Glucose-lowering with exogenous insulin monotherapy in type 2 diabetes: dose association with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events and cancer

Age- and gender-adjusted estimated glomerular filtration rate definition reveals hyperfiltration as a risk factor for renal function deterioration in type 2 diabetes

AIM

To assess the role of hyperfiltration for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective observational cohort study enrolled type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with an initial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60 mL/min/1.73m2 or higher. Patients were categorized into two groups: hyperfiltration (eGFR exceeding the age- and gender-specific 95th percentile values from a prior national cohort study) and normofiltration. Rapid DKD progression was defined as an eGFR decline of more than 5 mL/min/1.73m2/year. We used a linear mixed effect model and Cox regression with time-varying covariate model to compare eGFR changes and identify factors associated with rapid DKD progression.

RESULTS

Of the enrolled 7563 T2D patients, 7.2% had hyperfiltration. The hyperfiltration group exhibited a higher rate of eGFR decline compared with the normofiltration group (-2.0 ± 0.9 vs. -1.1 ± 0.9 mL/min/1.73m2/year; P < .001). During an average follow-up period of 4.65 ± 3.86 years, 24.7% of patients with hyperfiltration experienced rapid DKD progression, compared with 15.7% of patients with normofiltration (P < .001). Cox regression analyses identified that initial hyperfiltration was a significant determinant of rapid DKD progression, with a hazard ratio of 1.66 (95% confidence interval: 1.41-1.95; P < .001). When combined with albuminuria, the risk of progression was further compounded (hazard ratio 1.76-3.11, all P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to using the current Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes CGA classification system, considering glomerular hyperfiltration status can improve the accuracy of predicting DKD progression.

Influence of Race/Ethnicity and Sex on Coronary Stent Outcomes in Diabetic Patients

Background

How diabetes mellitus (DM), race/ethnicity, and sex impact ischemic events following coronary artery stent procedures is unknown.

Methods

Using the PLATINUM Diversity and PROMUS Element Plus Post-Approval Pooled Study (N = 4184), we examined the impact of race/ethnicity, sex, and DM on coronary stent outcomes. Primary outcome was 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (MACE composite: death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target vessel revascularization).

Results

The study sample included 1437 diabetic patients (501 White men, 470 White women, 246 minority men, 220 minority women) and 2641 patients without medically treated DM (561 minority, 1090 women). Mean age (years) ranged from 61 in minority men to 65 in White women. Diabetic patients had a higher prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors and comorbidities. Diabetic minority women (DMW; 70% Black, 27% Hispanic) had similar atherosclerotic risk factors to other diabetics, but experienced higher 1-year MACE (14.4% vs 7.5%, P <.01) and MI (4.3% vs 1.6%, P <.01) rates compared with patients without medically treated DM. No other diabetic cohort (White men, White women, minority men) showed an increased risk of MACE vs patients without medically treated DM. The incremental risk of MACE in DMW was associated with insulin use and persisted after risk adjustment (adjusted odds ratio 1.6 vs patients without medically treated DM; 95% CI, 1.0-2.5). Independent predictors of 1-year MACE included insulin use, hyperlipidemia, renal disease, and prior MI.

Conclusions

DMW face the highest risk of ischemic events following coronary stenting, driven, in part, by insulin use. Aggressive secondary prevention and strict glycemic control are imperative in this cohort, and further research is warranted to elucidate the biologic mechanisms underpinning these observations.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT02240810 (http://clinicaltrials.gov/).

mTORC1 syndrome (TorS): unified paradigm for diabetes/metabolic syndrome

'Glucolipotoxicity' and 'insulin resistance' are claimed to drive type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the non-glycemic diseases of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) (obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension). In line with that, glycemic and/or insulin control are considered to be primary goal in treating T2D/MetS. However, recent standard-of-care (SOC) treatments of T2D, initially designed to control T2D hyperglycemia, appear now to alleviate the cardio-renal and non-glycemic diseases of T2D/MetS independently of glucose lowering and insulin resistance, and in non-T2D patients altogether, calling for an alternative unifying pathophysiology/treatment paradigm for T2D/MetS. This opinion article proposes to replace the current 'glucolipotoxic/insulin-resistance' paradigm of T2D/MetS with an 'mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) syndrome' (TorS) paradigm, implying an exhaustive cohesive disease entity driven by an upstream hyperactive mTORC1, and which includes diabetic hyperglycemia, diabetic dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetic macrovascular and microvascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, some cancers, neurodegeneration, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), psoriasis, and others. The TorS paradigm may account for the insulin-resistant glycemic context of TorS, combined with response to insulin of the non-glycemic diseases of TorS. The TorS paradigm may account for the efficacy of current antidiabetic SOC treatments in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Most importantly, the TorS paradigm may generate novel treatments for TorS.

Hyperinsulinemia and plasma glucose level independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in Chinese people without diabetes-A post-hoc analysis of the 30-year follow-up of Da Qing diabetes and IGT study

AIMS

We aimed to characterize the effect of insulin resistance and plasma glucose on all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) death.

METHODS

A total of 462 individuals without diabetes in the original Da Qing Diabetes and IGT Study were enrolled in the present analysis, and further divided into G1 (low insulin low glucose), G2 (high insulin low glucose), G3 (low insulin high glucose) and G4 (high insulin high glucose) groups according to medians of glucose and insulin level at baseline. The all-cause and CVD death were assessed from 1986 to 2016.

RESULTS

During the 30-year follow-up, compared with G1, G2, G3, and G4 groups were all at increased death risk after adjusting covariates. G2 and G3 were associated with similar risks in both all-cause (G2: HR 1.65, 95%CI 1.02-2.67; G3: HR 1.76, 95%CI 1.11-2.81) and CVD death (G2: HR 2.03, 95%CI 1.01-4.05; G3: HR 1.85, 95%CI 0.93-3.68). The highest risk was observed in G4 (all-cause death: HR 2.32, 95%CI 1.45-3.69; CVD death: HR 2.68, 95%CI 1.35-5.29).

CONCLUSIONS

In this post-hoc study, participants with either high glucose or high insulin were related to increased risk of mortality, implying that strategies targeting eliminating both hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia may favor the long-term outcomes.

Association between diabetes and cancer. Current mechanistic insights into the association and future challenges

Compelling pieces of epidemiological, clinical, and experimental research have demonstrated that Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality in many human neoplasms. In the pathophysiology context of DM, many of the main classical actors are relevant elements that can fuel the different steps of the carcinogenesis process. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, metabolic inflammation, and dyslipidemia are among the classic contributors to this association. Furthermore, new emerging actors have received particular attention in the last few years, and compelling data support that the microbiome, the epigenetic changes, the reticulum endoplasmic stress, and the increased glycolytic influx also play important roles in promoting the development of many cancer types. The arsenal of glucose-lowering therapeutic agents used for treating diabetes is wide and diverse, and a growing body of data raised during the last two decades has tried to clarify the contribution of therapeutic agents to this association. However, this research area remains controversial, because some anti-diabetic drugs are now considered as either promotors or protecting elements. In the present review, we intend to highlight the compelling epidemiological shreds of evidence that support this association, as well as the mechanistic contributions of many of these potential pathological mechanisms, some controversial points as well as future challenges.

Can low-carbohydrate diets be recommended for reducing cardiovascular risk?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review provides a rationale for implementing carbohydrate restriction as a dietary therapy to improve biomarkers of cardiovascular health and suggests that this will require a paradigm shift away from what is currently promulgated as a 'heart-healthy' diet.

RECENT FINDINGS

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, and related co-morbidities are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Ideally, then, a diet intended to support cardiovascular health should be one that improves or reverses these underlying risk factors. Carbohydrate restriction is effective for this purpose as well as for favorably impacting atherogenic dyslipidemia. Recent consensus reports from select national organizations have endorsed low-carbohydrate diets for improving glycemia and cardiovascular risk. Reluctance among public health organizations and some clinicians to more widely promote this therapeutic nutritional approach is driven primarily by the increase in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) observed in a proportion of individuals who adopt a low-carbohydrate diet. Here we explore the rationale for using carbohydrate restriction to improve cardiovascular health by way of favorably impacting T2DM and insulin resistance, and why this salutary effect outweighs the potential adverse effects of an increase in serum LDL-C.

SUMMARY

Carbohydrate restriction is a logical foundation for a dietary intervention intended to reduce CVD risk, particularly among individuals with T2DM or metabolic syndrome.

Targeting pancreatic β cells for diabetes treatment

Insulin is a life-saving drug for patients with type 1 diabetes; however, even today, no pharmacotherapy can prevent the loss or dysfunction of pancreatic insulin-producing β cells to stop or reverse disease progression. Thus, pancreatic β cells have been a main focus for cell-replacement and regenerative therapies as a curative treatment for diabetes. In this Review, we highlight recent advances toward the development of diabetes therapies that target β cells to enhance proliferation, redifferentiation and protection from cell death and/or enable selective killing of senescent β cells. We describe currently available therapies and their mode of action, as well as insufficiencies of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and insulin therapies. We discuss and summarize data collected over the last decades that support the notion that pharmacological targeting of β cell insulin signalling might protect and/or regenerate β cells as an improved treatment of patients with diabetes.

Glucose-Lowering Medications and Post-Dementia Survival in Patients with Diabetes and Dementia

Background:

The effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) is unknown among patients with dementia.

Objective:

To analyze all-cause mortality among users of six GLDs in dementia and dementia-free subjects, respectively.

Methods:

This was a longitudinal open-cohort registry-based study using data from the Swedish Dementia Registry, Total Population Register, and four supplemental registers providing data on dementia status, drug usage, confounders, and mortality. The cohort comprised 132,402 subjects with diabetes at baseline, of which 11,401 (8.6%) had dementia and 121,001 (91.4%) were dementia-free. Subsequently, comparable dementia – dementia-free pairs were sampled. Then, as-treated and intention-to-treat exposures to metformin, insulin, sulfonylurea, dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogues (GLP-1a), and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) were analyzed in the parallel dementia and dementia-free cohorts. Confounding was addressed using inverse-probability weighting and propensity-score matching, and flexible parametric survival models were used to produce hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the association between GLDs and all-cause mortality.

Results:

In the as-treated models, increased mortality was observed among insulin users with dementia (HR 1.34 [95%CI 1.24–1.45]) as well as in dementia-free subjects (1.54 [1.10–1.55]). Conversely, sulfonylurea was associated with higher mortality only in dementia subjects (1.19 [1.01–1.42]). GLP-1a (0.44 [0.25–0.78]) and SGLT-2i users with dementia (0.43 [0.23–0.80]) experienced lower mortality compared to non-users.

Conclusion:

Insulin and sulfonylurea carried higher mortality risk among dementia patients, while GLP-1a and SGLT-2i were associated with lower risk. GLD-associated mortality varied between dementia and comparable dementia-free subjects. Further studies are needed to optimize GLD use in dementia patients.

Artificial Cell Encapsulation for Biomaterials and Tissue Bio-Nanoengineering: History, Achievements, Limitations, and Future Work for Potential Clinical Applications and Transplantation

Pancreatic β-cell loss and failure with subsequent deficiency of insulin production is the hallmark of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and late-stage type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite the availability of parental insulin, serious complications of both types are profound and endemic. One approach to therapy and a potential cure is the immunoisolation of β cells via artificial cell microencapsulation (ACM), with ongoing promising results in human and animal studies that do not depend on immunosuppressive regimens. However, significant challenges remain in the formulation and delivery platforms and potential immunogenicity issues. Additionally, the level of impact on key metabolic and disease biomarkers and long-term benefits from human and animal studies stemming from the encapsulation and delivery of these cells is a subject of continuing debate. The purpose of this review is to summarise key advances in this field of islet transplantation using ACM and to explore future strategies, limitations, and hurdles as well as upcoming developments utilising bioengineering and current clinical trials.

Does heart failure increase the risk of incident cancer? A meta-analysis and systematic review

Recently, several studies have demonstrated that heart failure (HF) may increase the risk of incident cancer. However, this association has not been statistically and systematically verified by any comprehensive pooled analyses. We performed a meta-analysis on cancer morbidity and co-mortality of adults with HF in a large sample size to explore the relationship between HF and the risk of developing cancer. From inception to April 2019, we searched PubMed and EMBASE for published relevant articles on patients with HF diagnosed with cancer afterwards, with reported outcomes of morbidity and mortality. Two investigators independently reviewed these included studies. Study data were independently extracted using predefined data extraction forms. Random and fixed-effects models were fit for the study duration. This analysis consisted of 4 cohort studies comprising 5,004,251 participants. The relative risk (RR) for incident cancer was 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-1.33) indicating that patients with HF may have a higher risk of developing cancer. The pooled RR of co-mortality was 2.03 (95% CI, 1.13-3.65), indicating that HF associated with cancer increases the risk of mortality. In this meta-analysis and systematic review, our results demonstrated that heart failure may increase the risk of incident cancer and that HF associated with cancer increases the risk of mortality.

Impact of Insulin Treatment on the Effect of Eplerenone: Insights From the EMPHASIS-HF Trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and insulin-treated diabetes have a high risk of cardiovascular complications. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists may mitigate this risk. We aim to explore the effect of eplerenone on cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality in HFrEF patients with diabetes, including those treated with insulin in the EMPHASIS-HF trial (Eplerenone in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure and Mild Symptoms).

METHODS

The primary outcome was the composite of heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death. Cox models with treatment-by-diabetes subgroup interaction terms were used.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 21 (10-33) months. Of the 2737 patients included, 623 (23%) had non-insulin-treated diabetes, 236 (9%) had insulin-treated diabetes and 1878 did not have diabetes. Patients with insulin-treated diabetes were younger, more often women, with higher body mass index, waist circumference, more frequent ischemic heart failure cause, impaired kidney function, and longer diabetes duration. Compared with patients without diabetes, those with insulin-treated diabetes had a 2-fold higher risk of having a primary outcome event. The hazard ratio (95% CI) for the effect of eplerenone, compared with placebo, on the primary outcome was 0.31 (0.19-0.50) in insulin-treated diabetes, 0.69 (0.50-0.93) in non-insulin-treated diabetes, and 0.72 (0.58-0.88) in patients without diabetes; interaction P=0.007. The annualized number needed-to-treat-to-benefit with regards to the primary outcome was 3 (95% CI, 3-4) in patients with insulin-treated diabetes, 16 (13-19) in patients with diabetes not receiving insulin, and 26 (24-28) in patients without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with insulin-treated diabetes experienced a greater benefit from eplerenone than those with diabetes not treated with insulin and people without diabetes. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00232180.

Is insulin the preferred treatment in persons with type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis?

Background

Insulin is highly recommended for diabetes management in persons with liver cirrhosis. However, few studies have evaluated its long-term effects in these persons. We conducted this study to compare the risks of mortality, liver-related complications, and cardiovascular events in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and compensated liver cirrhosis.

Methods

From January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2012, we selected 2047 insulin users and 4094 propensity score-matched nonusers from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risks of outcomes.

Results

The mean follow-up time was 5.84 years. The death rate during the follow-up period was 5.28 and 4.07 per 100 person-years for insulin users and nonusers, respectively. In insulin users, the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatic failure, major cardiovascular events, and hypoglycemia were 1.31 (1.18–1.45), 1.18 (1.05–1.34), 1.53 (1.35–1.72), 1.26 (1.42–1.86), 1.41 (1.23–1.62), and 3.33 (2.45–4.53), respectively.

Conclusions

This retrospective cohort study indicated that among persons with T2DM and compensated liver cirrhosis, insulin users were associated with higher risks of death, liver-related complications, cardiovascular events, and hypoglycemia compared with insulin nonusers.

Impacts of early insulin treatment vs glimepiride in diabetic patients with background metformin therapy: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive disease. After metformin failure, the addition of insulin or sulfonylureas might increase the risk of hypoglycemia and cardiovascular (CV) morbidity. Here, the risk of all-cause mortality was compared between early insulin treatment and glimepiride use in T2DM patients with background metformin therapy.We conducted a 9-year retrospective cohort study from the population-based National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. A total of 2054 patients with T2DM under insulin or glimepiride treatment were enrolled during 2004 to 2012. Overall event rates of all-cause mortality were compared between 1027 insulin users and 1027 matched glimepiride users.After the propensity score matching, the mortality rates were 72.5 and 4.42 per 1000 person-years for insulin users and glimepiride users. The adjusted hazard ratio of mortality was 14.47 (95% CI: 8.64-24.24; P value <.001) as insulin compared with glimepiride users. The insulin users had significantly higher risk of CV death (adjusted hazard ratio 7.95, 95% CI 1.65-38.3, P = .01) and noncardiovascular death (adjusted hazard ratio 14.9, 95% CI 8.4-26.3, P < .001).The nationwide study demonstrated that metformin plus insulin therapy was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Diabetes, Antidiabetic Medications and Cancer Risk in Type 2 Diabetes: Focus on SGLT-2 Inhibitors

In the last decade, cancer became the leading cause of death in the population under 65 in the European Union. Diabetes is also considered as a factor increasing risk of cancer incidence and mortality. Type 2 diabetes is frequently associated with being overweight and obese, which also plays a role in malignancy. Among biological mechanisms linking diabetes and obesity with cancer hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, increased levels of growth factors, steroid and peptide hormones, oxidative stress and increased activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines are listed. Antidiabetic medications can modulate cancer risk through directly impacting metabolism of cancer cells as well as indirectly through impact on risk factors of malignancy. Some of them are considered beneficial (metformin and thiazolidinedions—with the exception of bladder cancer); on the other hand, excess of exogenous insulin may be potentially harmful, while other medications seem to have neutral impact on cancer risk. Inhibitors of the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) are increasingly used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, their association with cancer risk is unclear. The aim of this review was to analyze the anticancer potential of this class of drugs, as well as risks of site-specific malignancies associated with their use.

Effect of background insulin therapy on cardiovascular outcomes with SGLT-2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of cardiovascular outcome trials

Cardiovascular (CV) benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) have been consistent in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To find whether SGLT-2i show similar CV effects with insulin therapy in T2DM, we conducted a trial-level meta-analysis of CV outcome trials. This meta-analysis found SGLT-2i exert CV benefit, irrespective of background insulin therapy.

Insulin: too much of a good thing is bad

BACKGROUND

Insulin shares a limited physiological concentration range with other endocrine hormones. Not only too low, but also too high systemic insulin levels are detrimental for body functions.

MAIN BODY

The physiological function and clinical relevance of insulin are usually seen in association with its role in maintaining glucose homeostasis. However, insulin is an anabolic hormone which stimulates a large number of cellular responses. Not only too low, but also excess insulin concentrations are detrimental to the physiological balance. Although the glucoregulatory activity of insulin is mitigated during hyperinsulinemia by dampening the efficiency of insulin signaling ("insulin resistance"), this is not the case for most other hormonal actions of insulin, including the promotion of protein synthesis, de novo lipogenesis, and cell proliferation; the inhibition of lipolysis, of autophagy-dependent cellular turnover, and of nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2)-dependent antioxidative; and other defense mechanisms. Hence, there is no general insulin resistance but selective impairment of insulin signaling which causes less glucose uptake from the blood and reduced activation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). Because of the largely unrestricted insulin signaling, hyperinsulinemia increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and decreases health span and life expectancy. In epidemiological studies, high-dose insulin therapy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Randomized controlled trials of insulin treatment did not observe any effect on disease risk, but these trials only studied low insulin doses up to 40 IU/day. Proof for a causal link between elevated insulin levels and cardiovascular disease risk comes from Mendelian randomization studies comparing individuals with genetically controlled low or high insulin production.

CONCLUSIONS

The detrimental actions of prolonged high insulin concentrations, seen also in cell culture, argue in favor of a lifestyle that limits circadian insulin levels. The health risks associated with hyperinsulinemia may have implications for treatment regimens used in type 2 diabetes.

The impact of preoperative glycated hemoglobin levels on outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and the treatment outcomes of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODS

Three hundred and fifty-eight OSCC patients were consecutively enrolled between July 2004 and July 2016. Clinicopathological parameters and survival outcomes were analyzed following HbA1c stratification of 6.5% (HbA1c ≥ 6.5%: n = 74, 20.6%) and 7.0% (HbA1c ≥ 7.0%: n = 53, 14.8%).

RESULTS

Higher HbA1c levels were associated with elevated body mass index, lower albumin levels, wider surgical margins, and prolonged hospital stays (HbA1c 6.5%: p = .001, .048, .030, .009, respectively; HbA1c 7.0%: p = .092, .032, .009, .015, respectively). Survival rates stratified by HbA1c 6.5% were as follows: locoregional recurrence-free survival, p = .014; distant metastasis-free survival, p = .013; second primary cancer-free survival, p = .015; overall survival, p = .014; disease-specific survival, p = .002 and HbA1c 7.0%: locoregional recurrence-free survival, p = .013; distant metastasis-free survival, p = .013; second primary cancer-free survival, p = .014; overall survival, p = .015; disease-specific survival, p = .004. Multivariate analyses identified HbA1c as an independent prognostic factor for overall and disease-specific survival (HbA1c 6.5%: p = .014 and .002, respectively; HbA1c 7.0%: p = .036 and .013, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients with higher preoperative HbA1c levels had longer hospitalization and worse survival outcomes.

Insulin Therapy in Pregnancy Hypertensive Diseases and its Effect on the Offspring and Mother Later in Life

Pregnancy hypertensive disorders such as Preeclampsia (PE) are strongly correlated with insulin resistance, a condition in which the metabolic handling of D-glucose is deficient. In addition, the impact of preeclampsia is enhanced by other insulin-resistant disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity. For this reason, there is a clear association between maternal insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and the development of PE. However, whether PE is a consequence or the cause of these disorders is still unclear. Insulin therapy is usually recommended to pregnant women with diabetes mellitus when dietary and lifestyle measures have failed. The advantage of insulin therapy for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) patients with hypertension is still controversial; surprisingly, there are no studies in which insulin therapy has been used in patients with hypertension in pregnancy without or with an established GDM. This review is focused on the use of insulin therapy in hypertensive disorders in the pregnancy and its effect on offspring and mother later in life. PubMed and relevant medical databases have been screened for literature covering research in the field especially in the last 5-10 years.

Effects of the low carbohydrate, high fat diet on glycemic control and body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes: experience from a community-based cohort

OBJECTIVE

The optimal diet to improve glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes remains unclear. Low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diets can improve glycemic control, but have not been investigated in real-world settings.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We investigated effects of the LCHF diet compared with usual care in a community-based cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes by performing a retrospective study of 49 patients who followed the LCHF diet for ≥3 months, and compared glycemic outcomes with age-matched and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls who received usual care (n=75). The primary outcome was change in A1C from baseline to the end of follow-up.

RESULTS

Compared with the usual care group, the LCHF group showed a significantly greater reduction in A1C (-1.29% (95% CI -1.75 to -0.82; p<0.001)) and body weight (-12.8 kg (95% CI -14.7 to -10.8; p<0.001) at the end of follow-up after adjusting for age, sex, baseline A1C, BMI, baseline insulin dose. Of the patients initially taking insulin therapy in the LCHF group, 100% discontinued it or had a reduction in dose, compared with 23.1% in the usual care group (p<0.001). The LCHF group also had significantly greater reduction in fasting plasma glucose (-43.5 vs -8.5 mg/mL; p=0.03) compared with usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

In a community-based cohort of type 2 diabetes, the LCHF diet was associated with superior A1C reduction, greater weight loss and significantly more patients discontinuing or reducing antihyperglycemic therapies suggesting that the LCHF diet may be a metabolically favorable option in the dietary management of type 2 diabetes.

Low-energy total diet replacement intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity treated with insulin: a randomized trial

OBJECTIVES

The management of patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes and obesity receiving insulin therapy (IT) is a substantial clinical challenge. Our objective was to examine the effect of a low-energy total diet replacement (TDR) intervention versus standardized dietetic care in patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes and obesity receiving IT.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a prospective randomized controlled trial, 90 participants with type 2 diabetes and obesity receiving IT were assigned to either a low-energy TDR (intervention) or standardized dietetic care (control) in an outpatient setting. The primary outcome was weight loss at 12 months with secondary outcomes including glycemic control, insulin burden and quality of life (QoL).

RESULTS

Mean weight loss at 12 months was 9.8 kg (SD 4.9) in the intervention and 5.6 kg (SD 6.1) in the control group (adjusted mean difference -4.3 kg, 95% CI -6.3 to 2.3, p<0.001). IT was discontinued in 39.4% of the intervention group compared with 5.6% of the control group among completers. Insulin requirements fell by 47.3 units (SD 36.4) in the intervention compared with 33.3 units (SD 52.9) in the control (-18.6 units, 95% CI -29.2 to -7.9, p=0.001). Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) fell significantly in the intervention group (4.7 mmol/mol; p=0.02). QoL improved in the intervention group of 11.1 points (SD 21.8) compared with 0.71 points (SD 19.4) in the control (8.6 points, 95% CI 2.0 to 15.2, p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced type 2 diabetes and obesity receiving IT achieved greater weight loss using a TDR intervention while also reducing or stopping IT and improving glycemic control and QoL. The TDR approach is a safe treatment option in this challenging patient group but requires maintenance support for long-term success.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN21335883.

Evaluation of weight change and hypoglycaemia as mediators in the association between insulin use and death

AIM

To evaluate whether weight change or hypoglycaemia mediates the association between insulin use and death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a retrospective cohort of veterans who filled a new prescription for metformin and added insulin or sulphonylurea (2001-2012), we assessed change in body mass index (BMI) and hypoglycaemia during the first 12 months of treatment intensification. Cox proportional hazards models compared the risk of death between treatment groups. Using the difference method, we estimated the indirect effect and proportion mediated through each mediator. A sensitivity analysis assessed mediators in the first 6 months of intensified therapy.

RESULTS

Among 28 892 patients surviving 12 months, deaths per 1000 person-years were 15.4 for insulin users and 12.9 for sulphonylurea users (HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.87, 1.64). Change in BMI and hypoglycaemia mediated 13% (-98, 98) and -1% (-37, 71) of this association, respectively. Among 30 214 patients surviving 6 months, deaths per 1000 person-years were 34.8 for insulin users and 21.3 for sulphonylurea users (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.28, 2.15). Change in BMI and hypoglycaemia mediated 9% (1, 23) and 0% (-9, 4) of this association, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed an increased risk of death among metformin users intensifying treatment with insulin versus sulphonylurea and surviving 6 months of intensified therapy, but not among those surviving 12 months. This association was mediated in part by weight change.

The Changing Landscape of Pharmacotherapy for Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of Cardiovascular Outcomes

The prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has always been a primary concern in patients with type 2 diabetes. Modern trials of glucose-lowering therapies now assess major adverse cardiac events as an endpoint in addition to the effects on glycaemic control. Whilst the data on the efficacy of intensive glucose lowering on reducing cardiovascular risk are limited, there are now increasing numbers of glucose-lowering therapies that have proven cardiovascular benefit independent of glucose lowering. This review will summarise the available literature on cardiovascular outcomes in relation to metformin, sulphonylureas, di-peptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, acarbose and insulin. In addition, new paradigms in diabetes management and the importance of treatment selection based on considerations including but not limited to glycaemic control will be discussed.

Efficacy and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor ipragliflozin on glycemic control and cardiovascular parameters in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; Fukuoka Study of Ipragliflozin (FUSION)

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors are newly established anti-diabetic agents with a unique glucose-lowering mechanism. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy and safety of the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor ipragliflozin (Ipra) for metabolic markers and cardiovascular parameters in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study was an investigator-initiated, open-label, single-arm, multicenter prospective study. Patients with T2DM were treated with 50 mg Ipra for 24 and 52 weeks. The primary outcome investigated was the reduction of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. The secondary outcome was the change in other metabolic and cardiovascular parameters by 24 weeks. Before and after 52 weeks of treatment, carotid intima-media thickening (IMT) was measured by echography. A total of 134 patients were recruited in the study. A 24-week treatment with 50 mg Ipra daily significantly reduced HbA1c level (-0.6%, p < 0.01). Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and serum C-peptide were reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while serum glucagon level was unchanged. Interestingly, the serum adiponectin and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were significantly increased by Ipra. However, 52 weeks of Ipra treatment did not change carotid IMT. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the only significant contributing factor for HbA1c reduction by Ipra was baseline HbA1c level. These data suggest that Ipra decreased not only glucose level but also BMI, blood pressure and serum C-peptide, and the contributing factor for HbA1c reduction by Ipra was baseline HbA1c level. Further, Ipra improved serum adiponectin and HDL cholesterol levels.

The association study of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, pentraxin 3, nitrotyrosine, and insulin dose in patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to examine the association between insulin dose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), nitrotyrosine, and pentraxin 3 in patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighty patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin for >6 months and with stable insulin doses (±10%) within 3 months before inclusion were enrolled in this study. Medical history, including use of insulin and insulin doses, concomitant diseases and medication, and anthropometric and routine biochemical parameters were collected for each patient. hsCRP, nitrotyrosine, and pentraxin 3 were measured in fasting conditions. Comparison analysis was performed according to the distribution in tertiles of insulin dose/kg of body weight, and linear regression adjusted for confounding factors was used to examine the associations between markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin dose.

RESULTS

In the comparison analysis, no statistically significant difference was found between hsCRP, nitrotyrosine, and pentraxin 3 levels across tertiles of insulin dose expressed as IU/kg of body weight (p for trend >0.05 for all comparisons) except a significantly higher hsCRP level in tertile 3 compared to tertile 1 (3.9±3.6 vs 6.1±3.8 mg/dL, p=0.035). In regression analysis, after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, C-peptide, metformin, antiplatelet, and statin use, only hsCRP levels were statistically significant associated with insulin dose/kg of body weight (β=0.237, p=0.043).

CONCLUSION

In this sample of patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin for >6 months, hsCRP was positively associated with insulin doses. No such association was found for pentraxin 3, a more specific marker of vascular inflammation, and for nitrotyrosine as a marker of oxidative stress.

Glucose Control and Weight Change Associated with Treatment with Exenatide Compared with Basal Insulin: A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to compare glycemic and weight change outcomes for type 2 diabetes patients treated with either exenatide once-weekly (EQW) or exenatide twice-daily (EBID) with those patients treated with basal insulin (BI).

METHODS

Retrospective data (2010-2014) were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a UK primary care database. Patients previously naïve to injectable therapy initiating EQW, EBID, or BI were extracted and matched by propensity score within two analyses (EQW vs BI and EBID vs BI). Absolute and relative change in HbA1c and weight from baseline and the proportion of patients achieving HbA1c ≤ 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) combined with weight reduction targets of (1) any weight loss or (2) ≥ 5.0% from baseline were compared at 6 and 12-24 months.

RESULTS

A total of 485 patients initiated EQW, 3573 EBID, and 13,503 BI. In the propensity matched EQW versus BI analysis, mean HbA1c decreased with changes of - 1.33% (- 14.5 mmol/mol) and - 1.24% (- 13.5 mmol/mol) at 6 months and - 1.19% (- 13.0 mmol/mol) and - 1.17% (- 12.8 mmol/mol) at 12-24 months, respectively. Respective weight change was - 3.7 kg versus + 1.2 kg (p < 0.001) and - 3.2 kg versus + 2.5 kg (p < 0.001). Significantly more EQW patients achieved the combined HbA1c ≤ 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) and weight loss target (22.4% versus 9.9% at 6 months and 18.2% versus 8.0% at 12-24 months, respectively) and HbA1c ≤ 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) and minimum 5% weight loss (11.8% versus 3.7% at 6 months, and 8.0% versus 0.0% at 12-24 months). For EBID versus BI, similar results were found.

CONCLUSION

In this real-world data analysis, exenatide QW and exenatide BID were associated with similar glycemic control and greater weight reduction compared with basal insulin.

Dapagliflozin is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in people with type 2 diabetes (CVD-REAL Nordic) when compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor therapy: A multinational observational study

AIMS

To compare the sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor dapagliflozin with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors with regard to risk associations with major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE; non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or cardiovascular mortality), hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), atrial fibrillation and severe hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a real-world setting.

METHODS

All patients with T2D prescribed glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) during 2012 to 2015 were identified in nationwide registries in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Patients were divided into two groups: new users of dapagliflozin and new users of DPP-4 inhibitors, matched 1:3 by propensity score, calculated by patient characteristics, comorbidities and drug treatment. Cox survival models were used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) per country separately, and a weighted average was calculated.

RESULTS

After matching, a total of 40 908 patients with T2D were identified as new users of dapagliflozin (n = 10 227) or a DPP-4 inhibitor (n = 30 681). The groups were well balanced at baseline; their mean age was 61 years and 23% had CV disease. The mean follow-up time was 0.95 years, with a total of 38 760 patient-years. Dapagliflozin was associated with a lower risk of MACE, HHF and all-cause mortality compared with DPP-4 inhibitors: HRs 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67-0.94), 0.62 (95% CI 0.50-0.77), and 0.59 (95% CI 0.49-0.72), respectively. Numerically lower, but non-significant HRs were observed for myocardial infarction (0.91 [95% CI 0.72-1.16]), stroke (0.79 [95% CI 0.61-1.03]) and CV mortality (0.76 [95% CI 0.53-1.08]) Neutral associations with atrial fibrillation and severe hypoglycaemia were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Dapagliflozin was associated with lower risks of CV events and all-cause mortality compared with DPP-4 inhibitors in a real-world clinical setting and a broad T2D population.

Relationship of Hyperglycaemia, Hypoglycaemia, and Glucose Variability to Atherosclerotic Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is known to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the independent effects of hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, and glucose variability on microvascular and macrovascular disease in T2DM.

METHODS

Subjects with T2DM of <10 years duration and on stable antiglycaemic treatment underwent carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR), and HbA_1c measurement, as well as 72-hour continuous glucose monitoring. Macrovascular disease was defined as one or more of the following: history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), ABI < 0.9, or abnormal CIMT.

RESULTS

The study population comprised 121 subjects with T2DM (89 males : 32 females). The mean age was 62.6 years, and the mean DM duration was 3.7 years. Macrovascular disease was present in 71 patients (58.7%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, body surface area (BSA) (OR 18.88 (95% CI 2.20-156.69), p = 0.006) and duration of blood glucose (BG) < 3.9 mmol/L (OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.014-1.228), p = 0.024) were independent predictors of macrovascular disease. BSA (OR 12.6 (95% CI 1.70-93.54), p = 0.013) and duration of BG < 3.9 mmol/L (OR 1.09 (95% CI 1.003-1.187), p = 0.041) were independent predictors of abnormal CIMT. Area under the curve for BG > 7.8 mmol/L (β = 15.83, p = 0.005) was the sole independent predictor of albuminuria in generalised linear regression.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that hypoglycaemia is associated with the occurrence of atherosclerotic disease while hyperglycaemia is associated with microvascular disease in a Caucasian population with T2DM of recent duration.

Insulin Therapy Increases Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin therapy increased cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality among type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients in several recently reported clinical outcomes trials. To assess whether this association is causative or coincidental, PubMed searches were used to query the effects of insulin therapy for T2D on CV health and longevity from large-scale outcomes trials, meta-analyses, and patient registry studies, as well as basic research on insulin's direct and pleiotropic actions. Although several old studies provided conflicting results, the majority of large observational studies show strong dose-dependent associations for injected insulin with increased CV risk and worsened mortality. Insulin clearly causes weight gain, recurrent hypoglycemia, and, other potential adverse effects, including iatrogenic hyperinsulinemia. This over-insulinization with use of injected insulin predisposes to inflammation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure (HF), and arrhythmias. These associations support the findings of large-scale evaluations that strongly suggest that insulin therapy has a poorer short- and long-term safety profile than that found to many other anti-T2D therapies. The potential adverse effects of insulin therapy should be weighed against proven CV benefits noted for select other therapies for T2D as reported in recent large randomized controlled trials.

Differences in risk factors of malignancy between men and women with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this multicenter, retrospective, case-control study was to identify differences in risk factors of malignancy between men and women with type 2 diabetes.

RESULTS

Among women the most prevalent malignancies were: breast and uterine cancers (35.6% and 14.4% respectively), while among men there were: colorectal and prostate cancers (24.5% and 13.3% respectively). In both gender metformin use was associated with lower cancer risk. Obesity and insulin treatment in dose-dependent and time-varying manner were associated with significantly increased risk of malignancy in females. In men, unexpectedly, cardiovascular disease was more prevalent in control group. Other variables did not show significant association with malignancy risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

118 women and 98 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus who developed cancer after diagnosis of diabetes and the same number of strictly age matched controls with type 2 diabetes and without malignancy were included into the study. Diabetes duration, antidiabetic medications use, glycated hemoglobin level, body mass index, smoking habits, occupation, presence of comorbidities and aspirin use were included into analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Metformin demonstrated protective effect against cancer in both sexes. Obesity and insulin treatment seem to have greater impact on cancer risk among women.

A Unified Pathophysiological Construct of Diabetes and its Complications

Advances in understanding diabetes mellitus (DM) through basic and clinical research have helped clarify and reunify a disease state fragmented into numerous etiologies and subtypes. It is now understood that a common pathophysiology drives the diabetic state throughout its natural history and across its varied clinical presentations, a pathophysiology involving metabolic insults, oxidative damage, and vicious cycles that aggravate and intensify organ dysfunction and damage. This new understanding of the disease requires that we revisit existing diagnostics and treatment approaches, which were built upon outmoded assumptions. 'The Common Pathophysiologic Origins of Diabetes Mellitus and its Complications Construct' is presented as a more accurate, foundational, and translatable construct of DM that helps make sense of the hitherto ambiguous findings of long-term outcome studies.

Calculated Daily Insulin Dosages Overestimate Prescribed Insulin Doses in Type 2 Diabetes: A Primary Care Database Study

BACKGROUND

The aim was to compare the prescribed and calculated daily insulin dosages based on prescription data in type 2 diabetes patients in a general practice database.

METHODS

A total of 17 782 type 2 diabetes patients (age: 70.0 ± 11.5 years; 52% males; 16% diabetologist care) with ≥2 insulin prescriptions from 834 practices were analyzed (Disease Analyser: 01/2011-12/2015). Prescribed daily dosage (PDD) (physician documentation) and calculated daily dose (CDD) (pack size × strength × volume / days between 2 prescriptions) were calculated for short-acting, long-acting, and premixed insulins. PDD and CDD were compared using paired t-tests. Linear regression models assessed the associations of insulin dosage difference (CDD-PDD) with age, sex, diabetologist care, private health insurance, obesity, HbA1c, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, macro- and microvascular complications.

RESULTS

Mean [SD] CDDs were higher than PDDs for short-acting (52 [28] vs 48 [26] units/day), long-acting (30 [20] vs 24 [15] units/day), and premixed (46 [26] vs 40 [21] units/day) insulins (all P < .05). In regression models, age (per year) was associated with higher CDD-PDD differences (+0.11, +0.04, +0.10; P < .01) for short-, long-acting, and premixed insulins, respectively. Diabetologist care was related to lower differences (-2.92, -1.02, -3.65; all P < .05). HbA1c was associated with higher differences in long-acting and premixed insulins, but was related to a lower difference in short-acting insulins (all P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

CDD in primary care database studies substantially overestimate the PDD (8-25%). Age, diabetologist care, and glycemic control were related to CDD-PDD differences. Priming and safety shots with pens, dosing errors, or the accumulation of insulin reserves by patients may be underlying reasons.

Increased healthcare utilization costs following initiation of insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes: A long-term follow-up in clinical practice

AIMS

To compare long-term changes in healthcare utilization and costs for type 2 diabetes patients before and after insulin initiation, as well as healthcare costs after insulin versus non-insulin anti-diabetic (NIAD) initiation.

METHODS

Patients newly initiated on insulin (n=2823) were identified in primary health care records from 84 Swedish primary care centers, between 1999 to 2009. First, healthcare costs per patient were evaluated for primary care, hospitalizations and secondary outpatient care, before and up to seven years after insulin initiation. Second, patients prescribed insulin in second line were matched to patients prescribed NIAD in second line, and the healthcare costs of the matched groups were compared.

RESULTS

The total mean annual healthcare cost increased from €1656 per patient 2 years before insulin initiation to €3814 seven years after insulin initiation. The total cumulative mean healthcare cost per patient at year 5 after second-line treatment was €13,823 in the insulin group compared to €9989 in the NIAD group.

CONCLUSIONS

Initiation of insulin in type 2 diabetes patients was followed by increased healthcare costs. The increases in costs were larger than those seen in a matched patient population initiated on NIAD treatment in second-line.

Doing it hard in the bush: Aligning what gets measured with what matters

What gets measured gets managed. Funding of health services is substantially determined by operational activity and specific outcome indicators. In day-to-day clinical decision-making, surrogate markers, such as glycosylated haemoglobin and blood pressure, are commonly used to modify risks of 'hard' outcomes that include kidney failure, ischaemic cardiac events, stroke and all-cause mortality. In many settings, surrogates are all we have to go on. As a consequence, current health funding models heavily rely on surrogate-based key performance indicators [KPIs]. While surrogates are convenient and provide immediate information, there is an obligation to ensure that they are appropriate, reliable and validated in context. In contrast, hard outcomes, the real consequences of illness, are usually realised over an extended timeframe. Additionally, and for a host of reasons, hard endpoints have the greatest social, emotional and economic impact for people at the far end of the health system; those in rural and remote settings - 'in the bush' - especially Indigenous Australians. We propose a health service assessment approach that aligns short-term decision-making with patient-centred and longer term hard outcomes, one that takes into account community, cultural and environmental factors, especially remoteness. Communities should have a major say in determining what health indicators are measured and managed.

Association of Genomic Instability with HbA1c levels and Medication in Diabetic Patients

Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM2) is associated with increased cancer risk. Instability of the genetic material plays a key role in the aetiology of human cancer. This study aimed to analyse genomic instability with the micronucleus cytome assay in exfoliated buccal cells depending on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and medication in 146 female DM2 patients. The occurrence of micronuclei was significantly increased in DM2 patients compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, it was doubled in DM2 patients with HbA1c > 7.5% compared to subjects with HbA1c ≤ 7.5%. Positive correlations were found between micronuclei frequencies and HbA1c as well as fasting plasma glucose. Patients under insulin treatment showed a two-fold increase in micronuclei frequencies compared to subjects under first-line medication (no drugs or monotherapy with non-insulin medication). However, after separation of HbA1c (cut-off 7.5%) only patients with severe DM2 characterised by high HbA1c and insulin treatment showed higher micronuclei frequencies but not patients with insulin treatment and low HbA1c. We demonstrated that the severity of DM2 accompanied by elevated micronuclei frequencies predict a possible enhanced cancer risk among female DM2 patients. Therapy, therefore, should focus on a strict HbA1c control and personalised medical treatments.

Second line initiation of insulin compared with DPP-4 inhibitors after metformin monotherapy is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and severe hypoglycemia

AIMS

The objective of this nationwide study was to compare the risk of all-cause mortality, fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and severe hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on metformin monotherapy treatment starting second-line treatment with either insulin or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i).

METHODS

All patients with T2D in Sweden who initiated second-line treatment with insulin or DPP-4i after metformin monotherapy during 2007-2014 identified in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register were followed for outcome in the Cause of Death and National Patient Registers. Insulin and DPP-4i patients were matched 1:1 using propensity-score matching. Comparisons between groups were performed using unadjusted Cox regression models. Additionally, multivariate adjusted survival models were used to test the results using the full population without matching.

RESULTS

Of 27,767 mono-metformin-treated patients, 55.7% started insulin and 44.3% a DPP-4i, and after matching both groups had 9278 patients each. Median follow-up (patients years) times were 3.84 (37,578) and 3.93 (37,983) for insulin and DPP-4i-groups, respectively. Insulin compared with DPP-4i was associated with higher risk of subsequent all-cause mortality, fatal and nonfatal CVD, and severe hypoglycemia; adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.69 (1.45-1.96); 1.39 (1.21-1.61); and 4.35 (2.26-8.35), respectively. When performing multivariate adjusted analyses on the full population similar results were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Initiation of insulin, compared with DPP-4i treatment, was associated with an increased risk of subsequent all-cause mortality, fatal and nonfatal CVD, and severe hypoglycemia. Results from randomized trials will be important to elucidate causal relationships.

Association of insulin dosage with mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Existing studies have shown conflicting evidence regarding the safety of exogenous insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes. In particular, observational studies have reported an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease among users of higher versus lower doses of insulin. We aimed to quantify the association between increasing dosage of insulin exposure and death and cardiovascular events, while taking into account time-dependent confounding and mediation that might have biased previous studies.

METHODS

We did a cohort study using primary care records from the UK-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). New users of metformin monotherapy were identified in the period between Jan 1, 2001, and Dec 31, 2012. We then identified those in this group with a new prescription for insulin. Insulin exposure was categorised into groups according to the mean dose (units) per day within 180-day time segments throughout each patient's follow-up. Relative differences in mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, cardiovascular-related mortality) were assessed using conventional multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Marginal structural models were then applied to reduce bias introduced by the time-dependent confounders affected by previous treatment.

FINDINGS

We identified 165 308 adults with type 2 diabetes in the CPRD database. After applying our exclusion criteria, 6072 (mean age 60 years [SD 12·5], 3281 [54%] men, mean HbA_1c 8·5% [SD 1·75], and median follow-up 3·1 years [IQR 1·7-5·3) were new add-on insulin users and were included in the study cohort; 3599 were new add-on insulin users and were included in the subcohort linked to hospital records and death certificate information. Crude mortality rates were comparable between insulin dose groups; <25 units per day (46 per 1000 person-years), 25 to <50 units per day (39 per 1000 person-years), 50 to <75 units per day (27 per 1000 person-years), 75 to <100 units per day (34 per 1000 person-years), and at least 100 units per day (32 per 1000 person-years; p>0·05 for all; mean rate of 31 deaths per 1000 person-years [95% CI 29-33]). With adjustment for baseline covariates, mortality rates were higher for increasing insulin doses: less than 25 units per day [reference group]; 25 to <50 units per day, hazard ratio (HR) 1·41 [95% CI 1·12-1·78]; 50 to <75 units per day, 1·37 [1·04-1·80]; 75 to <100 units per day, 1·85 [1·35-2·53]; and at least 100 units per day, 2·16 [1·58-2·93]. After applying marginal structural models, insulin dose was not associated with mortality in any group (p>0·1 for all).

INTERPRETATION

In conventional multivariable regression analysis, higher insulin doses are associated with increased mortality after adjustment for baseline covariates. However, this effect seems to be confounded by time-dependent factors such as insulin exposure, glycaemic control, bodyweight gain, and the occurrence of cardiovascular and hypoglycaemic events. This study provides reassurance of the overall safety of insulin use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and contributes to our understanding of the contrasting conclusions from non-randomised and randomised studies regarding dose-dependent effects of insulin on cardiovascular events and mortality.

FUNDING

Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Research and Development Corporation.

Risk factors for cancer development in type 2 diabetes: A retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

The risk of several types of cancer is increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The earliest possible diagnosis of cancer - difficult within regular outpatient diabetes care - is of utmost importance for patients' survival. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective (years 1998-2015), case-control study was to identify risk factors associated with malignancy in subjects with diabetes treated in a typical outpatient setting.

METHODS

In the databases of 3 diabetic and 1 primary care clinics 203 patients (115 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus who developed malignancy while treated for diabetes were identified. The control group consisted of 203 strictly age- and gender matched subjects with type 2 diabetes without cancer. Factors associated with diabetes: disease duration, antidiabetic medications use and metabolic control of diabetes were analyzed. Also other variables: BMI (body mass index), smoking habits, place of residence and comorbidities were included into analysis.

RESULTS

The most prevalent malignancies in men and women together were breast cancer (20.7 %) and colorectal cancer (16.3 %). HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) level ≥8.5 %, obesity and insulin treatment in dose-dependent and time-varying manner demonstrated significant association with increased risk of malignancy, while metformin use was associated with a lower risk of cancer. Diabetes duration, comorbidities, smoking habits, place of residence and aspirin use did not show significant association with risk of malignancy.

CONCLUSIONS

In the outpatient setting the obese patients with poorly controlled insulin treated type 2 diabetes mellitus should be rigorously assessed towards malignancies, particularly breast cancer in women and colorectal cancer in men.

When Intensive Insulin Therapy (MDI) Fails in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Switching to GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Versus Insulin Pump

Treatment with insulin, alone or with oral or injectable hypoglycemic agents, is becoming increasingly common in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, approximately 40% of patients fail to reach their glycemic targets with the initially prescribed regimen and require intensification of insulin therapy, which increases the risks of weight gain and hypoglycemia. Many of these patients eventually reach a state in which further increases in the insulin dosage fail to improve glycemic control while increasing the risks of weight gain and hypoglycemia. The recently completed OpT2mise clinical trial showed that continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) is more effective in reducing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) than intensification of multiple daily injection (MDI) insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes who do not respond to intensive insulin therapy. CSII therapy may also be useful in patients who do not reach glycemic targets despite multidrug therapy with basal-bolus insulin and other agents, including glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists; current guidelines offer no recommendations for the treatment of such patients. Importantly, insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonists have complementary effects on glycemia and, hence, can be used either sequentially or in combination in the initial management of diabetes. Patients who have not previously failed GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy may show reduction in weight and insulin dose, in addition to moderate improvement in HbA1c, when GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy is added to MDI regimens. In subjects with long-standing type 2 diabetes who do not respond to intensive insulin therapies, switching from MDI to CSII and/or the addition of GLP-1 receptor agonists to MDI have the potential to improve glycemic control without increasing the risk of adverse events.

Association between Insulin Monotherapy versus Insulin plus Metformin and the Risk of All-Cause Mortality and Other Serious Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

AIMS

To determine if concomitant metformin reduced the risk of death, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and cancer in people with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin.

METHODS

For this retrospective cohort study, people with type 2 diabetes who progressed to insulin with or without metformin from 2000 onwards were identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (≈7% sample of the UK population). The risks of all-cause mortality, MACE and incident cancer were evaluated using multivariable Cox models comparing insulin monotherapy with insulin plus metformin. We accounted for insulin dose.

RESULTS

12,020 subjects treated with insulin were identified, including 6,484 treated with monotherapy. There were 1,486 deaths, 579 MACE (excluding those with a history of large vessel disease), and 680 cancer events (excluding those in patients with a history of cancer). Corresponding event rates were 41.5 (95% CI 39.4-43.6) deaths, 20.8 (19.2-22.5) MACE, and 21.6 (20.0-23.3) cancer events per 1,000 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for people prescribed insulin plus metformin versus insulin monotherapy were 0.60 (95% CI 0.52-0.68) for all-cause mortality, 0.75 (0.62-0.91) for MACE, and 0.96 (0.80-1.15) for cancer. For patients who were propensity-score matched, the corresponding aHRs for all-cause mortality and cancer were 0.62 (0.52-0.75) and 0.99 (0.78-1.26), respectively. For MACE, the aHR was 1.06 (0.75-1.49) prior to 1,275 days and 1.87 (1.22-2.86) after 1,275 days post-index.

CONCLUSIONS

People with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin plus concomitant metformin had a reduced risk of death and MACE compared with people treated with insulin monotherapy. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of cancer between people treated with insulin as monotherapy or in combination with metformin.

Determinants of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: a review

We aimed to review and summarize the evidence from accomplished trials analyzing factors influencing mortality in patients with T2DM and to provide some recommendations for targets and treatment in the European region. The following databases were searched for relevant trials: PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Of 3.806 citations, 134 trials met our inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The reduction in lifetime for 65 + -years-old patients having less than 10 years T2DM amounts to 1.8 years. Having T2DM for more than 10 years lifetime will be reduced by 2.7 years. However, the lifetime shortening factor of T2DM will even be stronger for 40 + -years-old patients at onset. Males will lose 11.6 years of life and 18.6 QUALYs. T2DM among females will reduce life by 14 QUALYs by 22 years. From a statistical point of view, the highest mortality rate will occur in an over 55-years-old European smoking and non-compliant diabetic woman with alcohol abuse living in a rural area with a low level of education and a low socio-economic status. Furthermore, other co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, gout, and depression affect mortality. Additionally, mortality will increase with a BMI over 35 and also with a BMI under 20-25. This refers to the obesity paradox indicating a higher mortality rate among normal weight patients with T2DM compared to overweight patients with T2DM. HbA1c-levels between 6.5 % and 7 % are associated with the lowest impact on mortality.

Imbalanced insulin action in chronic over nutrition: Clinical harm, molecular mechanisms, and a way forward

The growing worldwide prevalence of overnutrition and underexertion threatens the gains that we have made against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and other maladies. Chronic overnutrition causes the atherometabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of seemingly unrelated health problems characterized by increased abdominal girth and body-mass index, high fasting and postprandial concentrations of cholesterol- and triglyceride-rich apoB-lipoproteins (C-TRLs), low plasma HDL levels, impaired regulation of plasma glucose concentrations, hypertension, and a significant risk of developing overt type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition, individuals with this syndrome exhibit fatty liver, hypercoagulability, sympathetic overactivity, a gradually rising set-point for body adiposity, a substantially increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and--crucially--hyperinsulinemia. Many lines of evidence indicate that each component of the atherometabolic syndrome arises, or is worsened by, pathway-selective insulin resistance and responsiveness (SEIRR). Individuals with SEIRR require compensatory hyperinsulinemia to control plasma glucose levels. The result is overdrive of those pathways that remain insulin-responsive, particularly ERK activation and hepatic de-novo lipogenesis (DNL), while carbohydrate regulation deteriorates. The effects are easily summarized: if hyperinsulinemia does something bad in a tissue or organ, that effect remains responsive in the atherometabolic syndrome and T2DM; and if hyperinsulinemia might do something good, that effect becomes resistant. It is a deadly imbalance in insulin action. From the standpoint of human health, it is the worst possible combination of effects. In this review, we discuss the origins of the atherometabolic syndrome in our historically unprecedented environment that only recently has become full of poorly satiating calories and incessant enticements to sit. Data are examined that indicate the magnitude of daily caloric imbalance that causes obesity. We also cover key aspects of healthy, balanced insulin action in liver, endothelium, brain, and elsewhere. Recent insights into the molecular basis and pathophysiologic harm from SEIRR in these organs are discussed. Importantly, a newly discovered oxide transport chain functions as the master regulator of the balance amongst different limbs of the insulin signaling cascade. This oxide transport chain--abbreviated 'NSAPP' after its five major proteins--fails to function properly during chronic overnutrition, resulting in this harmful pattern of SEIRR. We also review the origins of widespread, chronic overnutrition. Despite its apparent complexity, one factor stands out. A sophisticated junk food industry, aided by subsidies from willing governments, has devoted years of careful effort to promote overeating through the creation of a new class of food and drink that is low- or no-cost to the consumer, convenient, savory, calorically dense, yet weakly satiating. It is past time for the rest of us to overcome these foes of good health and solve this man-made epidemic.

Incidence of cancer in patients with chronic heart failure: a long-term follow-up study

AIMS

With improvement in survival of chronic heart failure (HF), the clinical importance of co-morbidity is increasing. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk of cancer and all-cause mortality in a large Danish HF cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 9307 outpatients with verified HF without a prior diagnosis of cancer (27% female, mean age 68 years, 89% with LVEF <45%) were included in the study. A diagnosis of any cancer and all-cause mortality was obtained from Danish national registries. Outcome was compared with the general Danish population. Overall and type-specific risk of cancer was analysed in an adjusted Poisson and Cox regression analysis. The 975 diagnoses of cancer in the HF cohort and 330 843 in the background population corresponded to incidence rates per 10 000 patient-years of 188.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 177.2-200.6] and 63.0 (95% CI 63.0-63.4), respectively. When stratified by age, incidence rates were increased in all age groups in the HF cohort. Risk of any type of cancer was increased, with an incidence rate ratio of 1.24 (95% CI 1.15-1.33, c < 0.0001). Type-specific analysis demonstrated an increased hazard ratio for all major types of cancer except for prostate cancer. All-cause mortality was higher in HF patients with cancer compared with cancer patients from the background population.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with HF have an increased risk of cancer, which persists after the first year after the diagnosis of HF, and their prognosis is worse compared with that of cancer patients without HF.

New forms of insulin and insulin therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Insulin is a common treatment option for many patients with type 2 diabetes, and is generally used late in the natural history of the disease. Its injectable delivery mode, propensity for weight gain and hypoglycaemia, and the paucity of trials assessing the risk-to-safety ratio of early insulin use are major shortcomings associated with its use in patients with type 2 diabetes. Development of new insulins-such as insulin analogues, including long-acting and short-acting insulins-now provide alternative treatment options to human insulin. These novel insulin formulations and innovative insulin delivery methods, such as oral or inhaled insulin, have been developed with the aim to reduce insulin-associated hypoglycaemia, lower intraindividual pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability, and improve imitation of physiological insulin release. Availability of newer glucose-lowering drugs (such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors) also offers the opportunity for combination treatment; the results of the first trials in this area of research suggest that such treatment might lead to use of reduced insulin doses, less weight gain, and fewer hypoglycaemic episodes than insulin treatment alone. These and future developments will hopefully offer better opportunities for individualisation of insulin treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.