Mir Iftikhar Bashir

Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian subcontinent

This cross-sectional population survey was undertaken to determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in subjects aged 40 years or more in Kashmir Valley, India. The study was carried out in two phases. In phase one, 6091 randomly selected subjects, 40 years or older, from all six districts of the valley were surveyed for prevalence of known diabetes mellitus. In phase two, 5083 subjects, 40 years or older, were screened with oral glucose tolerance test for prevalence of undiagnosed (asymptomatic) diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. Abnormalities of carbohydrate intolerance were determined as recommended by WHO. Of 6091 subjects interviewed, 115 were known cases of diabetes mellitus with an overall prevalence of 1.89% (1.98% in males and 1.77% in females). Results of glucose tolerance test revealed that mean fasting as well as mean 2 h blood glucose was significantly more in females as compared to males (4.68+/-0.91 and 6.40+/-2.12 vs. 4.49+/-0.96 and 5.94+/-2.03 mmol/l, respectively, P < 0.0001). Of 5083 subjects who were subjected to glucose tolerance test (GTT), 627 (12.34%) had an abnormal test; with 411 (8.09%) having impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 216 (4.25%) having diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of IGT as well as of diabetes was significantly more in females as compared to males (P < 0.001). Subjects who had family history of diabetes had a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal GTT. Prevalence of known diabetes as well as that of abnormal GTT steadily increased with age, with a highest prevalence in the age group of > or = 70 years (P < 0.001). Obese subjects had a significantly higher basal as well as 2 h blood glucose in males as well as in females. Subjects with diabetes on GTT had a higher waist/hip ratio. Overall the prevalence of diabetes as well as IGT was significantly higher in the urban population. We conclude that 1.89% of the general population have known diabetes, 4.25% have undiagnosed diabetes and 8.09% have impaired glucose tolerance test; making the total load of abnormal glucose tolerance 14.23% in Kashmir Valley. In subjects greater than 40 years of age having a family history of diabetes, obesity, higher age (50 years or above), female sex, and urban origin have more chance (odds ratio: 4.65, 2.30, 1.87, 1.49 and 1.16, respectively) of developing abnormal glucose tolerance.

Vitamin D status in apparently healthy adults in Kashmir Valley of Indian subcontinent

Background: The worldwide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is reported to be high. Objectives: To assess the vitamin D status in apparently healthy adults in Kashmir valley by measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25 OH D. Methods: 92 healthy natives 64 men and 28 non-pregnant/non-lactating women, aged 1840 years, residing in Kashmir for at least last 5 years and not having any suggestion of systemic disease, were selected for this study. The samples were collected throughout the year in both summer and winter months. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25 OH D concentration of <50 nmol/l and graded as mild 2550 nmol/l, moderate 12.525 nmol/l and severe <12.5 nmol/l. Results: Body mass index, total energy intake, and other nutritional parameters were comparable among subjects in different groups. Overall 76 83 of the subjects studied had vitamin D deficiency25, 33, and 25 had mild, moderate, and severe deficiency, respectively. 49 of the 64 males and all but 1 of the 28 females were vitamin D deficient. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 69.6 in the employed group to 100 in the household group. Vitamin D deficiency was equally prevalent in subjects from rural and urban areas. Serum calcium and phosphorus values were comparable in subjects with and without vitamin D deficiency, while daily intake and urinary excretion of calcium were significantly lower in the former. Vitamin D deficient subjects had a significantly lower mean weekly exposure to sunlight. Conclusions: In spite of abundant sunlight, healthy individuals in Kashmir valley are vitamin D deficient, particularly women. Serum 25 OH D concentrations are significantly related to sun exposure.

Mortality in diabetes mellitus—data from a developing region of the world

This retrospective study presents the mortality trends in diabetic patients in a developing region of the world. The data were collected by screening the hospital records of all diabetic patients who died over a period of a decade at Institute of Medical Sciences, a tertiary care medical centre in Kashmir Valley of India. Of 133,374 patients admitted to the centre from January 1987 to December 1996, 9627 died, of whom 269 (151 males and 118 females) were recorded to have diabetes mellitus. The mean+/-S.D. age at the time of death was 51.61+/-13.77 years for males and 51.50+/-15.50 years for females. The common causes contributing to death were infections (33.83%), chronic renal failure (30.85%), coronary artery disease (16.36%), cerebrovascular disease (13.75%), hypoglycaemia (7.81%), diabetic ketoacidosis (6.69%) and hyperosmolar coma (2.23%). In 7.43% patients the cause of death could not be ascertained. Death was attributed to single cause in 60.22%, to two causes in 26.39% and to three or more causes in 5.95%. Most (59.11%) of these diabetic patients died within a week of hospitalisation. We conclude that mortality trends in diabetes mellitus differ in developing regions as compared to developed regions reflecting poor healthcare in general and diabetic care in particular. Unlike in west, where the major killers in diabetic patients are coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, infections and chronic renal failure continue to be leading causes of death in patients with diabetes mellitus in developing regions like ours.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and other abnormalities of glucose tolerance in young adults aged 20-40 years in North India (Kashmir Valley).

AIMS To assess the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other abnormalities of glucose tolerance in young-adult (20-40 years) men and non-pregnant women. METHODS Prevalence of diagnosed T2DM, undiagnosed T2DM and other abnormalities of glucose tolerance studied in 3032 subjects from Kashmir Valley of India. The study included a questionnaire, anthropological measurements, blood sampling, and a standard OGTT. RESULTS Eight (0.3%) of surveyed subjects were previously diagnosed to have diabetes. Of 3024 subjects screened, prevalence of diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and impaired fasting glycemia [IFG, World Health Organization, Definition, Diagnosis, and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus and its Complications. Part 1. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1999], IFG [American Diabetes Association, Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus, Diabetes Care 27 (Suppl. 1) (2004) S5-S10] was 2.5%, 2.0%, 11.9% and 26.7%, respectively. Overall, age-adjusted prevalence of T2DM (known plus unknown), IGT, IFG (WHO) and IFG (ADA) was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.9-3.0), 1.6% (95% CI: 1.3-2.2), 11.1% (95% CI: 10.0-12.3), and 25.2% (95% CI: 23.7-26.8), respectively. The difference in diabetes prevalence was significant by age, habitat, family history of diabetes and BMI. The ratio of known-to-unknown diabetes was 1:10. CONCLUSIONS This is the first large scale study from North India on prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the younger age group of 20-40 years. Abnormal glucose tolerance including undiagnosed T2DM is common in young adults.

Causes of mortality in diabetes mellitus: data from a tertiary teaching hospital in India.

Background: Mortality studies can show the relative contribution of diabetes to mortality in the total population, and they can provide important descriptions of the changes in causes and frequency of diabetes mortality over time. Objective: To find the mortality pattern in people with diabetes admitted to a tertiary care hospital in a developing country, using underlying/contributory causes of death. Methods: In this retrospective study, mortality trends among people with diabetes admitted to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Kashmir, India were reviewed by screening the hospital records of all people with diabetes who died over the last 9 years, carrying forward earlier observations from the same centre. Results: Of 234 776 people admitted to the centre during the review period, 16 690 (7.11%) died; 741 (383 men) of these had diabetes mellitus mentioned on the death certificate. The mean (SD) age at death for people with diabetes was 60.07 (13.62) years in men and 57.36 (13.40) years in women. The leading contributory causes of death were infections (40.9%), chronic renal failure (33.6%), coronary artery disease (16.9%), cerebrovascular disease (13.2%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.9%), acute renal failure (6.2%), malignancy (4.2%), hypoglycaemia (3.5%) and diabetic ketoacidosis (3.4%). The cause of death could not be ascertained in 2.8% of cases; in 52.9%, 36.3% and 8.0% cases one, two and three or more causes, respectively, were recorded as the cause of death. Conclusions: The aetiological spectrum of mortality in people with diabetes at this Indian centre continues to be dominated by infections and renal failure, which is different from that in the developed world, where coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease are the principal causes of death in people with diabetes.

Epidemiologic and etiologic aspects of hirsutism in Kashmiri women in the Indian subcontinent

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of hirsutism and study its etiology in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian subcontinent. DESIGN Prospective random sample of the general population attending outpatient medical clinics and prospective evaluation of hirsute patients referred to our endocrinology clinic. SETTING A tertiary care hospital and district-level primary care hospitals. PATIENT(S) Five thousand women attending various hospitals for reasons unrelated to hirsutism and 150 consecutive women referred for hirsutism. INTERVENTION(S) Assessment of body hair as per the Ferriman and Gallwey scoring system and an investigative protocol including detailed clinical assessment with endocrinologic workup including estimations of gonadotropins, PRL, T, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone and abdominopelvic ultrasound. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Presence and cause of hirsutism. RESULT(S) Of 4,780 adult women for whom adequate data were available, 504 (10.5%) had hirsutism, among whom 484 (10.1%) had mild (score of 6-9) and 20 (0.4%) had moderate hirsutism (score of 10-14). The etiology of hirsutism revealed idiopathic hirsutism in 38.7%, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 37.3%, postmenopausal state in 9.2%, adrenal tumors in 2.1%, congenital adrenal hyperplasia in 1.4%, and drug-induced hirsutism in 0.7%. The cause remained undetermined in 10.6% of patients for whom the available information was not adequate. CONCLUSION(S) Hirsutism is as common a problem in the Kashmir Valley (India) as elsewhere in the world. Idiopathic hirsutism (38.7%), PCOS (37.3%), and postmenopausal state (9.2%) are common causes of hirsutism. Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a relatively uncommon cause of hirsutism in the Kashmir Valley.

Prevalence of hematological abnormalities in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome: response to replacement of glucocorticoids and thyroxine

Anemia and other hematological abnormalities are common in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome. The response of these abnormalities to replacement of thyroxine and glucocorticoids is not clear. The aim of the present study was to document the profile of hematological abnormalities and response to treatment in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome. Forty patients of Sheehan’s syndrome and an equal number of age and parity matched healthy controls were studied for prevalence of hematological abnormalities. Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, red cell, white cell and platelet count were significantly decreased in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome compared to controls. Frequency of anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and pancytopenia was significantly higher in these patients compared to controls. After achieving euthyroid and eucortisol state, there was a complete recovery of these hematological abnormalities. We conclude that anemia and other cytopenias are common in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome and replacement with thyroxine and glucocorticoids results in complete recovery of these abnormalities.

Role of oral hypoglycemic agents in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus during Ramadan.

It is obligatory for all adult Muslims to observe fast during the holy month of Ramadan, but sick individuals including those with diabetes mellitus are exempted from the duty of fasting. Specific medical advice must be provided to individual patients concerning the potential risks they must accept if they decide to fast. Any alteration in medications deemed necessary to provide an effective and safe antidiabetic regimen should be instituted well before the start of Ramadan. Diet-controlled patients and those well controlled on insulin sensitizers have low risk of hypoglycemia and may safely fast with some modification in the timing of the doses. Newer generation sulfonylureas (gliclazide MR and glimepiride) have reasonable safety profile during Ramadan fasting and are economical options for a large number of diabetics worldwide, especially in the developing countries; older, long acting sulfonylureas like glibenclamide and chlorpropamide should be avoided during fasting. Oral DPP-IV inhibitors are important substitutes to sulfonylureas for patients with diabetes mellitus during fasting owing to their glucose-dependent mechanism of action, efficacy, and tolerability. This group of drugs causes a moderate A1c reduction, are weight neutral, and have a very low risk of hypoglycemia. Short-acting insulin secretagogues are an option in the subset of fasting diabetic patients who have predominantly post-prandial hyperglycemia.

Prevalence of ultrasonography proved polycystic ovaries in North Indian women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BackgroundPolycystic ovaries (PCO) and their clinical expression (the polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]) as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are common medical conditions linked through insulin resistance. We studied the prevalence of PCO and PCOS in women with diet and/or oral hypoglycemic treated T2DM and non-diabetic control women.DesignProspective study.MethodsOne hundred and five reproductive age group women with diet and /or oral hypoglycemic treated T2DM were the subjects of the study. Sixty age-matched non-diabetic women served as controls. Transabdominal ultrasonographic assessment of the ovaries was used to diagnose PCO. Clinical, biochemical and hormonal parameters were also noted.ResultsUltrasonographic prevalence of PCO was higher in women with diabetes than in non-diabetic subjects (61.0% vs. 36.7%, P < 0.003) whereas that of PCOS was 37.1% in diabetic subjects and 25% in non-diabetic controls (P > 0.1). Diabetic women with PCO had diabetes of significantly longer duration than those without PCO (4.19±2.0 versus 2.9±1.6 yrs; p < 0.05). Among both diabetic and non-diabetic women, those with PCO had significantly higher plasma LH, LH/FSH ratio, total testosterone and androstenedione levels.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a higher prevalence of PCO in women with T2DM as compared to non-diabetic subjects.

Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance - lack of agreement between the two categories in a North Indian population.

This study was carried out to determine the relationship between impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a North Indian population. The data in 5083 subjects studied earlier was reanalyzed by applying new WHO diagnostic criteria. Reanalysis revealed that 305 (6.0%) subjects had diabetes mellitus (198 on the basis of fasting plasma glucose of > or =7.0 mmol/l (> or =126 mg/dl) and an additional 107 based on a 2-h glucose tolerance test), 381 (7.5%) had IFG and 361 (7.1%) had IGT. Of these 361 subjects with IGT, only 99 (27.4%) had impaired fasting glucose whereas 262 (72.6%) had normal fasting glucose of <6.1 mmol/l (<110 mg/dl). Of 381 subjects with IFG, 99 (26%) had IGT where as 282 (74%) had normal 2-hr glucose. We conclude that there is a poor correlation between IGT and IFG.