Vicente A. Benites-Zapata

Insulin resistance and endometrial cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM It has been suggested that chronic hyperinsulinemia from insulin resistance is involved in the etiology of endometrial cancer (EC). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether insulin resistance is associated with the risk of EC. METHODS We searched PubMed-Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published from database inception through 30th September 2014. We included all observational studies evaluating components defining insulin resistance in women with and without EC. Quality of the included studies was assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Random-effects models and inverse variance method were used to meta-analyze the association between insulin resistance components and EC. RESULTS Twenty-five studies satisfied our inclusion criteria. Fasting insulin levels (13 studies, n = 4088) were higher in women with EC (mean difference [MD] 33.94 pmol/L, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.04-52.85, p = 0.0004). No differences were seen in postmenopausal versus pre- and postmenopausal subgroup analysis. Similarly, non-fasting/fasting C-peptide levels (five studies, n = 1938) were also higher in women with EC (MD 0.14 nmol/L, 95% CI 0.08-0.21, p < 0.00001). Homeostatic model assessment - insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values (six studies, n = 1859) in EC patients were significantly higher than in women without EC (MD 1.13, 95% CI 0.20-2.06, p = 0.02). There was moderate-to-high heterogeneity among the included studies. CONCLUSION Currently available epidemiologic evidence is suggestive of significantly higher risk of EC in women with high fasting insulin, non-fasting/fasting C-peptide and HOMA-IR values.

Mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis in a public hospital of Peru

INTRODUCTION The Peruvian Ministry of Health does not have a national program of hemodialysis and hospitals that offer it have coverage problems, which may result in increased mortality. OBJECTIVE We evaluated mortality of a population with incident hemodialysis in a Peruvian public hospital as well as its associated factors. METHODS Retrospective and descriptive study of a population over 18 years-old who started treatment between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013 with the final follow-up day on31 March 2014. We used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models to evaluate factors associated with mortality and Kaplan Meier curves were used to determine the probability of survival. RESULTS We included 235 patients with a mean age of 56.4 ± 15.8 years. Median follow-up was 0.6 years (IQR 0.3 to 1.5). 50% of years withdrew from therapy during the study for lack of financial resources or space available. The third month mortality was 37.7% (95% CI 4.7 to 48.5) and 49.5% (95% CI 5.8 to 61.4) at 7 months. There was a trend towards lower mortality when patients had more than 6 months with a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR = 0.39 [95% CI 0.12 to 1.27]) and when the patient was admitted with scheduled dialysis (OR = 0.28 [95% CI 0.01 to 2.28]). CONCLUSION Half of patients died within seven months of follow-up. Scheduled dialysis and having longer time with CKD diagnosis tend to be associated with lower mortality.

Chronic kidney disease in Peru: a challenge for a country with an emerging economy

Coverage of renal replacement therapies (RRT) in Peruvian Ministry of Health is poor. There is an unequal distribution of TRR in the country, and is possible that up to 50% of the population does not have access to any kind of TRR. A multi-institutional approach to address this problem is necessary as it has been in consistent with the economic improvement of the country.

Accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review

Loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP) is currently used as standalone diagnostic test for C. difficile infection (CDI). We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP for the diagnosis of CDI. We searched 5 databases to identify studies that compared LAMP with culture cytotoxicity neutralization assay or anaerobic toxigenic culture (TC) of C. difficile. We used the random-effects model to calculate pooled sensitivities, specificities, diagnostic odds ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The search of the databases yielded 16 studies (6979 samples) that met inclusion criteria. When TC was used as the gold standard (6572 samples), bivariate analysis yielded a mean sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.93-0.97; I(2)=67.4) and a mean specificity of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00; I(2)=97.0). LAMP is a useful diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting CDI. The results should, however, be interpreted only in the presence of clinical suspicion and symptoms of CDI.

Is free triiodothyronine important in the development of insulin resistance in healthy people

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between thyroid hormones and insulin resistance in a population of healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study in adults who attended a private clinic from 2012 to 2014. We excluded those participants with fasting glucose values ​​compatible with diabetes mellitus, abnormal thyroid hormone values, chronic use of corticosteroids, and incomplete medical records. Participants were divided into tertiles (low, intermediate and high) according to their free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine values. We defined Insulin resistance as a Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) value greater than 3.8. We conducted a univariate and multivariate Poisson regression model to assess the association between thyroid hormones and insulin resistance. The association measure reported was the prevalence ratio (PR) with their confidence interval (CI) at 95%. RESULTS We evaluated 600 participants. The mean age was 36.8±14.2years and 33% were male. The frequency of insulin resistance was 29.5%. In the univariate regression, we found association between free triiodothyronine tertiles and insulin resistance. In the multivariate regression adjusted for age, sex, body mass index and thyroid stimulating hormone, the association between free triiodothyronine tertiles and insulin resistance remained; intermediate tertile (PR=1.54; CI95%: 1.10-2.15) and high tertile (PR=1.70; CI95%: 1.21-2.39). We found no association between T4 and insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS High levels of free triiodothyronine are associated with insulin resistance. The use of free trioodothyronine to assess insulin resistance in healthy patients should be considered.

Human papillomavirus vaccine efficacy in the prevention of anogenital warts: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To review evidence on the efficacy of HPV vaccines in the prevention of non-cancer lesions (anogenital warts [AGW], recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis and oral papillomatosis). Materials and methods: We conducted a systematic review of randomized trials. We performed random effect models and effects were reported as relative risks (RR) and their confidence intervals (95%CI) following both intention to treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) analyses. Results: We included six studies (n=27 078). One study was rated as high risk of bias. One study could not be included in the meta-analysis because it provided combined results. We found that quadrivalent vaccine reduced the risk of AGW by 62% (RR: 0.38, 95%CI:0.32-0.45, I2:0%) in the ITT analysis and by 95% (RR: 0.05, 95%CI:0.01-0.25, I2:66%) in the PP analysis. Subgroup analyses of studies in women or with low-risk of bias provided similar results. Conclusion: HPV quadrivalent vaccine is efficacious in preventing AGW in men and women.

High serum ferritin levels are associated with insulin resistance but not with impaired glucose tolerance in a healthy people population

AIM To assess the association between elevated serum ferritin levels and the presence of insulin resistance (IR) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a population of individuals with no endocrine or metabolic disorders background. METHODS Analytical cross-sectional study, carried out in adults of both sexes with no medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or other metabolic or endocrine disorder, who attended the outpatient service of a private clinic in Lima-Peru during 2012-2014 period. Impaired serum ferritin levels were defined as serum ferritin values >300μg/L in men and >200μg/L in women. IR was defined as a Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) value ≥3.8 and IGT was defined as an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) value between 126mg/dL and 199mg/dL. The reported association measure was the prevalence ratio (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS We analyzed 213 participants, the average age was 35.8±11.1years and 35.7% were males. The prevalence of impaired serum ferritin levels, IR and IGT in the population was 12.7%, 33.3% and 9.9% respectively. In the adjusted Poisson regression models, the prevalence of IR was higher among the group with impaired serum ferritin levels (PR=1.74; 95%CI:1.18-2.56); however, we found no association between impaired serum ferritin levels and IGT (PR=1.42; 95%CI:0.47-4.30). CONCLUSIONS Impaired levels of serum ferritin are associated with IR, nevertheless, not with IGT in a metabolically healthy population. Serum ferritin could be considered as an early marker of IR prior to the onset of glycaemia disorders.

Promoción de los derechos en salud en Perú: una aproximación desde la perspectiva de acción de la Superintendencia Nacional de Salud

In Peru, The National Health Authority (SUSALUD) is granted the responsibility to promote, protect and defend the health rights of every citizen. However, in the Peruvian Health System (PHS) there exists an insufficient culture of health rights, a low level of knowledge of health rights by the population, and a limited degree of cooperation between users, providers and funders. In light of this limited popular participation in the health rights of the citizenry, it has been necessary for SUSALUD to pursue various activities in order to promote the exercise of health rights by Peruvians. Among the strategies implemented are the development of Organized Boards of Users (OBU) and a Program of Integrated Actions for the Promotion of Health Rights (PIAPHI). The aim of both interventions is to increase the level of trust between citizens and government, which fosters and strengthens the capacity of citizens to pursue their health rights. In this article we begin with a brief presentation on the state of knowledge, attitudes and practices of users of the health system regarding their rights. Then we explain both programs, their goals and procedures, and a general description of their activities. Also, some indicators of process and some results are presented along with discussion and future prospects. We believe that the gradual implementation of the OBU and PIAPHI programs will enhance the participation of Peruvians in their health system, and will contribute positively to their empowerment and the pursuit of their health rights.In Peru, The National Health Authority (SUSALUD) is granted the responsibility to promote, protect and defend the health rights of every citizen. However, in the Peruvian Health System (PHS) there exists an insufficient culture of health rights, a low level of knowledge of health rights by the population, and a limited degree of cooperation between users, providers and funders. In light of this limited popular participation in the health rights of the citizenry, it has been necessary for SUSALUD to pursue various activities in order to promote the exercise of health rights by Peruvians. Among the strategies implemented are the development of Organized Boards of Users (OBU) and a Program of Integrated Actions for the Promotion of Health Rights (PIAPHI). The aim of both interventions is to increase the level of trust between citizens and government, which fosters and strengthens the capacity of citizens to pursue their health rights. In this article we begin with a brief presentation on the state of knowledge, attitudes and practices of users of the health system regarding their rights. Then we explain both programs, their goals and procedures, and a general description of their activities. Also, some indicators of process and some results are presented along with discussion and future prospects. We believe that the gradual implementation of the OBU and PIAPHI programs will enhance the participation of Peruvians in their health system, and will contribute positively to their empowerment and the pursuit of their health rights.

High triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol ratio is associated with insulin resistance in normal-weight healthy adults

AIM To evaluate the association between high triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and insulin resistance (IR) or hyperinsulinemia after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in normal-weight healthy adults. METHODS We carried out an analytical cross-sectional study in euthyroid non-diabetic adults, who attended the outpatient service of a private clinic in Lima-Peru from 2012 to 2016. Participants were divided in two groups according to the presence or absence of high TG/HDL-C ratio, IR or hyperinsulinemia after OGTT. TG/HDL-C ratio values ≥ 3 were considered as high. IR was defined as a Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) value ≥ 2.28 and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT as a serum insulin value ≥ 80μU/mL after 120 min of 75-g glucose intake. We elaborated crude and adjusted Poisson generalized linear models to evaluate the association between high TG/HDL-C ratio and IR or hyperinsulinemia after OGTT and reported the prevalence ratio (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS We analyzed the data of 118 individuals. Prevalence of high TG/HDL-C ratio was 17.8% (n = 21) while the prevalence of IR and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT was 24.6% (n = 29) and 17.0% (n = 20), respectively. TG/HDL-C-ratio values were positively correlated with HOMA-IR (r = 0.498; p < 0.01) and serum insulin after OGTT (r = 0.326; p < 0.001). In the adjusted model, high TG/HDL-C ratio was associated with both IR (aPR = 3.16; 95%CI: 1.80-5.77) and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT (aPR = 2.36; 95%CI: 1.20-4.63). CONCLUSIONS High TG/HDL-C ratio was associated with both IR markers used in our study, appearing to be a clinically useful tool to assess IR in euthyroid normal-weight adults without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Triglycerides and glucose index as an insulin resistance marker in a sample of healthy adults

AIM To assess the association between elevated triglycerides/glucose index (TGI) and insulin resistance (IR) or hyperinsulinemia after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in a sample of healthy adults. METHODS We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study in euthyroid non-diabetic adults, who attended the outpatient service of a private clinic in Lima-Peru during the 2012-2016 period. Participants were categorized in two groups according to the presence or absence of elevated TGI, IR or hyperinsulinemia after OGTT. A TGI value ≥ 8.65 was considered as elevated. We defined IR as a Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) value ≥ 2.28 and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT as a serum insulin value ≥ 80μU/mL after 120 min of 75-g glucose intake. We elaborated crude and adjusted Poisson regression models to assess the association between elevated TGI and IR or hyperinsulinemia after OGTT. The reported association measure was the prevalence ratio (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS We analyzed 118 individuals, the average age was 37.5 ± 11.3 years, 21 (17.8%) were males and the median BMI was 22.7 ± 1.6 kg/m2. The prevalence of elevated TGI was 25.4% (n=30) while the prevalence of IR and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT was 24.6% (n=29) and 17.0% (n=20) respectively. In the adjusted model, elevated TGI was associated with both IR (aPR=6.36; 95%CI: 3.41-11.86) and hyperinsulinemia after OGTT (aPR=4.19; 95%CI: 1.81-9.70). CONCLUSIONS We found that elevated TGI was associated with both IR markers in a sample of euthyroid adults without T2DM and with a normal BMI. The simplicity of the TGI calculation makes it the first-choice alternative when the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp or HOMA-IR are not available.