Glucose Tolerance after Pancreatectomy: A Prospective Observational Follow-Up Study of Pancreaticoduodenectomy and Distal Pancreatectomy

Glucose Regulation after Partial Pancreatectomy: A Comparison of Pancreaticoduodenectomy and Distal Pancreatectomy in the Short and Long Term

BACKGRUOUND

Long term quality of life is becoming increasingly crucial as survival following partial pancreatectomy rises. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in glucose dysregulation after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP).

METHODS

In this prospective observational study from 2015 to 2018, 224 patients who underwent partial pancreatectomy were selected: 152 (67.9%) received PD and 72 (32.1%) received DP. Comprehensive assessment for glucose regulation, including a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was conducted preoperatively, and 1, 12, and 52 weeks after surgery. Patients were further monitored up to 3 years to investigate development of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) in patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) at baseline or worsening of glucose regulation (≥1% increase in glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) in those with preexisting DM.

RESULTS

The disposition index, an integrated measure of β-cell function, decreased 1 week after surgery in both groups, but it increased more than baseline level in the PD group while its decreased level was maintained in the DP group, resulting in a between-group difference at the 1-year examination (P<0.001). During follow-up, the DP group showed higher incidence of NODM and worsening of glucose regulation than the PD group with hazard ratio (HR) 4.29 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 12.3) and HR 2.15 (95% CI, 1.09 to 4.24), respectively, in the multivariate analysis including dynamic glycemic excursion profile. In the DP procedure, distal DP and spleen preservation were associated with better glucose regulation. DP had a stronger association with glucose dysregulation than PD.

CONCLUSION

Proactive surveillance of glucose dysregulation is advised, particularly for patients who receive DP.

Elevated Bile Acid Is Associated with Worsened Impaired Glucose Homeostasis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients with Extrahepatic Cholestasis through Increased Hepatic Insulin Clearance

Background: Patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) showed improved glucose tolerance. Evidence for the effect of extrahepatic cholestasis on impaired glucose homeostasis secondary to ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head is limited. Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 50 patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head were included to assess the effect of extrahepatic cholestasis on glucose tolerance status based on the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before pancreatic surgery. Results: Patients with extrahepatic cholestasis more frequently suffered from worsened impaired glucose homeostasis (prediabetes and new-onset diabetes, 95.2% vs. 58.6%, p = 0.004). Elevated bile acid level was recognized as an independent risk factor for impaired glucose homeostasis (p = 0.024, OR = 6.85). Hepatic insulin clearance (HIC) was significantly higher in patients with elevated bile acid levels (p = 0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between bile acid levels and HIC (r = 0.45, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study suggested a connection between elevated bile acid levels and worsened impaired glucose homeostasis through increased insulin clearance function in ductal adenocarcinoma of pancreatic head patients.

Fully Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery in Patients Undergoing Pancreatic Surgery

The central role of pancreas in glucose regulation imposes high demands on perioperative glucose management in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery. In a post hoc subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the perioperative use of subcutaneous (SC) fully closed-loop (FCL; CamAPS HX) versus usual care (UC) insulin therapy in patients undergoing partial or total pancreatic resection. Glucose control was compared using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics (% time with CGM values between 5.6 and 10.0 mmol/L and more). Over the time of hospitalization, FCL resulted in better glucose control than UC with more time spent in the target range 5.6-10.0 mmol/L (mean [standard deviation] % time in target 77.7% ± 4.6% and 41.1% ± 19.5% in FCL vs. UC subjects, respectively; mean difference 36.6% [95% confidence interval 18.5-54.8]), without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Findings suggest that an adaptive SC FCL approach effectively accommodated the highly variable insulin needs in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery. Clinical trials registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04361799.

Time-in-range: a promising glycemic control metric for bariatric surgery

As a complication of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic disease that is difficult to manage. However, bariatric surgery makes it possible to alleviate T2D. While the existing generic index glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a powerful tool for examining overall blood glucose levels, it still has some limitations as a daily measure of blood glucose levels and as a judge of the effectiveness of bariatric surgery. Using the time-in-range (TIR) measurement and its derivatives is a better way to evaluate short-term blood glucose fluctuations and can be used as a supplement to HbA1c. In this article, we discuss the utility and limitations of HbA1c and other indicators used during surgery. In addition, we mentioned TIR as a novel metric that can act as an accurate predictor of the risk of T2D complications and an index of preoperative risk assessment in bariatric surgery. In contrast to previous indicators, TIR has the advantage that it cannot be affected by caloric restriction to better reflect the patient's glucose level and the level of pancreatic islet function. On this basis, TIR is a promising indicator for both the diagnosis of diabetes and the preoperative and postoperative prediction and evaluation.

Three-Year Observation of Glucose Metabolism After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Single-Center Prospective Study in Japan

CONTEXT

The glucose tolerance of patients changes considerably from before to after pancreaticoduodenectomy wherein approximately half of the pancreas is resected.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for diabetes after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

METHODS

This study is a part of an ongoing prospective study, the Kindai Prospective Study on Metabolism and Endocrinology after Pancreatectomy (KIP-MEP) study. Of the 457 patients enrolled to date, 96 patients without diabetes who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were investigated in this study. Preoperatively, 1 month post-pancreaticoduodenectomy, and every 6 months thereafter, the glucose metabolism and endocrine function were evaluated using the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Various other metabolic, endocrine, and exocrine indices were also examined over a period of up to 36 months.

RESULTS

Of the 96 patients analyzed in this study, 33 were newly diagnosed with diabetes. The cumulative diabetes incidence at 36 months following pancreaticoduodenectomy was 53.8%. The preoperative insulinogenic index and ΔC-peptide in the glucagon stimulation test were significantly lower in the progressors to diabetes than in the nonprogressors. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the insulinogenic index was the only significant risk factor for new-onset diabetes.

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients developed new-onset diabetes after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and a low value of the insulinogenic index was suggested to be a risk factor for diabetes. Preoperative assessment for the prediction of the onset of diabetes serves as useful information for patients and is important for postoperative glycemic control and diabetes management in patients who require pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The Impact of Pancreatic Exocrine Diseases on the β-Cell and Glucose Metabolism-A Review with Currently Available Evidence

Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine dysfunctions often come together in the course of pancreatic diseases as interdependent manifestations of the same organ. However, the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional connection of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas are not fully understood. In this review, we aimed to synthetize the current knowledge regarding the effects of several exocrine pancreatic pathologies on the homeostasis of β-cells, with a special interest in the predisposition toward diabetes mellitus (DM). We focused on the following pancreatic exocrine diseases: chronic pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, pancreatic resections, and autoimmune pancreatitis. We discuss the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind the impact on β-cell function and evolution into DM, as well as the associated risk factors in progression to DM, and we describe the most relevant and statistically significant findings in the literature. An early and correct diagnosis of DM in the setting of pancreatic exocrine disorders is of paramount importance for anticipating the disease's course and its therapeutical needs.