Ulla Rajala

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between depression and insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE Depression is associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, controlled trials, and unpublished data was conducted to examine the association between depression and insulin resistance (IR). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched for studies published up to September 2011. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each report based on predefined inclusion criteria (study design and measure of depression and IR, excluding prevalent cases of diabetes). Individual effect sizes were standardized, and a meta-analysis was performed to calculate a pooled effect size using random effects. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted to explore any potential source of heterogeneity between studies. RESULTS Of 967 abstracts reviewed, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria of which 18 studies had appropriate data for the meta-analysis (n = 25,847). The pooled effect size (95% CI) was 0.19 (0.11–0.27) with marked heterogeneity (I2 = 82.2%) using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity between studies was not explained by age or sex, but could be partly explained by the methods of depression and IR assessments. CONCLUSIONS A small but significant cross-sectional association was observed between depression and IR, despite heterogeneity between studies. The pathophysiology mechanisms and direction of this association need further study using a purposively designed prospective or intervention study in samples at high risk for diabetes.

Insulin resistance and depression: cross sectional study

A recent study found that depression is inversely associated with insulin resistance, but positively associated with diabetes.1 Association between insulin resistance and depression is a poorly studied area and the few earlier findings do not necessarily support this finding,1 indicating that patients with serious depression have insulin resistance assessed by insulin tolerance, intravenous, or oral glucose tolerance tests.2 Recently, depression was found to be associated with greater insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.3 Also, more than the normal rates of depression had already been noted in patients with clinically manifest diabetes.2 Since insulin resistance is positively associated with the development of diabetes,1 we hypothesised—given that disturbed glucoregulatory functions behind the development of diabetes might be associated with pathophysiological changes in depression2—that insulin resistance should be positively correlated with depressive symptoms. We also investigated whether depressive symptoms varied with different levels of a disturbed glucose metabolism. We invited all 1008 people born …

Musculoskeletal pains and depression in a middle-aged Finnish population

&NA; The relationships between depression, measured as high rates of depressive symptoms (Zung Self‐Rating Depression Scale, ZSDS), and musculoskeletal pains (Kuorinka et al. 1987) were described in a 55‐year‐old Finnish population consisting of all the 1008 persons born in 1935 and living in the city of Oulu on 1 October 1990. Three hundred forty‐five men (76%) and 435 women (79%) participated in the examinations. Of the men 6.8% and of the women 12.1% scored 45 raw sum points or more on the ZSDS. In several anatomical regions, pains were more common among the depressed than the non‐depressed population, and many of the depressed persons suffered from multiple pains. One of the most common regions of pain was the neck; during the past 12 months, 56.5% of the depressed men and 65.4% of the depressed women had suffered from frequent pains in the neck. The corresponding prevalences among the non‐depressed men and women were 35.2% and 45.5%, respectively. In the non‐depressed population, musculoskeletal pains were more common among women than men, whereas no great gender differences existed in the depressed population. The possible confounding variables were standardized in the logistic regression analysis, and the results showed an independent association between pains in the small joints and depression among men, on one hand, and pains in the neck and shoulder and depression among women, on the other hand.

Postchallenge Glucose, A1C, and Fasting Glucose as Predictors of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease A 10-year prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE A1C has been proposed as a new indicator for high risk of type 2 diabetes. The long-term predictive power and comparability of elevated A1C with the currently used high-risk indicators remain unclear. We assessed A1C, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) as predictors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) at 10 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This prospective population-based study of 593 inhabitants from northern Finland, born in 1935, was conducted between 1996 and 2008. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted at baseline and follow-up, and A1C was determined at baseline. Those with a history of diabetes were excluded from the study. Elevated A1C was defined as 5.7–6.4%. Incident type 2 diabetes was confirmed by two OGTTs. Cardiovascular outcome was measured as incident CVD or CVD mortality. Multivariate log-binomial regression models were used to predict diabetes, CVD, and CVD mortality at 10 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves compared predictive values of A1C, IGT, and IFG. RESULTS Incidence of diabetes during the follow-up was 17.1%. Two of three of the cases of newly diagnosed diabetes were predicted by a raise in ≥1 of the markers. Elevated A1C, IGT, or IFG preceded diabetes in 32.8, 40.6, and 21.9%, respectively. CVD was predicted by an intermediate and diabetic range of 2-h glucose but only by diabetic A1C levels in women. CONCLUSIONS A1C predicted 10-year risk of type 2 diabetes at a range of A1C 5.7–6.4% but CVD only in women at A1C ≥6.5%.

Prevalence of Retinopathy in People With Diabetes, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, and Normal Glucose Tolerance

OBJECTIVE Recently, an international expert committee published new revised criteria for diagnosing diabetes. According to the new criteria, the 2-h glucose level for diabetes in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the same as in the previous World Health Organization criteria, but the cut point for the fasting blood glucose level has been lowered to be equivalent to the 2-h OGTT level. Measurement of the fasting blood glucose level is preferred to the 2-h OGTT glucose level. The ability of the new cut point for fasting blood glucose to discriminate between those at a high and a low risk for retinopathy was tested in a population-based study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The population consisted of all the 1,008 subjects (456 men) born in 1935 and living in a Finnish city. A screening for type 2 diabetes was carried out in the first phase. All participants who were not on antidiabetic medication were invited for an OGTT in the second phase. A fasting blood glucose value was measured from the diabetic subjects on antidiabetic medication. In addition, measurements of serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were made, and fundus photographs were taken. Altogether, 831 subjects (368 men) (82%) participated and constitute the eligible study population for the present analyses. Fundus photographs were available for 790 subjects (347 men) (95%). RESULTS There were 28 subjects (3.5%) who had mild retinopathic changes in the fundus photographs. Retinopathic changes were associated with higher fasting blood glucose levels, but not with any of the other background factors. The prevalence of retinopathy was 10.2% (95% CI 4.8−18.5) in subjects with a fasting blood glucose of ≥6.1 mmol/l, while it was 2.6% (1.5–4.0) in those with a lower fasting blood glucose level. In the former group, a majority (seven of nine) of the subjects with retinopathy were previously diagnosed diabetic patients. Some cases of retinopathy were found regardless the level of glycemia, and measurement of the 2-h OGTT glucose levels did not increase information. CONCLUSIONS The results of this population study give support to the use of fasting blood glucose levels in diagnosing type 2 diabetes. The lower limit of the highest decile of the fasting glucose level was 6.1 mmol/l, and it discriminated subjects at a high risk for retinopathy from those at a low risk. Because of the limited number of subjects with retinopathy in this study, the level of hyperglycemia associated with retinopathy cannot be estimated accurately.

Hair loss, insulin resistance, and heredity in middle-aged women. A population-based study.

Context The association of androgenic alopecia (AGA) with insulin resistance, coronary artery disease and hypercholesterolemia has been previously reported in men, but no such association has been reported in women with female androgenic alopecia (AGA). Female AGA has usually been linked with hyper-androgenism and hirsutism and, most recently, also with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), even though epidemiological documentation of the latter association is scanty. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is quite common among Caucasian women, and its association with insulin resistance is well documented. Objectives and design The aim of this study was to obtain a more precise estimation of the prevalence on female AGA and to describe its possible connections with insulin resistance linked parameters and with paternal and maternal family history of alopecia. A cross-sectional population based cohort survey was carried out in the City of Oulu, Finland in 1998. Setting and Participants As a part of a population based cohort study the hair status of 324 women aged 63 years was assessed by a modification of Ludwigs scale. The background data consisting of anthropometric measures (weight, height, body mass index, waist, hip and neck circumferences), smoking status, chronic diseases and their medication as well as the family history of AGA were collected by questionnaires and interviews made by study nurses and in clinical examination. Blood samples for laboratory tests were taken on the same occasion. Results The prevalence of extensive loss of hair (at least grade II or III on Ludwigs scale) was quite high (31.2%). The insulin resistance associated parameters, such as waist and neck circumferences, abdominal obesity measured by waist-to-hip ratio, mean insulin concentration (11.3mU/l versus 9.95 mU/l, p = 0.02) or urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (1.80 versus 1.58, p = 0.01), were significantly higher in women with extensive hair loss compared to those with normal hair or only minimal hair loss (grade I on Ludwigs scale). The women belonging to the highest quintiles of neck or waist circumferences had significantly increased risk for extensive hair loss compared to those with normal hair or minimal hair loss, the unadjusted ORs being 2.25 (95% CI, 1.26-4.03) and 1.75 (95% CI, 1.00-3.07), respectively. Similarly in women with hyperinsulinemia (fs-insulin >10 mU/l), microalbuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio exceeding the highest microalbuminuria decile (>2.5 mg/mmol) and paternal history of AGA the ORs for alopecia were increased being 1.65 (95% CI, 1.02-2.67), 2.39 (95% CI, 1.21-4.73) and 2.08 (95% CI, 1.26-3.44). All of these ORs, except those for highest quintiles of waist and neck circumferences remained significant in multiple adjusted models. Conclusions According to the results of this study, female AGA (grade II or III on Ludwigs scale) was quite common among Finnish women aged 63 years. Our results support the hypothesis that women with some markers of insulin resistance have significantly increased risk for female AGA. Paternal history of alopecia seemed to be more common in female AGA compared to women with normal or minimal loss of hair. J Cardiovasc Risk 10:227-231

Prevalence and associated factors of restless legs in a 57-year-old urban population in northern Finland.

Juuti AK, Läärä E, Rajala U, Laakso M, Härkönen P, Keinänen‐Kiukaanniemi S, Hiltunen L. Prevalence and associated factors of restless legs in a 57‐year‐old urban population in northern Finland.
Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122: 63–69.
© 2009 The Authors Journal compilation

Low serum adiponectin level as a predictor of impaired glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a middle-aged Finnish population

Low levels of adiponectin are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). However, only few studies on this topic have used the most recent World Health Organization 1999 criteria, which include a definition of impaired glucose regulation (IGR). Our objective was to find out if a baseline low adiponectin level in initially normoglycemic subjects predicted IGR or DM2 during a mean follow-up period of 5.1 years. A population-based cohort study was carried out in Oulu, Northern Finland. Subjects born in 1935 and living in Oulu in 1990 were invited to participate in a follow-up study. At baseline, oral glucose tolerance tests and measurements of adiponectin, lipids, blood pressure, and body mass index were performed; and oral glucose tolerance tests were repeated at follow-up. Analyses were performed for 201 subjects who were normoglycemic at baseline. Low adiponectin level was defined as the lowest quartile of adiponectin levels. During the follow-up, 47 (23%) of the 201 subjects developed IGR or DM2. Impaired glucose regulation or DM2 developed in 15 of 41 (37%) subjects with low adiponectin level at baseline, whereas the corresponding proportion was 32 of 160 (20%) subjects with higher adiponectin levels (P = .025). In logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds ratio for IGR or DM2 was 2.1 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-4.5) when adjustment was made for sex and body mass index. Low concentrations of adiponectin predicted subsequent development of IGR and DM2 in initially normoglycemic middle-aged Finnish subjects. Our findings support the hypothesis that adiponectin may play a role in the pathogenesis of abnormal glucose metabolism.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and depression in a middle-aged Finnish population

A hypothesis of a psychosocial origin of depression in diabetic persons (mainly patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM) was tested. The population consisted of all the 1008 persons born in 1935 and living in a Finnish city (Oulu) on 1 October 1990. Data were collected in two phases. A screening for NIDDM and a collection of back-ground data were carried out in the first phase. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) were performed in the second phase in order to detect those with previously undiagnosed NIDDM, and depressive symptoms were measured with the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS). Participants who scored 45 raw sum points or more were considered as suffering from depression. All those who were aware of their diabetes before the second phase were considered as previously diagnosed diabetics. Depression (raw sum score 45 points or more on the ZSDS) was associated with previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus, while it was not associated with undiagnosed diabetes. The sum scores on the ZSDS did not differ significantly from each other in the groups classified according to diabetic status. This finding was explanined by the sum score of the ZSDS among the previously diagnosed diabetics, which had a skewed distribution towards higher sum scores. Among the previously diagnosed diabetic patients, all those who were depressed were on sick leave or retired, while the corresponding proportion for non-depressed patients was 52% (P=0.009). The number of diagnosed diseases was higher among the former than the latter group (P=0.025). Severe depressive symptoms were not associated with a more serious metabolic disease, but they tended to be associated with a great number of diagnosed diseases and with being on sick leave or retired. The results showed that the impact of diabetes mellitus itself on depression was not strong. Depression was not connected to elevated fasting blood glucose levels, but instead to a great number of diagnosed diseases and unfavourable social factors, such as being on sick leave or retired, which suggests a psychosocial origin of depression in NIDDM patients.

Obesity and Low-Grade Inflammation among Young Finnish Men with Early-Onset Alopecia

Background: Previous investigations have revealed an association of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), especially in younger subjects with severe early-onset AGA, with ischemic heart disease. Objective: To examine the possible association between early-onset alopecia and low-grade inflammation measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) that has been recommended for the assessment of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Methods: The study population consisted of young men (n = 727, aged 25–34 years) participating in a national survey. The grade of alopecia was assessed by a trained nurse using the Norwood/Hamilton Classification Scale. Results: Men with moderate to extensive alopecia (17%) had a higher body mass index and larger waist, upper arm, hip and waist circumference than those with little to no alopecia (p < 0.05), and statistically insignificant differences were seen in the waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR), diastolic blood pressure and hs-CRP. With increasing hs-CRP, the mean WHR increased, but only among men with moderate to extensive alopecia (p = 0.043). Conclusion: Our findings show a relation between moderate to extensive alopecia and low-grade inflammation – a predictor of a future CVD – especially combined with central obesity, among men younger than 35 years.