Leon Fogelfeld

Lean diabetes mellitus: An emerging entity in the era of obesity

Much has been published on the characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its association with the epidemic of obesity. But relatively little is known about the incidence of lean diabetes, progression of disease and fate of the patients with low-normal body mass index (< 25). Studies in developing countries have shown that the clinical characteristics of these patients include history of childhood malnutrition, poor socioeconomic status, relatively early age of onset and absence of ketosis on withdrawal of insulin. In the United States, recent studies showed that the lean, normal weight diabetes is not rare especially among minority populations. They showed that these patients are mainly males, have higher prevalence of insulin use indicating rapid beta cell failure. They might have increased total, cardiovascular and non cardiovascular mortality when compared to obese diabetic patients. In this review, the epidemiologic and clinical features of lean diabetes are presented. The potential causal mechanisms of this emerging diabetes type that may include genetic, autoimmune, acquired and behavioral factors are discussed. The need for studies to further elucidate the causation as well as specific prevention and treatment of lean diabetes is emphasized.

Diabetes transitional care from inpatient to outpatient setting: pharmacist discharge counseling.

Purpose: Diabetes transitional care from the inpatient to outpatient setting is understudied. This study evaluated the effect of inpatient pharmacist discharge counseling on outpatient diabetes medication adherence. Research methods: Prospective, randomized, controlled study compared pharmacist discharge counseling (intervention) with usual patient care (control) in 127 patients with established diabetes and an A1C ≥8% who had a provider and medications filled within the county health system. The primary outcome was diabetes medication adherence rate measured using the prescription of days covered (PDC) method. Results: Patients in the intervention, compared with control group, had greater diabetes medication adherence rate 150 days after discharge (55.2% vs 34.8%; P = .002), rate of follow-up visits (60.5% vs 43.9%; P = .01) and reduction in A1C (−1.97% vs +0.114%; P = .003). Being in the intervention group and having greater adherence with follow-up visits correlated independently with lower follow-up A1C. Conclusion: Transitional care in the form of inpatient education geared to improve self-management after hospital discharge. This may serve as a paradigm to improve outpatient adherence rate with medications, follow-up visits, and A1C reduction.

Computerized physician order entry- based hyperglycemia inpatient protocol and glycemic outcomes: The CPOE-HIP study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE)-based hyperglycemia inpatient protocol (HIP) on glycemic outcomes. METHODS This retrospective, cross-sectional study compared blood glucose values, hemoglobin A(1c) values, diabetes medication profles, and demographic data of diabetic patients admitted to medicine services between March 15, 2006, and April 11, 2006 (before CPOE-HIP protocol was adopted), with data of diabetic patients admitted between October 3, 2007, and October 30, 2007 (1 year after CPOE-HIP protocol was implemented). RESULTS A total of 241 diabetic patients comprised the pre-CPOE-HIP group and 197 patients comprised the post-CPOE-HIP group. After the protocol was adopted, there was a decrease of 10.8 mg/dL in the mean glucose concentration per patient-day (175.5 +/- 81.2 mg/dL vs 164.7 +/- 82 mg/dL, P<.001). Additional glycemic control improvements included a 5% increase in patient-days with serum glucose concentrations between 70 and 150 mg/dL (41.1% vs 46.1%, P = .008) and a 3.1% decrease in patient-days with glucose concentrations above 299 mg/dL (16.9% vs 13.8%, P = .023). The percentage of patient-days with glucose concentrations less than or equal to 50 mg/dL was not significantly different (0.95% vs 1.27%,P = .15). Compliance with the American Diabetes Association recommendation for hemoglobin A1c inpatient testing frequency increased from 37.3% to 64.5% (P<.001). The length of stay did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a hospital-wide, CPOE-based, hyperglycemia management protocol had a favorable impact on glucose targets, decreasing excessively high glucose levels without increasing clinically meaningful hypoglycemic events. Compliance with hemoglobin A(1c) testing recommendations also improved.

Lean versus obese diabetes mellitus patients in the United States minority population

OBJECTIVE To identify special characteristics in large group of lean diabetes minority patients in comparison to obese type 2 diabetes. METHODS 1784 Lean (BMI <25) diabetes patients were identified and compared with 8630 obese (BMI ≥30) patients. Patients with Type 1 Diabetes (N=523) were excluded. Patient data, including demographics, psychosocial factors, insulin use, and complications was analyzed. RESULTS In lean compared to obese, there was male predominance (62% vs 48%, p<0.001), higher prevalence of insulin use (49% vs 44%, p=0.001), lower TG/HDL (2.28 vs 3.4, p<0.001), and higher prevalence of alcoholism (5.7% vs 2.4%, p<0.001) and pancreatitis (3.6% vs 0.9%, p<0.001). In both groups, African Americans and Latinos were the prevalent ethnicities (38%, 34% vs. 53%,31%). When comparing patients within the lean group who were on insulin (49%) to those on oral medications, there were more males (65% vs. 59%, p<0.001), earlier age of onset (40±14 vs. 47±12, p<0.001), lower BMI (22.1±2 vs. 22.6±1.7, p<0.001) and lower TG/HDL (2.18 vs. 2.42, p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS A subset of diabetes patients in the United States minority population are lean and may have rapid beta cell failure. The etiology is not clear and acquired factors, genetics, and autoimmunity may be contributory.

African Americans’ Perception of Risk for Diabetes Complications

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive, correlational study was to describe the perceived risk for diabetes complications among urban African American adults (18-75 years old) with type 2 diabetes and to explore the interrelationships among illness perception, well-being, perceptions of risk for diabetes complications, and selected physiologic measures of diabetes risk: hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and microalbuminuria. Methods Urban African American adults with type 2 diabetes (N = 143) were recruited from 3 Chicago city public health clinics. They completed a demographic survey and 3 instruments: the Risk Perception Survey–Diabetes Mellitus, the 12-item Well-being Questionnaire, and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire. Physiologic measures included blood pressure, urine for microalbuminuria, and capillary blood for A1C. Results There was low perception of risk for diabetes complications, which was incongruent with the physiologic measures of risk. Less than 33% of participants saw themselves as being at high risk for developing any complications of diabetes, with the exception of vision problems (39%), despite the fact that physiologic measures of risk for diabetes complications were high in this sample. Conclusions Risk perception was associated with well-being, perception of negative consequences, number of symptoms, and negative emotions related to diabetes. Risk perception was not in line with risk, as indicated by physiologic measures; thus, it is necessary to heighten this population’s perception of risk for diabetes complications.

Insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes

T ype 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity have become epidemic over the past several decades as a result of an aging population, accessibility to processed foods, and decreased physical activity. “Insulin insensitive” diabetes, or type 2 diabetes, was recognized as a distinct entity in the 1930s and is the most prevalent form of diabetes. This chronic degenerative disease with insidious onset has been considered a disease of adults. In the United States, approximately 8% of all adults, and 19% of those older than 65 years, have type 2 diabetes. However, the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the pediatric population is increasing. In 1999 type 2 diabetes accounted for 8% to 45% of all new diabetes diagnoses, depending on geographic location. Historically, type 2 diabetes was regarded as a “mild” disease not requiring intensive therapy. Today we know that diabetes is the primary cause of end-stage renal disease, extremity amputation, and adult blindness. The disease shortens life expectancy by approximately 15 years, and 70% of patients with type 2 diabetes die of cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes develops in patients with metabolic syndrome, characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and, early in the disease course, impaired glucose tolerance. Therefore it is not surprising that about 25% of patients, and in some ethnic groups as many as 80% of patients, with a first myocardial infarction have type 2 diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes and previous myocardial infarction are at higher risk for another event or death than are patients with diabetes or myocardial infarction alone. Diabetes is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes, together with its contribution to cardiovascular disease, results in increased mortality. Development of complications of diabetes depends on both duration and severity of hyperglycemia. Reduction of blood glucose concentration may delay development or prevent progression of long-term com-

Insulin injections in relation to meals in the hospital medicine ward: comparison of 2 protocols.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether changing the prandial regular insulin to rapid-acting insulin analogue in hospital medicine wards improves the timing of insulin delivery in relation to meals and improves patient safety and glucose control. METHODS This open-label randomized controlled trial in type 2 diabetic patients compared insulin lispro with meals and basal insulin glargine (intervention) vs regular insulin before meals and basal neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin twice daily (control). The primary endpoint was the rate of targeted timing of insulin to meals (target time). In the intervention group, target time was defined as insulin administered from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after the patient started a meal. For the control group, target time was defined as insulin administered from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after the patient started a meal. Hypoglycemic, hyperglycemic, and severe hyperglycemic patient-days were compared between groups. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients in the intervention group and thirty-three patients in the control group were studied. The percentage of times that the insulin was given within target time was significantly higher in the intervention group as a whole (88.9% vs 70.1%, P<.001) and was higher for lunch and the evening meal (90% vs 66.7% and 94.7% vs 70.1%, P<.001). The rate of hypoglycemia was lower in the intervention group (1.85% vs 15%, P<.001). The rate of hyperglycemia was similar in both groups (68.2% vs 59.8%, P = .224), but the intervention group had a higher rate of severe hyperglycemia (28.9% vs 12.9%, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS The use of prandial insulin analogues in medicine wards allows better timing with meals than regular insulin and results in better hypoglycemic outcomes. Higher rates of hyperglycemia with prandial analogues may need adjustment in insulin doses.

Predictors of diastolic dysfunction among minority patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

AIM To determine mutable risk factors for asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction in ethnic minority patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. METHODS We recruited consecutive adults with newly diagnosed diabetes who had no signs or symptoms or history of heart disease. All patients received standardized evaluation including interview, physical examination, laboratory tests and echocardiogram with tissue Doppler studies. We used logistic regression models to identify mutable risk factors for diastolic dysfunction. RESULTS Among 126 study subjects (52% women, age 45+/-10 years, BMI 33+/-7, 42% with hypertension, 100% ejection fraction > or =50%), evidence of diastolic dysfunction was present in 64 (51%). After controlling for age, heart rate and blood pressure, independent predictors of diastolic dysfunction included physical inactivity (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 0.9-6.1; P=0.08) and glucose (OR: 4.9; 95% CI: 1.4-17.8; P=0.02). Physical inactivity was associated with early diastolic dysfunction (impaired relaxation), whereas epicardial fat thickness and glucose levels were associated with late diastolic dysfunction (impaired compliance). The hs-CRP and BNP levels were not associated with diastolic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction was prevalent among urban minority patients newly diagnosed with diabetes. Important differences exist among factors that affect early and late diastolic function that may have prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Early and Later Onset Type 2 Diabetes in Uninsured Patients: Clinical and Behavioral Differences

Objective. The national burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing rapidly. This study investigated a) clinical differences between early onset and later onset T2DM; and b) if specific risk factors were associated with age at diagnosis or clinical outcomes among uninsured adults in a large urban setting. Methods. We compared 417 adults diagnosed under age 30 with 968 adults diagnosed ages 50–58 on clinical and social measures using standard parametric tests. Results. Early onset patients had higher hemoglobin A1c, were more likely to smoke and to be depressed, and had more emergency department visits. Insulin monotherapy was more common in early onset patients (32% vs. 11%). Complications were already present in 11% of early onset patients and 29% of later onset patients within one year of diagnosis. Conclusion. Early onset patients had more acute beta-cell failure and coped less well with their diabetes. It is crucial to expand specialized diabetes resources for young, medically indigent patients.

SAfE AND SImPlE EmERgENCy DEPARTmENT DISChARgE ThERAPy fOR PATIENTS wITh TyPE 2 DIAbETES mEllITUS AND SEVERE hyPERglyCEmIA

OBJECTIVE To investigate the safety and effectiveness of 2 simple discharge regimens for use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and severe hyperglycemia, who present to the emergency department (ED) and do not need to be admitted. METHODS We conducted an 8-week, open-label, randomized controlled trial in 77 adult patients with DM2 and blood glucose levels of 300 to 700 mg/dL seen in a public hospital ED. Patients were randomly assigned to receive glipizide XL, 10 mg orally daily (G group), versus glipizide XL, 10 mg orally daily, plus insulin glargine, 10 U daily (G+G group). The primary outcome was to maintain safe fasting glucose and random glucose levels of <350 and <500 mg/dL up to 4 weeks and <300 and <400 mg/dL, respectively, thereafter and to have no return ED visits (responders). RESULTS Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 treatment groups. The primary outcome was achieved in 87% of patients in both treatment groups. The enrollment mean blood glucose values of 440 and 467 mg/dL in the G and G+G groups, respectively, declined by the end of week 1 to 298 and 289 mg/dL and by week 8 to 140 and 135 mg/dL, respectively. Homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function and early insulin response improved 7-fold and 4-fold, respectively, in responders at the end of the 8-week study. CONCLUSION Sulfonylurea with and without use of a small dose of insulin glargine rapidly improved blood glucose levels and beta-cell function in patients with DM2. Use of sulfonylurea alone once daily can be considered a safe discharge regimen for such patients and an effective bridge between ED intervention and subsequent follow-up.