Type 2 diabetes in East Asians: similarities and differences with populations in Europe and the United States

Achievement of Target Glycemic Goal with Simple Basal Insulin Regimen in Women with Gestational Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study

There is little evidence concerning the need to treat gestational diabetes (GDM) in the same way as pregestational diabetes. We evaluated the efficacy of the simple insulin injection (SII) regimen for achieving the target glucose goal without increasing adverse perinatal outcomes in singleton pregnant women with GDM. All subjects underwent self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), and insulin therapy was indicated according to the SMBG profile. Insulin was initially started with the SII regimen, in which one daily injection of NPH insulin before breakfast was used, and another NPH injection was added at bedtime, if necessary. We used the target glucose as <95 mg/dL at fasting and <120 mg/dL postprandial and accepted <130 mg/dL for the latter. If the target glucose did not reach with the regimen, we switched to the multiple daily injection (MDI) with additional prandial insulin aspart. We compared the SMBG profile before delivery as well as the perinatal outcomes between the SII and MDI groups. Among 361 women (age 33.7 years, nullipara 41%, prepregnancy body mass index 23.2 kg/m²) with GDM, 59%, 18%, and 23% were in the diet-alone, SII, and MDI groups, respectively. Consequently, regarding women requiring insulin therapy, 43% were treated with the SII regimen throughout pregnancy. The severity of baseline hyperglycemia according to the SMBG data at baseline was the MDI>the SII>the diet group. The rate of achieving target glucose levels before delivery in the SII group at fasting, postprandial < 120 mg/dL and <130 mg/dL were 93%, 54% and 87%, respectively, which were similar to that in the MDI group (93%, 57%, and 93%, respectively), with no significant differences in perinatal outcomes. In conclusion, more than 40% of women with GDM requiring insulin therapy achieved the target glucose goal with this simple insulin regimen without any increase in adverse effects.

[Efficacy of treatment with glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists-1 in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus]

BACKGROUND

The projected 68% increase in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in the upcoming decades and the specific pathophysiological course of the disease are critical factors for the development of optimal disease management tactics in the Asian population. It is now known that β-cell dysfunction is dominant in the pathogenesis of T2D in Asians. In a number of Asian countries, incretin therapy is the leading therapy.

AIM

To review literature on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion and clinical trial results of GLP-1 receptor agonist class (GLP-1RA) drugs as well as to evaluate their effectiveness in Asian population with T2D.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A review of studies on pathophysiological aspects of GLP-1 secretion and evaluation of the efficacy of therapy with GLP-1RA preparations registered and used in clinical practice in Asian regions.

RESULTS

Several studies in Asian countries have shown that intact GLP-1 levels were significantly lower in both T2D patients and healthy Japanese volunteers; as well as in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. It is suggested that either impaired secretion of GLP-1 in the gut, accelerated processing by dipeptidyl peptidase-4, or a combination of both are responsible for the decrease in GLP-1. The greater efficacy of GLP-1RA treatment in achieving glycemic control in Asian T2D patients was presented by Kim Y.G. et al. in a meta-analysis of 15 randomised controlled trials, the reduction in HbA1c on GLP-1RA treatment averaged -1.16% in Asian-dominated studies and -0.83% in non-Asian-dominated studies. In the PIONEER 9 clinical programme, similar results were obtained, with oral semaglutide having a more pronounced effect on glycaemic control in Japanese patients. Thus, the mean change in HbA 1c was -1.1%, 7 mg -1.5%, and 14 mg -1.7% at the 3 mg dose; whereas in the PIONEER 1 study in the global population, the mean change in HbA1c was -0.6%, -0.9% and -1.1% for 3, 7, 14 mg semaglutide, respectively. The PIONEER 10 study concluded that oral semaglutide was well tolerated by Japanese patients with T2D. Oral semaglutide reduced HbA1c (14 mg dose) and body weight (7 and 14 mg doses) more significantly compared to dulaglutide at 0.75 mg dose. Results of a pooled analysis of long-acting GLP-1RA showed a more significant reduction in cardiovascular event risk in the Asian subpopulation.

CONCLUSION

The presented review describes benefits in glycemic control as well as in the reduction of relative cardiovascular event risks with GLP-1RA treatment in the Asian population, which requires further in-depth research and implies optimal management tactics in patients with T2DM.

Incidence and predictors of remission and relapse of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan: Analysis of a nationwide patient registry

AIMS

To determine the incidence of remission and 1-year relapse from remission and associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 48 320 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥18 years, with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%) and/or glucose-lowering drug prescription, were identified from databases of specialist clinics from 1989 and followed until September 2022. Remission was defined as HbA1c <48 mmol/mol at least 3 months after cessation of a glucose-lowering drug. Relapse was defined as failure to maintain remission for 1 year. Factors associated with remission and relapse were evaluated by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of remissions per 1000 person-years was 10.5, and for those with HbA1c levels of 48 to 53 mmol/mol (6.5% to 6.9%), those taking no glucose-lowering drugs at baseline, and those with a ≥10% body mass index (BMI) reduction in 1 year, it was 27.8, 21.7 and 48.2, respectively. Shorter duration, lower baseline HbA1c, higher baseline BMI, higher BMI reduction at 1 year, and no glucose-lowering drugs at baseline were significantly associated with remission. Among 3677 persons with remission, approximately two-thirds (2490) relapsed within 1 year. Longer duration, lower BMI at baseline, and lower BMI reduction at 1 year were significantly associated with relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that the incidence of remission and predictors of relapse, especially baseline BMI, might differ greatly between East Asian and Western populations. Furthermore, the relationships of BMI reduction with remission and relapse may be greater in East Asian than in Western populations, implying ethnic differences in returning from overt hyperglycaemia to nearly normal glucose levels.

Trends in metabolic indicators and microvascular complications in Chinese adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: A retrospective, single-centre study of twenty-years

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to assess metabolic indicators and trends in microvascular complications among Chinese adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes during 2000-2020.

METHODS

3,907 patients were included and divided into three groups according to a time period of 7 years. This study analyzed trends in proportions of patients reached therapeutic targets of blood glucose, pressure and lipids, and trends in albuminuria, retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy.

RESULTS

In the past 20 years, the age of adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes tended to be younger, and the proportion of female patients increased. There seemed no improvements in blood glucose and pressure. The rate of awareness and treatment on target of hypertension was less than 50%. There was a significant decrease in the prevalence of retinopathy, but no changes in nephropathy or peripheral neuropathy. Complications were more common for patients who were smoker, male, or with hypertension and obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past two decades, there have been encouraging reductions in retinopathy in Chinese adults with newly diagnosed diabetes, but no significant change in albuminuria and peripheral neuropathy. It may be related to the low awareness of diabetes and insufficient controlled blood glucose, pressure and lipids on target.

Safety and efficacy analyses across age and body mass index subgroups in East Asian participants with type 2 diabetes in the phase 3 tirzepatide studies (SURPASS programme)

AIM

To assess the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide in people of East Asian descent based on age and body mass index (BMI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of participants enrolled in East Asian countries in the SURPASS-1, -3, -4, -5, J-mono and J-combo phase 3 clinical trials were included. Participants with type 2 diabetes with a baseline HbA1c of 7.0% up to 11.0% and a BMI of 23 kg/m² or greater or 25 kg/m² or greater were included. Participants treated with tirzepatide 5, 10 or 15 mg were evaluated to assess the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide in people of East Asian descent (94% from Japan) based on age (< 65 and ≥ 65 years) and BMI (< 25 and ≥ 25 kg/m² ). Key safety and efficacy outcomes were assessed.

RESULTS

At baseline, 73% of East Asian participants had a BMI of 25 kg/m² or greater and 74% were younger than 65 years. At week 52, tirzepatide induced a similar dose-dependent reduction in HbA1c, waist circumference and BMI across subgroups. Across all BMI and age subgroups, mean absolute HbA1c reductions across the three doses ranged from 2.3% to 3.0%, and mean waist circumference reductions ranged from 4.3 to 9.8 cm. Improvements in absolute insulin sensitivity, assessed by homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, were greater in those with a baseline BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m² . Improvements in lipid profiles were similar across subgroups. While the safety profile of tirzepatide was broadly similar across BMI and age subgroups, drug discontinuation because of adverse events was higher in participants with a baseline age of ≥ 65 years.

CONCLUSIONS

This post hoc analysis showed that once-weekly tirzepatide had a similar safety and efficacy profile across BMI and age subgroups in East Asian participants.

Subtypes of type 2 diabetes and their association with outcomes in Korean adults - A cluster analysis of community-based prospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the subtypes of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their association with clinical outcomes in Asians.

METHODS

We performed data-driven cluster analysis in patients with newly diagnosed drug-naive T2D (n = 756) from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Clusters were based on five variables (age at diagnosis, BMI, HbA1c, and HOMA2 β-cell function, and insulin resistance).

RESULTS

We identified four clusters of patients with T2D according to k-means clustering: cluster 1 (22.4 %, severe insulin-resistant diabetes [SIRD]), cluster 2 (32.7 %, mild age-related diabetes [MARD]), cluster 3 (32.7 %, mild obesity-related diabetes [MOD]), and cluster 4 (12.3 %, severe insulin-deficient diabetes [SIDD]). During 14 years of follow-up, individuals in the SIDD cluster had the highest risk of initiation of glucose-lowering therapy compared to individuals in the other three clusters. Individuals in the MARD and SIDD clusters showed the highest risk of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, and individuals in the MOD clusters showed the lowest risk after adjusting for other risk factors (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with T2D can be categorized into four subgroups with different glycemic deterioration and risks of diabetes complications. Individualized management might be helpful for better clinical outcomes in Asian patients with different T2D subgroups.

Dose Rationale of Nasal Glucagon in Japanese Pediatric Patients with Diabetes Using Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling and Simulation

BACKGROUND

Nasal glucagon (NG) 3 mg is approved in Japan to treat hypoglycemia in pediatric patients with diabetes, but an NG clinical study has not been performed in Japanese children because of practical and ethical concerns.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to support the dose rationale for NG 3 mg in Japanese pediatric patients with diabetes using modeling and simulation.

METHODS

We used a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic bridging approach to extrapolate the available clinical data to Japanese pediatric patients. Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling was performed using data from seven clinical studies, including five studies in non-Japanese adults, one study in Japanese adults, and one study in non-Japanese pediatric patients. Simulation was then used to estimate glucagon exposure and glucose response after NG 3-mg administration for three age categories of Japanese pediatric patients: 4 to < 8, 8 to < 12, and 12 to < 18 years. Treatment success was defined as an increase in blood glucose to ≥ 70 or ≥ 20 mg/dL from nadir within 30 min after administration of NG 3 mg. Safety was assessed in relation to the predicted maximum glucagon concentration of NG 3 mg using NG clinical trial data and published data on intravenous and intramuscular glucagon.

RESULTS

The data showed a rapid and robust glucose response following NG 3 mg in Japanese and non-Japanese adults and non-Japanese pediatric patients, with some differences in glucagon exposure observed across studies. The pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model described the observed clinical data well, and simulations indicated that > 99% of hypoglycemic Japanese pediatric patients in all three age groups would achieve treatment success. Predicted glucose responses to NG 3 mg in Japanese pediatric patients were comparable to those of intramuscular glucagon. Maximum concentration was not associated with the occurrence and severity of common adverse events (nausea, vomiting, and headache) in NG clinical studies. Furthermore, the predicted maximum concentration in Japanese pediatric patients, despite being higher than the observed maximum concentration in NG clinical studies, was substantially lower than the observed maximum concentration of 1 mg of intravenous glucagon, without serious safety issues.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis suggests NG 3 mg has robust efficacy without serious safety concerns in Japanese pediatric patients with diabetes.

Real-World Efficacy of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist, Dulaglutide, on Metabolic Parameters in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) dulaglutide has been shown to improve body weight and glycemic control and reduce major cardiovascular (CV) events. In Japan, dulaglutide is used at a fixed dose of 0.75 mg, which is lower than that in Europe and North America. However, the reports of real-world efficacy on metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are limited. This study aimed to examine the real-world efficacy of GLP-1RA dulaglutide on metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with T2DM. We retrospectively selected patients with T2DM who had been prescribed dulaglutide continuously for 12 months or longer between September 2015 and December 2020 and compared metabolic parameters at baseline with the data at 12 months after the start of dulaglutide. One hundred twenty-one patients were enrolled in this study. The 12-month dulaglutide treatment reduced body weight by 1.7 kg and hemoglobin A1c by 1.1%. Significant improvements were also observed in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and non-HDL-C. The change in HbA1c during dulaglutide treatment was significantly correlated with the changes in HDL-C (R = −0.236, p = 0.013), LDL-C (R = 0.377, p = 0.005) and non-HDL-C (R = 0.415, p < 0.001). The improvements in HbA1c, HDL-C, TG and non-HDL-C were greater in patients concurrently treated with SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) at baseline. In conclusion, the treatment with dulaglutide has beneficial effects on multiple CV risk factors in Japanese patients with T2DM.

Cross-sectional relationships between general and central adiposity and plasma amino acids in Chinese adults

Adiposity is an important determinant of blood metabolites, but little is known about the variations of blood amino acids according to general and central adiposity status among Chinese population. This study included 187 females and 322 males who were cancer-free subjects randomly selected from two cohorts in Shanghai, China. Participants' plasma concentrations of amino acids were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Linear regression models were used to examine the cross-sectional correlations between general and central adiposity and amino acid levels. A total of 35 amino acids in plasma were measured in this study. In females, alanine, aspartic acid and pyroglutamic acid were positively correlated with general adiposity. In males, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, valine and pyroglutamic acid showed positive correlations, and glutamine, serine and glycine showed negative correlations with both general and central adiposity; phenylalanine, isoleucine and leucine were positively correlated and N-phenylacetylglutamine was negatively correlated with general adiposity; asparagine was negatively correlated with central adiposity. In summary, general adiposity and central adiposity were correlated with the concentrations of specific plasma amino acids among cancer-free female and male adults in China. Adiposity-metabolite characteristics and relationships should be considered when studying blood biomarkers for adiposity-related health outcomes.

Preoperative Serum Cortisol Level Is Predictive of Weight Loss After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Men with Severe Obesity but Not Women

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity and its associated medical problems. Preoperative factors that predict postoperative weight loss remain to be fully characterized, however.

METHODS

Anthropometric and laboratory data were collected retrospectively for severely obese patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) between April 2016 and July 2019 at our hospital. Preoperative factors that predicted weight loss at 1 year after LSG were investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 122 subjects (45 men and 77 women) underwent LSG. The mean ± SD age and body mass index at surgery were 44.4 ± 10.4 years and 40.7 ± 6.7 kg/m². The percent total weight loss (%TWL) was 27.0 ± 8.6 among all subjects, 26.4 ± 8.0 among men, and 27.4 ± 8.9 among women, with no significant difference between the sexes. The %TWL showed a significant inverse correlation with serum cortisol level in men and with age and the visceral/subcutaneous fat area ratio in women. Multivariable regression analysis revealed the presence of type 2 diabetes and the serum cortisol concentration to be negatively associated with %TWL among all subjects and men, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified an optimal cutoff of 10 µg/dL for prediction of a %TWL of ≥ 25 in men by serum cortisol level.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum cortisol concentration was identified as a predictor for postoperative weight loss in men. Our results may thus help inform the decision to perform LSG or more effective surgical procedures in men with severe obesity.

Genome-wide genotype-serum proteome mapping provides insights into the cross-ancestry differences in cardiometabolic disease susceptibility

Identification of protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) helps understand the underlying mechanisms of diseases and discover promising targets for pharmacological intervention. For most important class of drug targets, genetic evidence needs to be generalizable to diverse populations. Given that the majority of the previous studies were conducted in European ancestry populations, little is known about the protein-associated genetic variants in East Asians. Based on data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry technique, we conduct genome-wide association analyses for 304 unique proteins in 2,958 Han Chinese participants. We identify 195 genetic variant-protein associations. Colocalization and Mendelian randomization analyses highlight 60 gene-protein-phenotype associations, 45 of which (75%) have not been prioritized in Europeans previously. Further cross-ancestry analyses uncover key proteins that contributed to the differences in the obesity-induced diabetes and coronary artery disease susceptibility. These findings provide novel druggable proteins as well as a unique resource for the trans-ancestry evaluation of protein-targeted drug discovery.

Markers for obese and non-obese Type 2 diabetes identified using whole blood metabolomics

Definitive differences in blood metabolite profiles between obese and non-obese Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have not been established. We performed an LC-MS-based non-targeted metabolomic analysis of whole blood samples collected from subjects classified into 4 types, based on the presence or absence of obesity and T2D. Of the 125 compounds identified, 20, comprising mainly nucleobases and glucose metabolites, showed significant increases or decreases in the T2D group. These included cytidine, UDP-glucuronate, UMP, 6-phosphogluconate, and pentose-phosphate. Among those 20 compounds, 11 enriched in red blood cells (RBCs) have rarely been studied in the context of diabetes, indicating that RBC metabolism is more extensively disrupted than previously known. Correlation analysis revealed that these T2D markers include 15 HbA1c-associated and 5 irrelevant compounds that may reflect diabetic conditions by a different mechanism than that of HbA1c. In the obese group, enhanced protein and fatty acid catabolism causes increases in 13 compounds, including methylated or acetylated amino acids and short-chain carnitines. Our study, which may be considered a pilot investigation, suggests that changes in blood metabolism due to obesity and diabetes are large, but essentially independent.

Efficacy and Safety of Ertugliflozin Added to Metformin: A Pooled Population from Asia with Type 2 Diabetes and Overweight or Obesity

INTRODUCTION

The efficacy and safety of ertugliflozin have not been well characterized in Asian populations with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and overweight or obesity as defined by the Chinese Diabetes Society [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 24 kg/m²].

METHODS

These post hoc analyses of pooled data from two randomized, double-blind, 26-week studies assessed the efficacy and safety of ertugliflozin (5 mg or 15 mg) compared with placebo in participants from Asia with T2D and baseline BMI ≥ 24 kg/m², with inadequate glycemic control on metformin. Longitudinal analyses were used to calculate least squares (LS) mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] change from baseline in glycemic indices and body weight. The proportions of participants achieving efficacy targets and experiencing adverse events (AEs) were assessed.

RESULTS

The 445 participants had a mean age of 55.5 years, T2D duration 6.6 years, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 8.1%, and BMI 27.6 kg/m². At week 26, placebo-adjusted LS mean (95% CI) changes from baseline for ertugliflozin 5 mg and 15 mg, respectively, were - 0.78% (- 0.95% to - 0.61%) and - 0.80% (- 0.98% to - 0.63%) for HbA1c, and - 1.74 kg (- 2.29 kg to - 1.19 kg) and - 2.04 kg (- 2.60 kg to - 1.48 kg) for body weight. A greater proportion of participants receiving ertugliflozin 5 mg and 15 mg versus placebo, respectively, achieved HbA1c < 7.0% (42.1% and 46.3% vs. 13.9%), body weight reduction ≥ 5% (35.5% and 38.3% vs. 11.1%), and systolic blood pressure < 130 mmHg (42.4% and 34.5% vs. 21.7%). The proportion of participants with AEs was 52.6% (ertugliflozin 5 mg), 52.3% (ertugliflozin 15 mg), and 55.6% (placebo).

CONCLUSIONS

In participants from Asia with T2D inadequately controlled by metformin monotherapy, and BMI ≥24 kg/m², ertugliflozin (5 mg or 15 mg) resulted in greater glycemic and body weight reductions compared with placebo and was generally well tolerated.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers NCT02033889, NCT02630706.

Predictive Efficiency of Prediabetes for Diabetes Among Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Populations: a 5-Year National Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Limited studies have explored the predictive efficiency of prediabetes based on two definitions for diabetes among Chinese middle-aged and older populations with prediabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the predictive efficiency of prediabetes based on two definitions for diabetes and the clinical and public health benefit in Chinese middle-aged and older populations.

DESIGN

A 5-year cohort study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 5208 participants who had blood sample data at baseline in 2011.

MAIN MEASURES

The exposure was prediabetes based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) and World Health Organization (WHO) definition. The main outcome was incident diabetes. The ability of prediabetes for predicting diabetes was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to explore the associations between prediabetes and the 5-year risk of diabetes and all-cause mortality.

KEY RESULTS

Among those with prediabetes according to the ADA definition, only 426 (15.45%) with baseline prediabetes progressed to total diabetes, while according to the WHO definition, 208 (21.89%) progressed to total diabetes. In terms of the ability of predicting the incident total diabetes in 5 years, the ADA definition has a higher sensitivity than the WHO definition (70.76% versus 34.55%, P < 0.001), while the WHO definition has a higher specificity than the ADA definition (84.09% versus 49.35%, P < 0.001). Positive predictive values based on the two definitions were low (< 24%); negative predictive values were high (> 90%).

CONCLUSIONS

Neither definition of prediabetes is robust for predicting diabetes development in Chineses middle-aged and older populations.

Developing a prediction model for all-cause mortality risk among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Shanghai, China

BACKGROUND

All-cause mortality risk prediction models for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in mainland China have not been established. This study aimed to fill this gap.

METHODS

Based on the Shanghai Link Healthcare Database, patients diagnosed with T2DM and aged 40-99 years were identified between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016 and followed until December 31, 2021. All the patients were randomly allocated into training and validation sets at a 2:1 ratio. Cox proportional hazards models were used to develop the all-cause mortality risk prediction model. The model performance was evaluated by discrimination (Harrell C-index) and calibration (calibration plots).

RESULTS

A total of 399 784 patients with T2DM were eventually enrolled, with 68 318 deaths over a median follow-up of 6.93 years. The final prediction model included age, sex, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, moderate or severe kidney disease, moderate or severe liver disease, cancer, insulin use, glycosylated hemoglobin, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The model showed good discrimination and calibration in the validation sets: the mean C-index value was 0.8113 (range 0.8110-0.8115) and the predicted risks closely matched the observed risks in the calibration plots.

CONCLUSIONS

This study constructed the first 5-year all-cause mortality risk prediction model for patients with T2DM in south China, with good predictive performance.

An examination of causal associations and shared risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the East Asian population: A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

One of the major contributors to disability and mortality among diabetics is cardiovascular disease (CVD), with coronary artery disease (CAD) as the most prevalent type. However, previous studies have provided controversial evidence linking diabetes to other types of CVDs, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). In addition, the risk factors that predispose people to the risk of diabetes and its complications differ across ethnicities, but the disease risk profiles in the East Asian population have been less investigated.

METHODS

The causal association between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and two types of CVDs (i.e., AF and CAD) in the East Asian population was first studied using Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Next, we examined the causal effect of 49 traits on T2D and CAD to identify their separate and shared risk factors in East Asians. A causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the role of T2D in mediating the relationship between the identified shared risk factors and CAD.

RESULTS

T2D was causally associated with CAD, but not AF, in East Asians. A screening of the risk factors indicated that six and 11 traits were causally associated with T2D and CAD, respectively, with suggestive levels of evidence. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was the only trait associated with both T2D and CAD, as revealed by the univariable MR analyses. Moreover, the causal association between ALP and CAD no longer existed after adjusting T2D as a covariable in the causal mediation study.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights the risk profiles in the East Asian population, which is important in formulating targeted therapies for T2D and CVDs in East Asians.

Factors Associated with Relapse of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Japanese Subjects: A Subgroup Analysis of J-SMART Study

INTRODUCTION

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) for morbidly obese patients often results in remission of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), but diabetes relapses in some of those patients. The frequency of T2DM relapse in Asians and the factors involved have not been adequately investigated.

METHODS

The J-SMART study was conducted on 322 Japanese subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥32 kg/m2 who underwent LSG at 10 accredited centers in Japan between 2011 and 2014. Of these, 82 T2DM subjects with diabetes in complete or partial remission at 1 year after LSG and followed postoperatively for 5 years were included in the subgroup analysis and classified into two groups: diabetes remission-maintained and diabetes relapse.

RESULTS

The mean age of all included subjects was 49.2 years, median BMI was 41.5 kg/m2, and median HbA1c was 6.7%. Compared with the diabetes remission-maintained group, the diabetes relapse group at 5 years after LSG had significantly higher preoperative HbA1c, number of antidiabetic medications, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level; and lower BMI and homeostasis model assessment-beta cell function (HOMA-β). As many as 83.0% of the subjects were able to achieve HbA1c <7% at 5 years after LSG, but 26.8% of the subjects had diabetes relapse. Preoperative HbA1c significantly contributed to diabetes relapse (odds ratio 1.54, p = 0.049). In addition, the diabetes relapse group tended to have lower percentage total weight loss (%TWL) at 1 year after LSG and higher percentage weight regain (%WR) from postoperative nadir weight, compared with the diabetes remission-maintained group. The hazard ratio for diabetes relapse was 3.14-fold higher in subjects with %TWL ≥20% and %WR ≥25%, and 5.46-fold higher in those with %TWL <20% and %WR ≥25%, compared with %TWL ≥20% and %WR <25%.

CONCLUSION

While LSG provides a high remission rate for T2DM, relapse is not uncommon. Preoperative HbA1c, poor weight loss, and excess weight regain after LSG contribute to diabetes relapse, suggesting the importance of treatment strategies focusing on these factors.

The Effect of Blood Lipids, Type 2 Diabetes, and Body Mass Index on Parkinson's Disease: A Korean Mendelian Randomization Study

OBJECTIVE

Associations between various metabolic conditions and Parkinson's disease (PD) have been previously identified in epidemiological studies. We aimed to investigate the causal effect of lipid levels, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and body mass index (BMI) on PD in a Korean population via Mendelian randomization (MR).

METHODS

Two-sample MR analyses were performed with inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger regression approaches. We identified genetic variants associated with lipid concentrations, T2DM, and BMI in publicly available summary statistics, which were either collected from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) or from meta-analyses of GWAS that targeted only Korean individuals or East Asian individuals, including Korean individuals. The outcome dataset was a GWAS on PD performed in a Korean population.

RESULTS

From previous GWASs and meta-analyses, we selected single nucleotide polymorphisms as the instrumental variables. Variants associated with serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as with T2DM and BMI, were selected (n = 11, 19, 17, 89, and 9, respectively). There were no statistically significant causal associations observed between the five exposures and PD using either the IVW, weighted median, or MR-Egger methods (p-values of the IVW method: 0.332, 0.610, 0.634, 0.275, and 0.860, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study does not support a clinically relevant causal effect of lipid levels, T2DM, and BMI on PD risk in a Korean population.

Maternal and Dietary Factors Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Women with a Previous History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

While it is known that women with a previous history of gestational diabetes mellitus (post-GDM) have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), evidence of lifestyle practices from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with MetS in women post-GDM. This cross-sectional study involved 157 women post-GDM (mean age 34.8 ± 5.6 years) sampled from Selangor, Malaysia. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and obstetric history. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were derived from principal component analysis. MetS was diagnosed according to the 2009 Harmonized criteria. The prevalence of MetS in this study was 22.3%. Western dietary pattern consumption was correlated with MetS, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and triglyceride levels. Independent factors associated with MetS were lower education level (odds ratio, OR 4.017, p = 0.007), pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.192, p = 0.002), and Caesarean delivery (OR 3.798, p = 0.009). The study identified the maternal and dietary factors associated with MetS in women post-GDM in Malaysia. Community-based interventions that include dietary modification are warranted to prevent MetS and its complications, thus helping to reduce the overall disease burden.

Targeted gene panel analysis of Japanese patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young-like diabetes mellitus: Roles of inactivating variants in the ABCC8 and insulin resistance genes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

To investigate the genetic background of Japanese patients with suspected maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

On 340 proband patients referred from across Japan, genomic variants were analyzed using a targeted multigene panel analysis combined with the multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA) analysis, mitochondrial m.3243A > G analysis and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction of the imprinted 6q24 locus. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were listed according to the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology criteria. Additionally, variants with a population frequency <0.001 and Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion score >20 (CS >20) were listed as rare variants of uncertain significance-CS >20.

RESULTS

A total of 157 pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants and 44 rare variants of uncertain significance-CS >20 were identified. In the pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants, alterations in the GCK gene were the most common (82, 52.2%) followed by HNF1A (29, 18.5%), HNF4A (13, 8.3%) and HNF1B (13, 8.3%). One patient was a 29.5% mosaic with a truncating INSR variant. In the rare variants of uncertain significance-CS >20, 20 (45.5%) were in the genes coding for the adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel, KCNJ11 or ABCC8, and four were in the genes of the insulin-signaling pathway, INSR and PIK3R1. Four variants in ABCC8 were previously reported in patients with congenital hyperinsulinism, suggesting the inactivating nature of these variants, and at least two of our patients had a history of congenital hyperinsulinism evolving into diabetes. In two patients with INSR or PIK3R1 variants, insulin resistance was evident at diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Causative genomic variants could be identified in at least 46.2% of clinically suspected MODY patients. ABCC8-MODY with inactivating variants could represent a distinct category of MODY. Genes of insulin resistance should be included in the sequencing panel for MODY.

Association between type 2 diabetes and 5-year overall survival in early-stage pancreatic cancer: a retrospective cohort study

Background

This study examined the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 5-year overall survival (OS) in patients with pancreatic cancer (PC).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with stage I/II PC at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2012 to December 2017. All patients had pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or its subtypes. The outcome was the 5-year OS rate based on data from the patient charts. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0.

Results

A total of 238 patients were included: 72 with T2DM and 166 without T2DM. There were significant differences in blood glucose levels and OS between the two groups (all P < 0.05). The median OS was 11.4 (95% confidence interval CI [8.49-14.31]) months in the T2DM group and 16.3 (95% CI [12.44-20.16], P = 0.023) months in the non-T2DM group. After adjustment for confounders, T2DM was an independent factor affecting 5-year OS (P = 0.010). Compared with non-T2DM patients, T2DM patients had a higher risk of death (HR = 1.475, 95% CI [1.096-1.985]).

Conclusions

T2DM is associated with 5-year OS in patients with PC.

The association of fatty liver index and BARD score with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) commonly coexist. However, NAFLD's effect on mortality in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes awaits full elucidation. Therefore, we examined NAFLD-related all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationwide Asian population with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We included patients who had undergone general health checkups between 2009 and 2012 using the National Health Insurance Service database linked to death-certificate data. Hepatic steatosis was defined as a fatty liver index (FLI) ≥ 60, and advanced hepatic fibrosis was determined using the BARD score.

FINDINGS

During the follow-up period of 8.1 years, 222,242 deaths occurred, with a mortality rate of 14.3/1000 person-years. An FLI ≥ 60 was significantly associated with increased risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality including cardiovascular disease (CVD)-, cancer-, and liver disease (FLI ≥ 60: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.03 for all-cause; 1.07, 1.04-1.10 for CVD; 1.12, 1.09-1.14 for cancer; and 2.63, 2.50-2.77 for liver disease). Those with an FLI ≥ 60 and fibrosis (BARD ≥ 2) exhibited increased risks of all-cause (HR, 95% CI 1.11, 1.10-1.12), CVD- (HR, 95% CI 1.11, 1.09-1.14), cancer- (HR, 95% CI 1.17, 1.15-1.19), and liver disease-related (HR, 95% CI 2.38, 2.29-2.49) mortality.

CONCLUSION

Hepatic steatosis and advanced fibrosis were significantly associated with risks of overall and cause-specific mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our results provide evidence that determining the presence of hepatic steatosis and/or fibrosis potentially plays a role in risk stratification of mortality outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Association between smoking and glycemic control in men with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a retrospective matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal data on the association between smoking and glycemic control in men with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the extent of the association between smoking and glycemic control in this population.

METHODS

The retrospective cohort study identified 3044 eligible men with T2DM in a medical centre in Taiwan between 2002 and 2017. Smokers (n = 757) were matched 1:1 with non-smokers using propensity score-matching. All of them were followed for one year. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after enrolment. Generalised estimating equations were used to assess smoking status-by-time interaction to determine the difference in HbA1c reduction between the two cohorts. All analyses were performed in 2020.

RESULTS

The estimated maximal difference in HbA1c reduction between smokers and non-smokers was 0.33% (95% CI, 0.05-0.62%) at 3 months of follow-up. For patients with body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m², the difference in HbA1c reduction between smokers and non-smokers was much larger (0.74%, 95% CI, 0.35-1.14%) than in those with a higher BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that smoking was independently associated with unfavourable glycemic control among men with newly diagnosed T2DM, and such a detrimental association could be stronger in men with a lower BMI.

Interconnection between cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disorders: A narrative review with a focus on Japan

Insights from epidemiological, clinical and basic research are illuminating the interplay between metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney dysfunction, termed cardio-renal-metabolic (CRM) disease. Broadly defined, CRM disease involves multidirectional interactions between metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), various types of CVD and chronic kidney disease (CKD). T2D confers increased risk for heart failure, which-although well known-has only recently come into focus for treatment, and may differ by ethnicity, whereas atherosclerotic heart disease is a well-established complication of T2D. Many people with T2D also have CKD, with a higher risk in Asians than their Western counterparts. Furthermore, CVD increases the risk of CKD and vice versa, with heart failure, notably, present in approximately half of CKD patients. Molecular mechanisms involved in CRM disease include hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, hyperactivity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, production of advanced glycation end-products, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, endoplasmic reticulum stress, calcium-handling abnormalities, mitochondrial malfunction and deficient energy production, and chronic inflammation. Pathophysiological manifestations of these processes include diabetic cardiomyopathy, vascular endothelial dysfunction, cardiac and renal fibrosis, glomerular hyperfiltration, renal hypoperfusion and venous congestion, reduced exercise tolerance leading to metabolic dysfunction, and calcification of atherosclerotic plaque. Importantly, recognition of the interaction between CRM diseases would enable a more holistic approach to CRM care, rather than isolated treatment of individual conditions, which may improve patient outcomes. Finally, aspects of CRM diseases may differ between Western and East Asian countries such as Japan, a super-ageing country, with potential differences in epidemiology, complications and prognosis that represent an important avenue for future research.

Ethnicity-based differences in thrombosis in lower extremity vascular bypass: a review of current literature

INTRODUCTION

Understanding prothrombotic factors is important in vascular surgery for surgical planning, preoperative evaluation, and post-operative management. The purpose of this study was to investigate ethnicity-based differences in coagulation between East Asian and Western cohorts by comparing patency rates after infrainguinal bypass surgery.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A review of infrainguinal bypass patients was conducted for East Asian (including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) and Western (North American and European) studies between 1990 and 2015 within the Journal of Vascular Surgery. The number of patent grafts at 1-year and 5-years were calculated from reported patency rates for PTFE grafts, Dacron grafts, all prosthetic grafts, autogenous grafts, and all grafts. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test for each graft type at each time point.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

A total of 9972 grafts from 50 studies were included in our review. There were 3592 grafts from East Asian patients and 6380 grafts from Western patients. There was a statistically significant (P<0.05) difference between East Asian and Western cohorts in both 1-year and 5-year patency rates for PTFE, all prosthetic, and all grafts.

CONCLUSIONS

East Asians had significantly higher patency rates after infrainguinal bypass surgery for PTFE, all prosthetic, and all graft types compared with Westerners, showing an ethnicity-based difference in thrombosis. Further research is needed to identify the specific genetic or dietary influences causing this significant difference.

Prediction of type 2 diabetes using genome-wide polygenic risk score and metabolic profiles: A machine learning analysis of population-based 10-year prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Previous work on predicting type 2 diabetes by integrating clinical and genetic factors has mostly focused on the Western population. In this study, we use genome-wide polygenic risk score (gPRS) and serum metabolite data for type 2 diabetes risk prediction in the Asian population.

METHODS

Data of 1425 participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) Ansan-Ansung cohort were used in this study. For gPRS analysis, genotypic and clinical information from KoGES health examinee (n = 58,701) and KoGES cardiovascular disease association (n = 8105) sub-cohorts were included. Linkage disequilibrium analysis identified 239,062 genetic variants that were used to determine the gPRS, while the metabolites were selected using the Boruta algorithm. We used bootstrapped cross-validation to evaluate logistic regression and random forest (RF)-based machine learning models. Finally, associations of gPRS and selected metabolites with the values of homeostatic model assessment of beta-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were further estimated.

FINDINGS

During the follow-up period (8.3 ± 2.8 years), 331 participants (23.2%) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The areas under the curves of the RF-based models were 0.844, 0.876, and 0.883 for the model using only demographic and clinical factors, model including the gPRS, and model with both gPRS and metabolites, respectively. Incorporation of additional parameters in the latter two models improved the classification by 11.7% and 4.2% respectively. While gPRS was significantly associated with HOMA-B value, most metabolites had a significant association with HOMA-IR value.

INTERPRETATION

Incorporating both gPRS and metabolite data led to enhanced type 2 diabetes risk prediction by capturing distinct etiologies of type 2 diabetes development. An RF-based model using clinical factors, gPRS, and metabolites predicted type 2 diabetes risk more accurately than the logistic regression-based model.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MEST) (No. 2019M3E5D1A02070863 and 2022R1C1C1005458). This work was also supported by the 2020 Research Fund (1.200098.01) of UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology).

Sex-Dependent Differences in Colorectal Cancer: With a Focus on Obesity

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and has the second highest cancer-related mortality in the world. The incident rates of CRC vary country-wise; however, population studies and data from different countries show a general increase in the CRC rate in young adults, males, and females ≥65 years. CRC incidence is affected by age, sex, environmental, dietary, hormonal, and lifestyle factors. Obesity is a known disease that is spreading rapidly throughout the world. A large body of literature indicates that, among many conditions, obesity is the increasing cause of CRC. Even though obesity is one of the known factors for CRC development, limited studies are available that explain the mechanistic link between obesity, sex hormones, and CRC development. Thus, this review summarizes the literature and aims to understand sex-dependent differences in CRC, especially in the context of obesity.

Association of KCNJ11 and ABCC8 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Kinh Vietnamese population

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a genetically influenced disease, but few studies have been performed to investigate the genetic basis of T2DM in Vietnamese subjects. Thus, the potential associations of KCNJ11 and ABCC8 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with T2DM were investigated in a Kinh Vietnamese population. A cross-sectional study consisting of 404 subjects including 202 T2DM cases and 202 non-T2DM controls was designed to examine the potential associations of 4 KCNJ11 and ABCC8 SNPs (rs5219, rs2285676, rs1799859, and rs757110) with T2DM. Genotypes were identified based on restriction fragment length polymorphism and tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction. After statistically adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, rs5219 was found to be associated with an increased risk of T2DM under 2 inheritance models: codominant (OR = 2.15, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.09-4.22) and recessive (OR = 2.08, 95%CI = 1.09-3.94). On the other hand, rs2285676, rs1799859, and rs757110 were not associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Haplotype analysis elucidated a strong linkage disequilibrium between the 3 SNPs, rs5219, rs2285676, and rs757110. The haplotype rs5219(A)/rs2285676(T)/rs757110(G) was associated with an increased risk of T2DM (OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.01-1.99). The results show that rs5219 is a lead candidate SNP associated with an increased risk of developing T2DM in the Kinh Vietnamese population. Further functional characterization is needed to uncover the mechanism underlying the potential genotype-phenotype associations.

Long-term Effect of Lifestyle Interventions on the Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality of Subjects With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle interventions improve the metabolic control of individuals with hyperglycemia.

PURPOSE

We aimed to determine the effect of lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in this population.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were made through MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, and Web of Science (no date/language restriction, until 15 May 2022).

STUDY SELECTION

We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of subjects with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, comparing intensive lifestyle interventions with usual care, with a minimum of 2 years of active intervention.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data from the 11 RCTs selected were extracted in duplicate. A frequentist and arm-based meta-analysis was performed with random-effects models to estimate relative risk (RR) for mortality, and heterogeneity was assessed through I2 metrics. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to confirm the findings.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Lifestyle interventions were not superior to usual care in reducing cardiovascular (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.79-1.23) or all-cause (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.85-1.03) mortality. Subgroup, sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses showed no influence of type of intervention, mean follow-up, age, glycemic status, geographical location, risk of bias, or weight change. All of these results were confirmed with the GLMM. Most studies had a low risk of bias according to the RoB 2.0 tool and the certainty of evidence was moderate for both outcomes.

LIMITATIONS

Most studies had a low risk of bias according to the RoB 2.0 tool, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach resulted in moderate certainty of evidence for both outcomes. Differences in lifestyle programs and in usual care between the studies should be considered in the interpretation of our results.

CONCLUSIONS

Intensive lifestyle interventions implemented so far did not show superiority to usual care in reducing cardiovascular or all-cause mortality for subjects with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2022: Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents

Since the 2018 ISPAD guidelines on this topic, follow-up of large cohorts from around the globe have continued informing the current incidence and prevalence of co-morbidities and complications in young adults with youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D). This chapter focuses on the risk factors, diagnosis and presentation of youth-onset T2D, the initial and subsequent management of youth-onset T2D, and management of co-morbidities and complications. We include key updates from the observational phase of the multi-center Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) clinical trial, the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) study and new data from the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) study, a head-to-head comparison of youth onset vs adult-onset T2D. We also include an expanded section on risk factors associated with T2D, algorithms and tables for treatment, management, and assessment of co-morbidities and complications, and sections on recently approved pharmacologic therapies for the treatment of youth-onset T2D, social determinants of health, and settings of care given COVID-19 pandemic.

Plasma metabolomic signatures of obesity and risk of type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

The mechanisms linking obesity to type 2 diabetes (T2D) are not fully understood. This study aimed to identify obesity-related metabolomic signatures (MESs) and evaluated their relationships with incident T2D.

METHODS

In a nested case-control study of 2076 Chinese adults, 140 plasma metabolites were measured at baseline, linear regression was applied with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify MESs for BMI and waist circumference (WC), and conditional logistic regression was applied to examine their associations with T2D risk.

RESULTS

A total of 32 metabolites associated with BMI or WC were identified and validated, among which 14 showed positive associations and 3 showed inverse associations with T2D; 8 and 18 metabolites were selected to build MESs for BMI and WC, respectively. Both MESs showed strong linear associations with T2D: odds ratio (95% CI) comparing extreme quartiles was 4.26 (2.00-9.06) for BMI MES and 9.60 (4.22-21.88) for WC MES (both p-trend < 0.001). The MES-T2D associations were particularly evident among individuals with normal WC: odds ratio (95% CI) reached 6.41 (4.11-9.98) for BMI MES and 10.38 (6.36-16.94) for WC MES. Adding MESs to traditional risk factors and plasma glucose improved C statistics from 0.79 to 0.83 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple obesity-related metabolites and MESs strongly associated with T2D in Chinese adults were identified.

Safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in Asian type 2 diabetes populations

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus continues to increase in many Asian countries, with possible contributing factors, such as younger-onset disease, diabetes development at lower body mass index, higher visceral fat accumulation and poorer β-cell function, among Asian populations. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have been shown to confer favorable effects in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, such as improved glycemic control, weight and blood pressure reduction, and importantly, cardiorenal benefits. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are generally well-tolerated, and have a well-defined safety profile based on evidence from numerous clinical trials and post-marketing pharmacovigilance reporting. To our knowledge, this review is the first to provide a comprehensive coverage of the adverse events of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, as well as their management and counseling aspects for Asian type 2 diabetes mellitus populations.

Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide in Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes in the SUSTAIN 1, 2, 5 and 9 trials: Post-hoc analysis

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

The etiology and treatment of type 2 diabetes might differ between specific populations. This post-hoc exploratory analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide vs comparators in Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes in comparison with the total population from four phase III studies in the Trial to Evaluate Cardiovascular and Other Long-term Outcomes with Semaglutide in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN) program.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This analysis was carried out with data from the SUSTAIN 1, 2, 5 and 9 trials. Post-hoc analyses were carried out to assess outcomes in all participants and in Japanese participants in each study. The primary end-point was the change from baseline to end of study in glycated hemoglobin (%). The confirmatory secondary end-point was change from baseline to end of study in bodyweight (kg).

RESULTS

Change from baseline to end of study in glycated hemoglobin with once-weekly semaglutide ranged from -1.32 to -1.85% points in the overall populations, and -1.69 to -2.49% points in Japanese participants. With once-weekly semaglutide, relative bodyweight was reduced from baseline to end of study by 4.0-7.3% in the overall populations, and 2.7-10.4% in Japanese participants. In the Japanese subpopulation, no new safety concerns were identified with once-weekly semaglutide, and there were no adverse events leading to death or severe hypoglycemic episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

In this post-hoc analysis, participants with type 2 diabetes initiating once-weekly semaglutide experienced improvements in glycated hemoglobin and bodyweight in both the overall and Japanese population, and no new safety concerns were identified among Japanese participants, supporting the efficacy of once-weekly semaglutide in this population.

Insulin secretion and action with increasing age - A comparison between Middle Eastern immigrants and native Swedes

Aims

Little is known how insulin secretion and action change over time in populations of different ethnicities. We studied changes in insulin secretion and action with increasing age in Iraqi-born immigrants and native Swedes, and investigated if the changes were modified by region of origin.

Methods

Residents of Malmö, 30–75 years of age born in Iraq or Sweden, were invited to participate in this population-based, cross-sectional study. Health examination, medical history, lifestyle, sociodemographic data, and fasting blood samples were assessed. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed and insulin secretion (disposition index, DIo) and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) calculated using the Matsuda indices.

Results

In total 1881 people participated; 1193 Iraqi- and 688 Swedish born. DIo decreased with increasing age in the total study population (β for the effect of age on ln DIo: ^-0.018, 95% CI ^-0.023 to ^-0.013, P < 0.001), adjusted for origin, lifestyle and anthropometric measures. DIo was generally lower in Iraqis vs. Swedes (median: 12,712.9 vs. 14,659.2, P = 0.004), but the difference disappeared when adjusted for BMI.

Further, ISI declined with increasing age in both Iraqis and Swedes. ISI was generally lower among Iraqis compared to Swedes, (median: 76.9 vs. 102.3, p < .001). The difference could not be fully explained by age, sex, lifestyle, and anthropometric measures. No significant interactions were observed.

Conclusions

The levels of DIo and ISI were lower among Iraqis compared to Swedes and declined with increasing age, irrespective of origin.

Efficacy and safety of a basal insulin + 2-3 oral antihyperglycaemic drugs regimen versus a twice-daily premixed insulin + metformin regimen after short-term intensive insulin therapy in individuals with type 2 diabetes: The multicentre, open-label, randomized controlled BEYOND-V trial

AIM

To compare the efficacy and safety of basal insulin glargine 100 units/ml (Gla) + 2-3 oral antihyperglycaemic drugs (OADs) with twice-daily premixed insulin aspart 70/30 (Asp30) + metformin (MET) after short-term intensive insulin therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes in China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This open-label trial enrolled insulin-naïve adults with type 2 diabetes and an HbA1c of 7.5%-11.0% (58-97 mmol/mol) despite treatment with 2-3 OADs. All participants stopped previous OADs except MET, then received short-term intensive insulin therapy during the run-in period, when those with a fasting plasma glucose of less than 7.0 mmol/L and 2-hour postprandial glucose of less than 10.0 mmol/L were randomized to Gla + MET + a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor or twice-daily Asp30 + MET. If HbA1c was more than 7.0% (>53 mmol/mol) at week 12, participants in the Gla group were added repaglinide or acarbose, at the physician's discretion, and participants in the Asp30 group continued to titrate insulin dose. The change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24 was assessed in the per protocol (PP) population (primary endpoint).

RESULTS

There were 384 enrollees (192 each to Gla and Asp30); 367 were included in the PP analysis. The threshold for non-inferiority of Gla + OADs versus Asp30 + MET was met, with a least squares mean change from baseline in HbA1c of -1.72% and -1.70% (-42.2 and -42.1 mmol/mol), respectively (estimated difference -0.01%; 95% CI -0.20%, 0.17% [-0.1 mmol/mol; 95% CI -2.2, 1.9]). Achievement of HbA1c less than 7.0% (<53 mmol/mol) was comparable between the groups (60% vs. 57%). The proportion of participants with any (24% vs. 38%; P = .003), symptomatic (19% vs. 31%; P = .007) or confirmed hypoglycaemia (18% vs. 33%; P < .001) was lower in the Gla + OADs group.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with Asp30 + MET, Gla + 2-3 OADs showed similar efficacy but a lower hypoglycaemia risk in Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes who had undergone short-term intensive insulin therapy.

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer in Patients with New-Onset Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Patients with new-onset diabetes (NOD) are at risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but the most relevant additional risk factors and clinical characteristics are not well established. (2) Objectives: To compare the risk for PDAC in NOD patients to persons without diabetes. Identify risk factors of PDAC among NOD patients. (3) Methods: Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar were last searched in June 2022 for observational studies on NOD patients and assessing risk factors for developing PDAC. Data were extracted, and Meta-Analysis was performed. Pooled effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with DerSimonian & Laird random effects models. (4) Findings: Twenty-two studies were included, and 576,210 patients with NOD contributed to the analysis, of which 3560 had PDAC. PDAC cases were older than controls by 6.14 years (CI 3.64–8.65, 11 studies). The highest risk of PDAC involved a family history of PDAC (3.78, CI 2.03–7.05, 4 studies), pancreatitis (5.66, CI 2.75–11.66, 9 studies), cholecystitis (2.5, CI 1.4–4.45, 4 studies), weight loss (2.49, CI 1.47–4.22, 4 studies), and high/rapidly increasing glycemia (2.33, CI 1.85–2.95, 4 studies) leading to more insulin use (4.91, CI 1.62–14.86, 5 studies). Smoking (ES 1.20, CI 1.03–1.41, 9 studies) and alcohol (ES 1.23, CI 1.09–1.38, 9 studies) have a smaller effect. (5) Conclusion: Important risk factors for PDAC among NOD patients are age, family history, and gallstones/pancreatitis. Symptoms are weight loss and rapid increase in glycemia. The identified risk factors could be used to develop a diagnostic model to screen NOD patients.

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer in Patients with New-Onset Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Patients with new-onset diabetes (NOD) are at risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but the most relevant additional risk factors and clinical characteristics are not well established. (2) Objectives: To compare the risk for PDAC in NOD patients to persons without diabetes. Identify risk factors of PDAC among NOD patients. (3) Methods: Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar were last searched in June 2022 for observational studies on NOD patients and assessing risk factors for developing PDAC. Data were extracted, and Meta-Analysis was performed. Pooled effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with DerSimonian & Laird random effects models. (4) Findings: Twenty-two studies were included, and 576,210 patients with NOD contributed to the analysis, of which 3560 had PDAC. PDAC cases were older than controls by 6.14 years (CI 3.64–8.65, 11 studies). The highest risk of PDAC involved a family history of PDAC (3.78, CI 2.03–7.05, 4 studies), pancreatitis (5.66, CI 2.75–11.66, 9 studies), cholecystitis (2.5, CI 1.4–4.45, 4 studies), weight loss (2.49, CI 1.47–4.22, 4 studies), and high/rapidly increasing glycemia (2.33, CI 1.85–2.95, 4 studies) leading to more insulin use (4.91, CI 1.62–14.86, 5 studies). Smoking (ES 1.20, CI 1.03–1.41, 9 studies) and alcohol (ES 1.23, CI 1.09–1.38, 9 studies) have a smaller effect. (5) Conclusion: Important risk factors for PDAC among NOD patients are age, family history, and gallstones/pancreatitis. Symptoms are weight loss and rapid increase in glycemia. The identified risk factors could be used to develop a diagnostic model to screen NOD patients.

Ultra rapid lispro improves postprandial glucose control versus lispro in combination with insulin glargine/degludec in adults with type 2 diabetes: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial

Ultra rapid lispro (URLi) is a novel formulation of insulin lispro designed to more closely match the physiological insulin response to a meal, with the aim of improving postprandial glucose (PPG) control. We conducted a multinational, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, treat-to-target, 26-week, phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of URLi in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). After an 8-week lead-in period during which basal insulin glargine or degludec was optimized, adults with T2D were randomized (2:1) to prandial URLi (n = 395) or lispro (n = 200). The primary endpoint was non-inferiority of URLi versus lispro in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA_1c) change from baseline to week 26. Multiplicity-adjusted analyses were performed to assess the superiority of URLi in 1- and 2-h PPG excursions during a mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) and HbA_1c change at week 26. URLi showed non-inferiority for HbA_1c change at week 26 versus lispro (least-squares mean [LSM] difference, 0.07%; 95% confidence interval: -0.07, 0.21). HbA_1c was reduced by 0.56% and 0.63% with URLi and lispro, respectively, with no significant treatment difference (P = 0.321). URLi provided superior PPG excursion control versus lispro at 1 h (LSM difference: -14.6 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and 2 h (LSM difference: -21.8 mg/dL, P < 0.001) as well as other time points (30-240 min) during the MMTT. Incremental area under the glucose curve during the MMTT was also significantly lower with URLi versus lispro. The safety profiles were generally similar between treatment groups. In conclusion, URLi was superior to lispro for PPG control, with non-inferiority in HbA_1c improvement, in adults with T2D.

Safety and efficacy of tirzepatide as an add-on to single oral antihyperglycaemic medication in patients with type 2 diabetes in Japan (SURPASS J-combo): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Due to potential ethnic differences in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, new therapeutics need to be evaluated in Japanese patients. We aimed to assess the safety and glycaemic efficacy of tirzepatide as an add-on treatment in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who had inadequate glycaemic control with stable doses of various oral antihyperglycaemic monotherapies.

METHODS

This multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, phase 3 trial was conducted at 34 medical research centres and hospitals in Japan. Eligible participants were aged 20 years or older with inadequately controlled (HbA_1c ≥7·0% to <11·0%) type 2 diabetes and were receiving oral antihyperglycaemic monotherapy (sulfonylureas, biguanides, α-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinedione, glinides, or SGLT2 inhibitors) for at least 3 months (stable dose for ≥8 weeks before screening), had a BMI of 23 kg/m² or higher, and stable bodyweight (±5%) for at least 3 months before screening. After a 2-week screening and 2-week lead-in period, all participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 5, 10, or 15 mg of tirzepatide, administered once per week subcutaneously for 52 weeks followed by a 4 week safety follow-up period, using a computer-generated random sequence and interactive web response system, stratified by oral antihyperglycaemic medication group. All participants started receiving 2·5 mg tirzepatide and doses were escalated by 2·5 mg every 4 weeks until the assigned dose was reached. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability during 52 weeks of treatment, assessed as incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03861039.

FINDINGS

Between March 30, 2019, and Feb 16, 2021, with recruitment and enrolment continuing until Feb 4, 2020, 484 participants were assessed for eligibility and 443 were randomly assigned to receive at least one dose of tirzepatide (148 [33%] in the 5 mg group, 147 [33%] in the 10 mg group, and 148 [33%] in the 15 mg group). 398 (90%) participants completed the study and treatment. Most participants (343 [77%] of 443) had at least one treatment-emergent adverse event. Treatment-emergent adverse events were more frequent in the tirzepatide 15 mg group (125 [84%] of 148) than the 5 mg (109 [74%] of 148) and 10 mg groups (109 [74%] of 147). The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events with tirzepatide were mild or moderate nasopharyngitis (75 [17%]), nausea (74 [17%]), constipation (54 [12%]), diarrhoea (51 [12%]), and decreased appetite (44 [10%]). At week 52, mean changes from baseline in bodyweight were -3·8 kg (SE 0·5; -5·1% reduction) in the 5 mg group, -7·5 kg (0·5; -10·1% reduction) in the 10 mg group, and -10·2 kg (0·5; -13·2% reduction) in the 15 mg group. Least squares mean HbA_1c at baseline reduced from 8·5% (SE 0·1) to 6·0% (0·1) in the 5 mg tirzepatide group, from 8·6% (0·1) to 5·6% (0·1) in the 10 mg group, and from 8·6% (0·1) to 5·6% (0·1) in the 15 mg group at week 52. No adjudication-confirmed deaths were reported.

INTERPRETATION

Tirzepatide was well tolerated as an add-on to oral antihyperglycaemic monotherapy in Japanese participants with type 2 diabetes and showed improvement in glycaemic control and bodyweight, irrespective of background oral antihyperglycaemic medication. Tirzepatide is a potential new treatment option for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes that is inadequately controlled with single oral antihyperglycaemic medication.

FUNDING

Eli Lilly and Company.

TRANSLATION

For the Japanese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Bibliometric Analysis of the Utilisation of FINDRISC in Patients with Diabetes: 2005-2021

Research on risk factors for diabetes (DM) is growing. Identification of these risk factors aims to prevent DM as early as possible. This study intends to identify the utilization of the Finnish diabetes risk score (FINDRISC) and its development using bibliometric analysis. The keywords “FINDRISC AND Diabetes” were used to search for articles published in 2005-2021 in PubMed. A total of 249 articles were analyzed based on the number of publications per year, journals that publish the papers, number of publications by author and year of publication, number of publications by affiliation and year of publication, number of publications by country of origin of authors and year of publication, number of keywords, number of citations, types of articles, specific topics, and theme mapping. The data visualization was obtained from the Scopus database and the VOSviewer and Biblioshiny applications. Despite the increase in publications, the number of publications on FINDRISC in DM patients is still very few per year, with 92.8% being the primary study. Based on clusters of the country of origin, publications are still dominated by researchers from countries in the European region, and the researchers intensely relate to each other through citations. Research themes related to FINDRISC are not limited to DM risk factors. This study is the first study of a bibliometric analysis of the utilization of FINRISC in DM patients. The analysis results can be used to evaluate existing research gaps and identify future research opportunities.

Genetic evidence for a causal relationship between type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease in both Europeans and East Asians

BACKGROUND

Observational studies have revealed that type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, whether the two diseases share a genetic basis and whether the relationship is causal remain unclear. It is also unclear as to whether these relationships differ between ethnic groups.

METHODS

By leveraging large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of T2D (European-based: N_case = 21,926, N_control = 342,747; East Asian-based: N_case = 36,614, N_control = 155,150) and PAD (European-based: N_case = 5673, N_control = 359,551; East Asian-based: N_case = 3593, N_control = 208,860), we explored the genetic correlation and putative causal relationship between T2D and PAD in both Europeans and East Asians using linkage disequilibrium score regression and seven Mendelian randomization (MR) models. We also performed multi-trait analysis of GWAS and two gene-based analyses to reveal candidate variants and risk genes involved in the shared genetic basis between T2D and PAD.

RESULTS

We observed a strong genetic correlation (r_g) between T2D and PAD in both Europeans (r_g = 0.51; p-value = 9.34 × 10^-15) and East Asians (r_g = 0.46; p-value = 1.67 × 10^-12). The MR analyses provided consistent evidence for a causal effect of T2D on PAD in both ethnicities (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05 to 1.28 for Europeans and 1.15 to 1.27 for East Asians) but not PAD on T2D. This putative causal effect was not influenced by total cholesterol, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, or smoking initiation according to multivariable MR analysis, and the genetic overlap between T2D and PAD was further explored employing an independent European sample through polygenic risk score regression. Multi-trait analysis of GWAS revealed two novel European-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs927742 and rs1734409) associated with the shared genetic basis of T2D and PAD. Gene-based analyses consistently identified one gene ANKFY1 and gene-gene interactions (e.g., STARD10 [European-specific] to AP3S2 [East Asian-specific]; KCNJ11 [European-specific] to KCNQ1 [East Asian-specific]) associated with the trans-ethnic genetic overlap between T2D and PAD, reflecting a common genetic basis for the co-occurrence of T2D and PAD in both Europeans and East Asians.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides the first evidence for a genetically causal effect of T2D on PAD in both Europeans and East Asians. Several candidate variants and risk genes were identified as being associated with this genetic overlap. Our findings emphasize the importance of monitoring PAD status in T2D patients and suggest new genetic biomarkers for screening PAD risk among patients with T2D.

Effect of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors vs. Metformin on Major Cardiovascular Events Using Spontaneous Reporting System and Real-World Database Study

Background: Metformin had been recommended as the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes since 2006 because of its low cost, high efficacy, and potential to reduce cardiovascular events, and thus death. However, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are the most commonly prescribed first-line agents for patients with type 2 diabetes in Japan. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the effect of DPP-4 inhibitors on preventing cardiovascular events, taking into consideration the actual prescription of antidiabetic drugs in Japan. Methods: This study examined the effect of DPP-4 inhibitors on preventing cardiovascular events. The Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database, a spontaneous reporting system in Japan, and the Japanese Medical Data Center (JMDC) Claims Database, a Japanese health insurance claims and medical checkup database, were used for the analysis. Metformin was used as the DPP-4 inhibitor comparator. Major cardiovascular events were set as the primary endpoint. Results: In the analysis using the JADER database, a signal of major cardiovascular events was detected with DPP-4 inhibitors (IC: 0.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.03–0.40) but not with metformin. In the analysis using the JMDC Claims Database, the hazard ratio of major cardiovascular events for DPP-4 inhibitors versus metformin was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.84–1.20). Conclusions: A comprehensive analysis using two different databases in Japan, the JADER and the JMDC Claims Database, showed that DPP-4 inhibitors, which are widely used in Japan, have a non-inferior risk of cardiovascular events compared to metformin, which is used as the first-line drug in the United States and Europe.

Gray and white matter abnormality in patients with T2DM-related cognitive dysfunction: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Aims/hypothesis

Brain structure abnormality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related cognitive dysfunction (T2DM-CD) has been reported for decades in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. However, the reliable results were still unclear. This study aimed to make a systemic review and meta-analysis to find the significant and consistent gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) alterations in patients with T2DM-CD by comparing with the healthy controls (HCs).

Methods

Published studies were systemically searched from PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases updated to November 14, 2021. Studies reporting abnormal GM or WM between patients with T2DM-CD and HCs were selected, and their significant peak coordinates (x, y, z) and effect sizes (z-score or t-value) were extracted to perform a voxel-based meta-analysis by anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) 5.15 software.

Results

Total 15 studies and 16 datasets (1550 participants) from 7531 results were involved in this study. Compared to HCs, patients with T2DM-CD showed significant and consistent decreased GM in right superior frontal gyrus, medial orbital (PFCventmed. R, BA 11), left superior temporal gyrus (STG. L, BA 48), and right calcarine fissure / surrounding cortex (CAL. R, BA 17), as well as decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in right inferior network, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF. R), right inferior network, longitudinal fasciculus (ILF. R), and undefined area (32, −60, −42) of cerebellum. Meta-regression showed the positive relationship between decreased GM in PFCventmed.R and MoCA score, the positive relationship between decreased GM in STG.L and BMI, as well as the positive relationship between the decreased FA in IFOF.R and age or BMI.

Conclusions/interpretation

T2DM impairs the cognitive function by affecting the specific brain structures. GM atrophy in PFCventmed. R (BA 11), STG. L (BA 48), and CAL. R (BA 17), as well as WM injury in IFOF. R, ILF. R, and undefined area (32, −60, −42) of cerebellum. And those brain regions may be valuable targets for future researches. Age, BMI, and MoCA score have a potential influence on the altered GM or WM in T2DM-CD.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Relation to T2DM from Endocrinology, Neurophysiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry Perspectives

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a severe disease caused by metabolic disorders, particularly carbohydrate metabolism disorders. The disease is a fatal global trouble characterised by high prevalence rates, causing death, blindness, kidney failure, myocardial infarction, amputation of lower limps, and stroke. Biochemical metabolic pathways like glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenesis, and glycogenolysis are critical pathways that regulate blood glucose levels with the glucokinase (GK) enzyme playing a central role in glucose homeostasis. Any factor that perturbs the aforementioned biochemical pathways is detrimental. Endocrinological, neurophysiological, and molecular biological pathways that are linked to carbohydrate metabolism should be studied, grasped, and manipulated in order to alleviate T2DM global chaos. The challenge, howbeit, is that, since the body is an integration of systems that complement one another, studying one “isolated” system is not very useful. This paper serves to discuss endocrinology, neurophysiology, and molecular biology pathways that are involved in carbohydrate metabolism in relation to T2DM.

Associations of serum amino acids with insulin resistance among people with and without overweight or obesity: A prospective study in Japan

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Limited evidence exists regarding the prospective associations between amino acids and insulin resistance. In addition, amino acids have been suggested to promote insulin resistance with the requirement of obesity in animal studies, but the interaction between amino acids and obesity on the development of insulin resistance has not been examined in epidemiological studies. We aimed to investigate the differences in the prospective associations of serum amino acids with insulin resistance among adults with and without overweight or obesity.

METHODS

Fasting serum concentrations of 25 amino acids were quantified in 1131 non-diabetic Japanese workers aged 22-71 years at baseline. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was estimated at baseline and the 3-year follow-up. Generalized linear models were used to assess the associations between amino acids at baseline and HOMA-IR at follow-up with adjustment for potential confounding factors. A Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p = 0.001 was considered significant for multiple tests.

RESULTS

The associations for the following amino acids with HOMA-IR at the 3-year follow-up significantly varied by obesity status: isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, alanine, and methionine (all p for interaction <0.05). Higher concentrations of serum isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, and alanine (per 1SD) were significantly associated with higher HOMA-IR levels in overweight/obese participants (multivariable-adjusted β coefficients ranging from 0.09 to 0.12; all p < 0.001), but no association was observed in the underweight/normal-weight participants. The associations for serum methionine were direct among overweight/obese participants, but inverse among underweight/normal-weight participants (all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the prospective associations of different individual serum amino acids with insulin resistance, with most pronounced associations being for overweight/obese adults. Our findings support the possibility of heterogeneous effects of individual amino acids, as well as their interplay with obesity in the progression of insulin resistance.

Translation and performance of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score for detecting undiagnosed diabetes and dysglycaemia in the Indonesian population

A diabetes risk score cannot directly be translated and applied in different populations, and its performance should be evaluated in the target population. This study aimed to translate the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) instrument and compare its performance with the modified version for detecting undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and dysglycaemia among the Indonesian adult population. Forward and backward translations were performed and followed by cultural adaptation. In total, 1,403 participants were recruited. The FINDRISC-Bahasa Indonesia (FINDRISC-BI) was scored according to the original FINDRISC instrument, while a Modified FINDRISC-BI was analyzed using a specific body mass index and waist circumference classification for Indonesians. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, and the optimal cut-offs of both instruments were estimated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting undiagnosed T2DM was 0.73 (0.67–0.78) for the FINDRISC-BI with an optimal cut-off score of ≥9 (sensitivity = 63.0%; specificity = 67.3%) and 0.72 (0.67–0.78) for the Modified FINDRISC-BI with an optimal cut-off score of ≥11 (sensitivity = 59.8%; specificity = 74.9%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting dysglycaemia was 0.72 (0.69–0.75) for the FINDRISC-BI instrument with an optimal cut-off score of ≥8 (sensitivity = 66.4%; specificity = 67.0%), and 0.72 (0.69–0.75) for the Modified FINDRISC-BI instrument with an optimal cut-off score ≥9 (sensitivity = 63.8%; specificity = 67.6%). The Indonesian version of the FINDRISC instrument has acceptable diagnostic accuracy for screening people with undiagnosed T2DM or dysglycaemia in Indonesia. Modifying the body mass index and waist circumference classifications in the Modified FINDRISC-BI results in a similar diagnostic accuracy; however, the Modified FINDRISC-BI has a higher optimal cut-off point than the FINDRISC-BI. People with an above optimal cut-off score are suggested to take a further blood glucose test.