Aims
To evaluate the impact of assisted reproductive technology (ART) on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in single pregnancies.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively collected ...clinical and anthropometric data of 219ART‐ and 256 age‐ and body mass index (BMI)‐matched women with spontaneous conception screened for GDM. The primary outcome was to evaluate GDM prevalence in ART women.
Results
There were no differences in age, BMI, and family history of diabetes in the two groups of women. ART‐women were more frequently primiparous, whereas the prevalence of previous GDM was higher in SC‐women. The prevalence of GDM in the whole cohort was 36.1% and was higher in ART‐women (52.3% vs. 23.4%; p < 0.0001). In the whole cohort, on multivariate analysis, family history of diabetes (OR 1.67; 95% CI: 1.03–2.69), previous GDM (OR 7.05; 95% CI: 2.92–17.04), pre‐pregnancy obesity (OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.21–6.13), and ART (OR 4.14; 95% CI 2.65–6.48) were independent risk factors for GDM. Among ART‐women, age over 40 years was associated with GDM. Preterm delivery was more common in ART‐women; gestational week at delivery, birth weight, ponderal index, and Apgar score were lower in ART‐women than in SC‐women, both in the whole cohort and in GDM women.
Conclusions
Among women undergoing ART treatment, at least one in two develops GDM. ART appears to be an independent risk factor for GDM in single pregnancies, particularly above the age of 40. ART treatment seems to be associated with an increased rate of preterm delivery and lower neonatal birth weight and Apgar score, especially in GDM women.
Clinical Trial Registration
The study was not registered as it is an observational retrospective evaluation.
Summary Background Basal insulin therapy does not stop loss of β-cell function, which is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and thus diabetes control inevitably deteriorates. Insulin degludec ...is a new, ultra-longacting basal insulin. We aimed to assess efficacy and safety of insulin degludec compared with insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods In this 52 week, phase 3, open-label, treat-to-target, non-inferiority trial, undertaken at 123 sites in 12 countries, we enrolled adults (aged ≥18 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c ) of 7·0–10·0% after 3 months or more of any insulin regimen (with or without oral antidiabetic drugs). We randomly allocated eligible participants in a 3:1 ratio to receive once-daily subcutaneous insulin degludec or glargine, stratified by previous insulin regimen, via a central interactive response system. Basal insulin was titrated to a target plasma glucose concentration of 3·9–<5·0 mmol/L self-measured before breakfast. The primary outcome was non-inferiority of degludec to glargine measured by change in HbA1c from baseline to week 52 (non-inferiority limit of 0·4%) by ANOVA in the full analysis set. We assessed rates of hypoglycaemia in all treated patients. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00972283. Findings 744 (99%) of 755 participants randomly allocated degludec and 248 (99%) of 251 allocated glargine were included in the full analysis set (mean age 58·9 years SD 9·3, diabetes duration 13·5 years 7·3, HbA1c 8·3% 0·8, and fasting plasma glucose 9·2 mmol/L 3·1); 618 (82%) and 211 (84%) participants completed the trial. After 1 year, HbA1c decreased by 1·1% in the degludec group and 1·2% in the glargine group (estimated treatment difference degludec–glargine 0·08%, 95% CI −0·05 to 0·21), confirming non-inferiority. Rates of overall confirmed hypoglycaemia (plasma glucose <3·1 mmol/L or severe episodes requiring assistance) were lower with degludec than glargine (11·1 vs 13·6 episodes per patient-year of exposure; estimated rate ratio 0·82, 95% CI 0·69 to 0·99; p=0·0359), as were rates of nocturnal confirmed hypoglycaemia (1·4 vs 1·8 episodes per patient-year of exposure; 0·75, 0·58 to 0·99; p=0·0399). Rates of severe hypoglycaemia seemed similar (0·06 vs 0·05 episodes per patient-year of exposure for degludec and glargine) but were too low for assessment of differences. Rates of other adverse events did not differ between groups. Interpretation A policy of suboptimum diabetes control to reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia and its consequences in advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus might be unwarranted with newer basal insulins such as degludec, which are associated with lower risks of hypoglycaemia than insulin glargine. Funding Novo Nordisk.
Summary The increasing prevalence, variable pathogenesis, progressive natural history, and complications of type 2 diabetes emphasise the urgent need for new treatment strategies. Longacting (eg, ...once weekly) agonists of the glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor are advanced in development, and they improve prandial insulin secretion, reduce excess glucagon production, and promote satiety. Trials of inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase 4, which enhance the effect of endogenous incretin hormones, are also nearing completion. Novel approaches to glycaemic regulation include use of inhibitors of the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2, which increase renal glucose elimination, and inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1, which reduce the glucocorticoid effects in liver and fat. Insulin-releasing glucokinase activators and pancreatic-G-protein-coupled fatty-acid-receptor agonists, glucagon-receptor antagonists, and metabolic inhibitors of hepatic glucose output are being assessed. Early proof of principle has been shown for compounds that enhance and partly mimic insulin action and replicate some effects of bariatric surgery.
Early treatment intensification leading to sustained good glycaemic control is essential to delay diabetic complications. Although initial combination therapy has been suggested to offer more ...opportunities than a traditional stepwise approach, its validity remains to be determined.
Vildagliptin Efficacy in combination with metfoRmIn For earlY treatment of type 2 diabetes (VERIFY) was a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study of newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes conducted in 254 centres across 34 countries. The study consisted of a 2-week screening visit, a 3-week metformin-alone run-in period, and a 5-year treatment period, which was further split into study periods 1, 2, and 3. Patients aged 18–70 years were included if they had type 2 diabetes diagnosed within 2 years prior to enrolment, and centrally confirmed glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 48–58 mmol/mol (6·5–7·5%) and a body-mass index of 22–40 kg/m2. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio either to the early combination treatment group or to the initial metformin monotherapy group, with the help of an interactive response technology system and simple randomisation without stratification. Patients, investigators, clinical staff performing the assessments, and data analysts were masked to treatment allocation. In study period 1, patients received either the early combination treatment with metformin (stable daily dose of 1000 mg, 1500 mg, or 2000 mg) and vildagliptin 50 mg twice daily, or standard-of-care initial metformin monotherapy (stable daily dose of 1000 mg, 1500 mg, or 2000 mg) and placebo twice daily. If the initial treatment did not maintain HbA1c below 53 mmol/mol (7·0%), confirmed at two consecutive scheduled visits which were 13 weeks apart, patients in the metformin monotherapy group received vildagliptin 50 mg twice daily in place of the placebo and entered study period 2, during which all patients received the combination therapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was the time from randomisation to initial treatment failure, defined as HbA1c measurement of at least 53 mmol/mol (7·0%) at two consecutive scheduled visits, 13 weeks apart from randomisation through period 1. The full analysis set included patients who received at least one randomised study medication and had at least one post-randomisation efficacy parameter assessed. The safety analysis set included all patients who received at least one dose of randomised study medication. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01528254.
Trial enrolment began on March 30, 2012, and was completed on April 10, 2014. Of the 4524 participants screened, 2001 eligible participants were randomly assigned to either the early combination treatment group (n=998) or the initial metformin monotherapy group (n=1003). A total of 1598 (79·9%) patients completed the 5-year study: 811 (81·3%) in the early combination therapy group and 787 (78·5%) in the monotherapy group. The incidence of initial treatment failure during period 1 was 429 (43·6%) patients in the combination treatment group and 614 (62·1%) patients in the monotherapy group. The median observed time to treatment failure in the monotherapy group was 36·1 (IQR 15·3–not reached NR) months, while the median time to treatment failure time for those receiving early combination therapy could only be estimated to be beyond the study duration at 61·9 (29·9–NR) months. A significant reduction in the relative risk for time to initial treatment failure was observed in the early combination treatment group compared with the monotherapy group over the 5-year study duration (hazard ratio 0·51 95% CI 0·45–0·58; p<0·0001). Both treatment approaches were safe and well tolerated, with no unexpected or new safety findings, and no deaths related to study treatment.
Early intervention with a combination therapy of vildagliptin plus metformin provides greater and durable long-term benefits compared with the current standard-of-care initial metformin monotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Novartis.
Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) is a monogenic autosomal dominant disorder affecting 1-5 % of all patients with diabetes mellitus. In Caucasians, GCK and HNF1A mutations are the most ...common cause of MODY. Here, we report two family members carrying a genetic variant of both GCK and HNF1A gene and their nine year clinical follow-up. Our report urges physicians to be cautious when variants in two genes are found in a single patient and suggests that collaboration with MODY genetics experts is necessary for correct diagnosis and treatment.
Triglyceride glucose index (TyG-i) is an alternative marker of insulin resistance and an independent predictor of CV events; yet its prognostic value in T2D remains poorly assessed.A cohort of 961 ...T2D was followed-up for 13.1±2.8 years. Vital status was retrieved on December 31, 2017 and data for CV events were available for 947 of them. TyG-i ln (fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) x fasting glucose (mg/dL) / 2) was calculated at baseline and divided in tertiles (thresholds: 8.97 and 9.51) . Events were assessed by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves and HRs (95% CI) by unadjusted and adjusted Cox regressions (Cox-r) in TyG-i tertiles.At follow-up, 229 (23.8%) subjects died (18.25 x 1000 PYs) ; CV events occurred in 273 (28.8%; 25.68 x 1000 PYs) , coronary events (CHD) in 181 (19.1%; 16.20 x 1000 PYs) , hospitalization for heart failure (hHF) in 82 (8.7%; 6.79 x 1000 PYs) , cerebrovascular events (CVE) in 1 (10.7%) , peripheral vascular events (PVE) in 39 (4.1%) , ESRD in 71 subjects (7.5%; 5.87 x 1000 PYs) . On K-M, CVD (24.2%, 25.6% and 36.7%; p=0.001) and CHD (14.5%, 17.1% and 25.9%; p=0.001) increased with TyG-i. All other outcomes increased across tertiles in a not significant manner. On unadjusted Cox-r, cumulative incidence of CV events and CHD increased significantly across TyG-i tertiles (T3 vs. T1) for major CVD (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.24-2.20, p=0.001) and CHD (1.91, 1.33-2.74, p<0.00for) , or marginally for PVD (1.99, 0.93-4.29, p=0.078) . After adjusting for age, diabetes duration, age at diagnosis, sex, BMI, active smoking, HbA1c, uric acid, fibrinogen, hypertension, dyslipidemia, prior CVD, CKD, retinopathy and neuropathy, HRs still increased with TyG-i for CV events (T3 vs. T1, 1.96, 95% CI 1.44-2.67, p<0.0001) , and CHD (T3 vs. T1, 2.03, 1.40-2.93, p<0.0001) .
In conclusion, TyG-i was significantly and independently associated with CVD and CHD, suggesting that it may be a simple yet valid marker for risk stratification in T2D.
Disclosure
M.Garofolo: Employee; Eli Lilly and Company. D.Lucchesi: None. E.Gualdani: None. P.Falcetta: Speaker's Bureau; Abbott Diabetes. M.Giambalvo: None. P.Francesconi: None. S.Del prato: Advisory Panel; Applied Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, Consultant; Menarini Group, Research Support; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Sanofi, Stock/Shareholder; Novo Nordisk A/S. G.Penno: Advisory Panel; Eli Lilly and Company.
Given the continued interest in defining the optimal management of individuals with type 2 diabetes, the Editor of Diabetes Care convened a working party of diabetes specialists to examine this topic ...in the context of insulin therapy. This was prompted by recent new evidence on the use of insulin in such people. The group was aware of evidence that the benefits of insulin therapy are still usually offered late, and thus the aim of the discussion was how to define the optimal timing and basis for decisions regarding insulin and to apply these concepts in practice. It was noted that recent evidence had built upon that of the previous decades, together confirming the benefits and safety of insulin therapy, albeit with concerns about the potential for hypoglycemia and gain in body weight. Insulin offers a unique ability to control hyperglycemia, being used from the time of diagnosis in some circumstances, when metabolic control is disturbed by medical illness, procedures, or therapy, as well as in the longer term in ambulatory care. For those previously starting insulin, various other forms of therapy can be added later, which offer complementary effects appropriate to individual needs. Here we review current evidence and circumstances in which insulin can be used, consider individualized choices of alternatives and combination regimens, and offer some guidance on personalized targets and tactics for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by T cell-mediated autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells. Several studies have suggested an association between Coxsackie enterovirus seroconversion and onset ...of disease. However, a direct link between β cell viral infection and islet inflammation has not been established. We analyzed pancreatic tissue from six type 1 diabetic and 26 control organ donors. Immunohistochemical, electron microscopy, whole-genome ex vivo nucleotide sequencing, cell culture, and immunological studies demonstrated Coxsackie B4 enterovirus in specimens from three of the six diabetic patients. Infection was specific of β cells, which showed nondestructive islet inflammation mediated mainly by natural killer cells. Islets from enterovirus-positive samples displayed reduced insulin secretion in response to glucose and other secretagogues. In addition, virus extracted from positive islets was able to infect β cells from human islets of nondiabetic donors, causing viral inclusions and signs of pyknosis. None of the control organ donors showed signs of viral infection. These studies provide direct evidence that enterovirus can infect β cells in patients with type 1 diabetes and that infection is associated with inflammation and functional impairment.