Management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes: a consensus algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of therapy: a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes

β -thalassemia intermedia in Northern Iraq: a single center experience

To investigate the molecular basis of β-thalassemia intermedia in Northern Iraq and evaluate its management practices, a total of 74 patients from 51 families were enrolled. The patients were clinically and hematologically reevaluated, and had their β-thalassemia mutations characterized, as well as the number of α-globin genes and Xmn I ^Gγ −158 (C>T) polymorphism studied. Out of 14 β-thalassemia mutations identified, the four most common were IVS-I-6 (T>C) [33.3%], IVS-II-I (G>A) [21.1%], codon 82/83(−G) [10.1%], and codon 8 (−AA) [8.1%]. The most common contributing factors to the less severe phenotype of thalassemia intermedia were found to be the inheritance of mild β-thalassemia alleles and the Xmn I polymorphism, while concomitant α-thalassemia had a limited role. Several complications were documented including: pulmonary hypertension in 20.4%, diabetes mellitus in 1.4%, hypothyroidism in 2.9%, and heart failure in 2.7%, while no documented cases of venous thrombosis were found. Compared to their counterparts in several Mediterranean countries, it appears that our patients were much less frequently transfused and had a lower proportion of patients who were splenectomized, on iron chelation, or hydroxycarbamide therapy. Such practices require further scrutiny to ensure that a better level of care is provided and that growth retardation, skeletal changes, and other complications are prevented or reduced.

Type 2 diabetes: an expanded view of pathophysiology and therapy

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complicated metabolic disease affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The medications used to manage the disease are based on different pharmacologic approaches, including decreasing hepatic gluconeogenesis, stimulating pancreatic insulin production, slowing polysaccharide digestion, and increasing insulin sensitivity in muscle, liver, and fat to lower blood glucose. Incretin-based therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, mimic the effects of native GLP-1, while dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors increase circulating concentrations of endogenous GLP-1. This review focuses on means by which primary care physicians might evaluate the utility of pharmacologic agents based on their relation to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. In general, patients with type 2 diabetes should be treated to their lowest targeted glycemic goals as soon as they are diagnosed, for as long as possible, as safely as possible, and as rationally as possible.