.003), had lower umbilical cord pH (7.28 vs 7.31, p=0.03) and their mothers had more frequently been hyperglycaemic during labour (18.8% vs 8.5%, p=0.04). In multivariate analysis Pakistani origin (OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.14-7.55) and umbilical cord venous pH (OR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.261-0.99) were significantly and independently associated with hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS Mild and moderate neonatal hypoglycaemias were common although severe episodes were unusual in infants of women with GDM. Hypoglycaemia is mainly influenced by ethnicity and cord blood pH, although maternal peripartum glycaemic control and large-for-gestational-age condition may also play a role.

Gestational diabetes in a multiethnic population of Spain: Clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes☆

AIMS To compare clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes between immigrant and Spanish women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a multiethnic population of Barcelona and to identify factors independently associated with the development of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants. METHODS Prospective study of women with GDM from five ethnic groups (Caucasian, South-Central Asian, Latin American, East Asian and Moroccan) at a single institution in Barcelona between 2004 and 2011. Maternal, gestational and newborn characteristics were recorded. RESULTS The cohort included 456 patients. In univariate analyses, Moroccan women had more frequently a pre-gestational body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m(2) (76.4%, P=0.012), while East Asian women had lower BMI (23.41 ± 2.79 kg/m(2), P<0.001), less need for insulin therapy (14.3%, P=0.013) and the highest rate of spontaneous labor (69.8%, P=0.014) and eutocic delivery (63.8%, P=0.032). Also, Latin American women had a higher rate of Cesarean section (52.9%, P<0.001) and LGA infants (28.6%, P=0.004), and their newborns had lower umbilical cord pH (7.23 ± 0.06, P=0.005) and Apgar scores (9 [4-10], P<0.01) and a higher incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia (51.4%, P=0.045). Logistic regression analysis identified pre-gestational BMI (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.09-1.27), pregnancy weight gain (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.1-1.28) and insulin use during gestation (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.09-4.82) as predictors of LGA infants. CONCLUSIONS Significant ethnic differences were found in clinical characteristics and perinatal outcomes of women with GDM. Latin American women had a higher frequency of adverse perinatal outcomes. Pregestational BMI, pregnancy weight gain and insulin use during pregnancy were independent predictors of LGA.

Predictors of Hypertension Remission and Recurrence After Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND Few data exist on factors associated with hypertension (HTN) remission post-bariatric surgery. No information on factors that may predict HTN relapse is available. The aims were to assess the HTN remission and relapse rates at 1 and 3 years, respectively, post-bariatric surgery, and determine predictive factors. METHODS A nonrandomized prospective cohort study on severely obese patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) with a follow-up of 36 months was conducted between 2005 and 2011. Criteria for HTN diagnosis were current treatment with antihypertensive agents and/or systolic blood pressure (BP) >140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP >90 mm Hg. HTN remission was defined as normalization of BP maintained after discontinuation of medical treatment. RESULTS A total of 197 patients were included in the study. HTN was present in 47.7%; 68.1% of hypertensive patients showed HTN remission 1 year after the surgical procedure, 21.9% of whom had relapsed at 3 years. The number of antihypertensive drugs prior to surgery was associated with a lower remission rate at the first year and a higher recurrence at 3 years. However, a smaller weight loss during the first year was associated with increased HTN recurrence at 3 years. CONCLUSION HTN relapses in 1 of 5 hypertensives who have achieved remission at the first year of follow-up. Weight loss during the first postoperative year should be encouraged to avoid HTN relapse at 3 years.

Age, Insulin Requirements, Waist Circumference, and Triglycerides Predict Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is higher than in the general population and leads to detrimental effects on metabolic control, lipid profile, and body composition. Few studies have examined its role in type 1 diabetes mellitus. AIM To determine the prevalence of HH in patients with type 1 diabetes and associated risk factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical and biochemical parameters were gathered on initial evaluation. An HH score creating different experimental models was devised to calculate the risk of HH for an individual with type 1 diabetes. METHODS Cross-sectional study of 181 male patients with type 1 diabetes consecutively admitted to the Diabetes outpatient clinics of three urban hospitals. All participants were Caucasians aged ≥ 18 years with type 1 diabetes duration of more than 6 months. RESULTS One hundred and eighty-one male patients with a mean age of 44.2 ± 13.2 years and a type 1 diabetes duration of 18.9 ± 12.7 years were included. Fifteen patients had HH, representing a prevalence of 8.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.3-12.3%). Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.066 [95% CI: 1.002-1.134]), waist circumference (OR 1.112 [95% CI: 1028-1203]), and insulin requirements ([IU/Kg] ×10 [OR 1.486 {95% CI: 1052-2.098}]) were independently associated with the presence of HH. The model that best predicted HH generated this formula: HH-score = (1.060 × age) + (1.084 × waist circumference) + (14.00 × insulin requirements) + triglycerides, where age was expressed in years, waist circumference in cm, insulin requirements in IU/kg/d, and triglycerides in mg/dL. An HH score > 242.4 showed 100% sensitivity and 53.2% specificity for HH diagnosis; positive and negative predictive values were 17.0 % and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS One in 10 men with type 1 diabetes presents HH. This condition is associated with age, waist circumference, and insulin requirements. A simple formula based on clinical parameters can rule out its presence.

Trastornos tiroideos en el síndrome de Down

Resumen Las alteraciones de la funcion tiroidea son una parte importante de la patologia asociada al sindrome de Down (SD), tanto por su elevada prevalencia como por las repercusiones que pueden tener sobre la calidad de vida. Por dichas razones, la determinacion rutinaria de TSH, T4 y T3 se debe realizar periodicamente en todos los pacientes afectos. El hipotiroidismo es frecuente en los pacientes con SD, debiendo iniciarse un tratamiento sustitutivo con levotiroxina cuando se presente niveles de TSH mayores de 10 mcU/mL, T3 o T4 bajas, anticuerpos antitiroideos a titulos altos, o ante la necesidad de cirugia cardiaca. Es aconsejable iniciar el tratamiento con dosis bajas de levotiroxina (12,5 μg/d) y ajustarlo hasta normalizar los niveles de TSH. Cabe destacar que en los primeros tres anos de vida, son frecuentes las situaciones de hipotiroidismo subclinico leve, generalmente transitorio, existiendo algunas controversias en cuanto a la necesidad de tratamiento con levotiroxina. A este respecto, en un ensayo clinico reciente se demuestra una mejora en cuanto a desarrollo psicomotor en un grupo de pacientes tratados con levotiroxina desde el periodo neonatal. En el mismo se realizo un seguimiento durante 24 meses, y la mejoria del desarrollo psicomotor se estimo en 0,7 meses, quedando pendiente una posible magnificacion de las diferencias en controles posteriores. En cuanto al hipertiroidismo en el SD, aunque se presenta en un mayor porcentaje que en la poblacion general, tiene una incidencia mucho menor. La etiologia mas frecuente es el bocio difuso toxico o enfermedad de Graves-Basedow, y su tratamiento inicial son los antiroideos de sintesis (metimazol o carbimazol) y bloqueantes beta-adrenergicos (propranolol o atenolol). En caso de persistencia del hipertiroidismo se debe plantear un tratamiento definitivo, preferentemente con radioyodo dadas las ventajas que presenta respecto a la cirugia (ingreso, anestesia…).