Prevalence of complications in IDDM by sex and duration. Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study II

Associations between diabetes mellitus and sensorineural hearing loss from humans and animal studies

There is controversy regarding the association and etiopathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Some studies support that SNHL develops because of angiopathy and/or neuropathy caused by DM, but many of the findings have been inconsistent. This review aims to highlight a select number of studies that effectively describe the relationship between DM and SNHL, thus bringing more attention and awareness to this area of research. This review also describes animal models to understand better the mechanisms of DM contributing to SNHL in the inner ear. The goal of this narrative review is for researchers and healthcare professionals to further their understanding and investigation of the etiopathogenesis of both DM and SNHL, therefore leading to the development of effective treatments for diabetic patients displaying symptoms of SNHL.

High-Density Lipoprotein Particle Concentration and Size Predict Incident Coronary Artery Disease Events in a Cohort With Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

The cholesterol efflux capacity of high density lipoprotein (HDL) is negatively associated with cardiovascular risk. Small HDL particles account almost quantitatively for cholesterol efflux capacity, perhaps mediated through efflux of cholesterol and outer leaflet plasma membrane phospholipids by ABCA1 (ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1). People with type 1 diabetes are at increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk despite normal HDL-cholesterol concentrations. We therefore tested the hypothesis that small HDL particles (HDL-P)-rather than HDL-cholesterol-predict incident CAD in type 1 diabetes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Incident CAD (CAD death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization) was determined in 550 individuals with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. HDL-P was quantified by calibrated ion mobility analysis and cholesterol efflux capacity was quantified with validated assays. During a median follow-up of 26 years, 36.5% of the participants developed incident CAD, for an incidence density of 181.3 per 10 000 person-years. In multivariable Cox models, neither HDL-cholesterol nor apolipoprotein A1 concentration was significantly associated with CAD risk. In contrast, higher extra-small HDL-P concentrations were significantly associated with decreased CAD risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.26 [95% CI, 0.14-0.50]). Weaker associations were observed for total HDL-P (HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.83-0.93]), small HDL (HR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.68-1.02]), medium HDL (HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.71-0.89]), and large HDL (HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.59-0.89]). Although cholesterol efflux capacity was negatively associated with incident CAD, this association was no longer significant after adjustment for total HDL-P.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower concentrations of total HDL-P and HDL subpopulations were positively associated with incident CAD independently of HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, and other common CVD risk factors. Extra-small HDL was a much stronger predictor of risk than the other HDLs. Our data are consistent with the proposal that extra-small HDL plays a critical role in cardioprotection in type 1 diabetes, mediated by macrophage cholesterol efflux by the ABCA1 pathway.

An Epigenome-Wide Association Study of DNA Methylation and Proliferative Retinopathy over 28 Years in Type 1 Diabetes

Purpose

To perform a prospective epigenome-wide association study of DNA methylation (DNAm) and 28-year proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) incidence in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Design

Prospective observational cohort study.

Participants

The Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study of childhood-onset (< 17 years) T1D.

Methods

Stereoscopic fundus photographs were taken in fields 1, 2, and 4 at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 23, and 28 years after DNAm measurements. The photos were graded using the modified Airlie House System. In those free of PDR at baseline (n = 265; mean T1D duration of 18 years at baseline), whole blood DNAm (EPIC array) at 683 597 CpGs was analyzed in Cox models for time to event. Associations between significant CpGs and clinical risk factors were assessed; genetic variants associated with DNAm were identified (methylation quantitative trait loci [meQTLs]). Mendelian randomization was used to examine evidence of causal associations between DNAm and PDR. Post hoc regional and functional analyses were performed.

Main Outcome Measures

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy was defined as the first instance of a grade of ≥ 60 in at least 1 eye or pan-retinal photocoagulation for PDR. Follow-up time was calculated from the study visit at which DNAm data were available (baseline) until PDR incidence or censoring (December 31, 2018 or last follow-up).

Results

PDR incidence was 53% over 28-years' follow-up. Greater DNAm of cg27512687 (KIF16B) was associated with reduced PDR incidence (P = 6.3 × 10-9; false discovery rate [FDR]: < 0.01); 113 cis-meQTLs (P < 5 × 10-8) were identified. Mendelian randomization analysis using the sentinel meQTL as the instrumental variable supported a potentially causal association between cg27512687 and PDR. Cg27512687 was also associated with lower pulse rate and albumin excretion rate and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate, but its association with PDR remained independently significant after adjustment for those factors. In regional analyses, DNAm of FUT4, FKBP1A, and RIN2 was also associated with PDR incidence.

Conclusions

DNA methylation of KIF16B, FUT4, FKBP1A, and RIN2 was associated with PDR incidence, supporting roles for epigenetic regulation of iron clearance, developmental pathways, and autophagy in PDR pathogenesis. Further study of those loci may provide insight into novel targets for interventions to prevent or delay PDR in T1D.

Financial Disclosures

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease: A nationwide cohort study

Objective

Diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease are multifactorial conditions with multiple etiologies that share similar pathophysiologies. This nationwide cohort study examined the impact of diabetes mellitus on the follow-up development of chronic kidney disease.

Methods

By retrieving the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, 5121 patients with diabetes mellitus were included in this study and 5121 patients without diabetes mellitus, who were matched according to sex, age, and Charlson comorbidity index made up the control group. The adjusted hazard ratios for chronic kidney disease were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of chronic kidney disease rate in the diabetes mellitus and control groups.

Results

After adjusting for sex, age, and Charlson comorbidity index score, the diabetes mellitus group had a 1.380 times higher (95% CI: 1.277-1.492) risk of developing chronic kidney disease than the control group. Further stratified analysis showed that patients with diabetes mellitus had a significantly higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease regardless of their sex, age, and Charlson comorbidity index score, compared to those without diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions

There is a possibility that diabetes mellitus serves as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease development. Early screening and monitoring of diabetes mellitus appear to be of great importance in the prevention of chronic kidney disease.

HDL Particle Concentration and Size Predict Incident Coronary Artery Disease Events in People with Type 1 Diabetes

Background

Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) negatively correlates with cardiovascular disease risk. Small HDL particles account almost quantitively for CEC, perhaps mediated through efflux of outer leaflet plasma membrane phospholipids by ABCA1. People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) despite normal levels of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). We therefore tested the hypotheses that small HDL particles (HDL-P)-rather than HDL-C levels-predict incident CAD in T1D.

Methods

Incident CAD (CAD death, myocardial infarction, and/or coronary revascularization) was determined in a cohort of 550 participants with childhood-onset T1D. HDL-P was quantified by calibrated ion mobility analysis. CEC and phospholipid efflux were quantified with validated assays.

Results

During a median follow-up of 26 years, 36.5% of the participants developed incident CAD. In multivariable Cox models, levels of HDL-C and apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) did not predict CAD risk. In contrast, extra-small HDL particle levels strongly and negatively predicted risk (hazard ratio [HR]=0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.13-0.49). An increased concentration of total HDL particles (T-HDL-P) (HR=0.87, CI=0.82-0.92) and three other HDL sizes were weaker predictors of risk: small HDL (HR=0.80, 0.65-0.98), medium HDL (HR=0.78, CI=0.70-0.87) and large HDL (HR=0.72, CI=0.59-0.89). Although CEC negatively associated with incident CAD, that association disappeared after the model was adjusted for T-HDL-P. Isolated small HDLs strongly promoted ABCA1-dependent efflux of membrane outer leaflet phospholipids.

Conclusions

Low concentrations of T-HDL-P and all four sizes of HDL subpopulations predicted incident CAD independently of HDL-C, APOA1, and other common CVD risk factors. Extra-small HDL was a much stronger predictor of risk than the other HDLs. Our data are consistent with the proposal that small HDLs play a critical role in cardioprotection in T1D, which might be mediated by macrophage plasma membrane outer leaflet phospholipid export and cholesterol efflux by the ABCA1 pathway.

DNA methylation and 28-year cardiovascular disease risk in type 1 diabetes: the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) cohort study

BACKGROUND

The potential for DNA methylation (DNAm) as an early marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and how such an association might differ by glycemic exposure has not been examined in type 1 diabetes, a population at increased CVD risk. We thus performed a prospective epigenome-wide association study of blood leukocyte DNAm (EPIC array) and time to CVD incidence over 28 years in a childhood-onset (< 17 years) type 1 diabetes cohort, the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study (n = 368 with DNA and no CVD at baseline), both overall and separately by glycemic exposure, as measured by HbA1c at baseline (split at the median: < 8.9% and ≥ 8.9%). We also assessed whether DNAm-CVD associations were independent of established cardiometabolic risk factors, including body mass index, estimated glucose disposal rate, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, pulse rate, albumin excretion rate, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.

RESULTS

CVD (first instance of CVD death, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, ischemic ECG, angina, or stroke) developed in 172 participants (46.7%) over 28 years. Overall, in Cox regression models for time to CVD, none of the 683,597 CpGs examined reached significance at a false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 0.05. In participants with HbA1c < 8.9% (n = 180), again none reached FDR ≤ 0.05, but three were associated at the a priori nominal significance level FDR ≤ 0.10: cg07147033 in MIB2, cg12324048 (intergenic, chromosome 3), and cg15883830 (intergenic, chromosome 1). In participants with HbA1c ≥ 8.9% (n = 188), two CpGs in loci involved in calcium channel activity were significantly associated with CVD (FDR ≤ 0.05): cg21823999 in GPM6A and cg23621817 in CHRNA9; four additional CpGs were nominally associated (FDR ≤ 0.10). In participants with HbA1c ≥ 8.9%, DNAm-CVD associations were only modestly attenuated after cardiometabolic risk factor adjustment, while attenuation was greater in those with HbA1c < 8.9%. No pathways were enriched in those with HbA1c < 8.9%, while pathways for calcium channel activity and integral component of synaptic membrane were significantly enriched in those with HbA1c ≥ 8.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide novel evidence that DNAm at loci involved in calcium channel activity and development may contribute to long-term CVD risk beyond known risk factors in type 1 diabetes, particularly in individuals with greater glycemic exposure, warranting further study.

Prevalence of Microalbuminuria Among Diabetes Patients in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Microalbuminuria (MAU) is considered the earliest sign of diabetic nephropathy among diabetes patients. In order to effectively manage diabetic nephropathy and its consequences early, detection of microalbuminuria as soon as possible, especially for diabetes patients, is critical. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients in Africa.

Methods

Electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, African Journals Online, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and ResearchGate were searched for articles and grey literature. The STATA version 14 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. I² and Cochran's Q test were employed to assess the presence of heterogeneity between studies. Due to the presence of heterogeneity, a random effect model was used. The publication bias was assessed using the symmetry of the funnel plot and Egger's test statistics. Moreover, subgroup analysis, trim and fill analysis, and sensitivity analysis were also done.

Results

The overall pooled prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients in Africa was 37.11% (95% CI 31.27-42.95). Substantial heterogeneity was observed between studies, with I² values of 94.7%. Moreover, this meta-analysis showed that the pooled estimate of microalbuminuria among type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients was 35.34% (95% CI: 23.89-46.80, I²=94.2), and 40.24% (95% CI: 32.0-48.47, I²=94.9) respectively. MAU, on the other hand, was more common in people with diabetes for more than 5 years 38.73% (95% CI: 29.34-48.13) than in people with diabetes for less than 5 years 31.48% (95% CI: 18.73-44.23).

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta-analysis found a high prevalence of microalbuminuria among diabetes patients. As a result, early detection of microalbuminuria is critical for preventing and treating microvascular complications such as diabetic nephropathy and the onset of end-stage renal disease.

Sex-Related Aspects in Diabetic Kidney Disease-An Update

Differences between the sexes exist in many diseases, and in most cases, being a specific sex is considered a risk factor in the development and/or progression. This is not quite so clear in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), the development and severity of which depends on many general factors, such as the duration of diabetes mellitus, glycemic control, and biological risk factors. Similarly, sex-specific factors, such as puberty or andro-/menopause, also determine the microvascular complications in both the male and female sex. In particular, the fact that diabetes mellitus itself influences sex hormone levels, which in turn seem to be involved in renal pathophysiology, highlights the complexity of the question of sex differences in DKD. The major objective of this review is to summarize and simplify the current knowledge on biological sex-related aspects in the development/progression but also treatment strategies of human DKD. It also highlights findings from basic preclinical research that may provide explanations for these differences.

KFPredict: An ensemble learning prediction framework for diabetes based on fusion of key features

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Diabetes is a disease that requires early detection and early treatment, and complications are likely to occur in late stages of the disease, threatening the life of patients. Therefore, in order to diagnose diabetic patients as early as possible, it is necessary to establish a model that can accurately predict diabetes.

METHODOLOGY

This paper proposes an ensemble learning framework: KFPredict, which combines multi-input models with key features and machine learning algorithms. We first propose a multi-input neural network model (KF_NN) that fuses key features and uses a decision tree-based selection recursive feature elimination algorithm and correlation coefficient method to screen out the key feature inputs and secondary feature inputs in the model. We then ensemble KF_NN with three machine learning algorithms (i.e., Support Vector Machine, Random Forest and K-Nearest Neighbors) for soft voting to form our predictive classifier for diabetes prediction.

RESULTS

Our framework demonstrates good prediction results on the test set with a sensitivity of 0.85, a specificity of 0.98, and an accuracy of 93.5%. Compared with the single prediction method KFPredict, the accuracy is up to 18.18% higher. Concurrently, we also compared KFPredict with the existing prediction methods. It still has good prediction performance, and the accuracy rate is improved by up to 14.93%.

CONCLUSION

This paper constructs a diabetes prediction framework that combines multi-input models with key features and machine learning algorithms. Taking tthe PIMA diabetes dataset as the test data, the experiment shows that the framework presents good prediction results.

Role of sex hormones in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common microvascular complication in diabetes and one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease. The standard treatments for patients with classic DN focus on blood glucose and blood pressure control, but these treatments can only slow the progression of DN instead of stopping or reversing the disease. In recent years, new drugs targeting the pathological mechanisms of DN (e.g., blocking oxidative stress or inflammation) have emerged, and new therapeutic strategies targeting pathological mechanisms are gaining increasing attention. A growing number of epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that sex hormones play an important role in the onset and progression of DN. Testosterone is the main sex hormone in males and is thought to accelerate the occurrence and progression of DN. Estrogen is the main sex hormone in females and is thought to have renoprotective effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which sex hormones regulate DN has not been fully elucidated and summarized. This review aims to summarize the correlation between sex hormones and DN and evaluate the value of hormonotherapy in DN.

TXNIP DNA methylation is associated with glycemic control over 28 years in type 1 diabetes: findings from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study

INTRODUCTION

DNA methylation (DNAme) has been cross-sectionally associated with type 2 diabetes and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the general population. However, longitudinal data and data in type 1 diabetes are currently very limited. Thus, we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) in an observational type 1 diabetes cohort to identify loci with DNAme associated with concurrent and future HbA1cs, as well as other clinical risk factors, over 28 years.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Whole blood DNAme in 683 597 CpGs was analyzed in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study of childhood onset (<17 years) type 1 diabetes (n=411). An EWAS of DNAme beta values and concurrent HbA1c was performed using linear models adjusted for diabetes duration, sex, pack years of smoking, estimated cell type composition variables, and technical/batch covariates. A longitudinal EWAS of subsequent repeated HbA1c measures was performed using mixed models. We further identified methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) for significant CpGs and conducted a Mendelian randomization.

RESULTS

DNAme at cg19693031 (Chr 1, Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP)) and cg21534330 (Chr 17, Casein Kinase 1 Isoform Delta) was significantly inversely associated with concurrent HbA1c. In longitudinal analyses, hypomethylation of cg19693031 was associated with consistently higher HbA1c over 28 years, and with higher triglycerides, pulse rate, and albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) independently of HbA1c. We further identified 34 meQTLs in SLC2A1/SLC2A1-AS1 significantly associated with cg19693031 DNAme.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results extend prior findings that TXNIP hypomethylation relates to worse glycemic control in type 1 diabetes by demonstrating the association persists over the long term. Additionally, the associations with triglycerides, pulse rate, and ACR suggest TXNIP DNAme could play a role in vascular damage independent of HbA1c. These findings strengthen potential for interventions targeting TXNIP to improve glycemic control in type 1 diabetes through its role in SLC2A1/glucose transporter 1-mediated glucose regulation.

Predictors of microalbuminuria and its relationship with glycemic control among Type 2 diabetic patients of Jazan Armed Forces Hospital, southwestern Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is highly prevalent among patients with diabetes mellitus. It affects approximately 20% of diabetic patients, who are believed to be more than 400 million individuals. The objectives of the present work were to assess patterns of albuminuria and determine microalbuminuria predictors among patients living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who attended the family medicine department of Jazan Armed Forces Hospital.

METHODS

A case-control design was used and included two groups (n, 202/group), one with microalbuminuria and the other with a normal urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR). Data regarding patient history, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, renal function tests, ACR, ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) risk, etc., were collected.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were 26.4% and 3.9%, respectively. HbA1c was significantly higher in patients with microalbuminuria (9.3 ± 2.2; P˂0.001) and macroalbuminuria (10.5 ± 2.3; P˂0.001) than in those with normal ACR (8.3 ± 1.9%). The predictors of microalbuminuria were poor glycemic control with HbA1c ≥ 7% {OR, 2.5 (95% C. I, 1.5-4.2)}; hypertension {(OR, 1.8 (95% C. I, 1.2-2.8)}; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of ˂90 mL/min/1.73 m2 {OR, 2.2 (95% C. I, 1.4-3.6}; smoking {OR, 1.3 (95% C. I, 0.7-2.6}; and body mass index {OR, 1.05 (95% C. I, 1.01-1.09}.

CONCLUSION

Microalbuminuria is highly prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes and is associated with poor glycemic control and hypertension, necessitating aggressive and timely screening and treatment.

Sex- and gender-differences in chronic long-term complications of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Italy

AIMS

This review summarizes the contribution of Italian diabetologists devoted to a better understanding of the complex relationship linking sex/gender and long-term complications of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) over the last fifteen years.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes show sex- and gender-related differences, involving pathophysiological mechanisms, epidemiological features and clinical presentation, due to the interaction between biological and psychosocial factors. These differences greatly impact on the progression of diabetes and its long-term complications, especially in the cardiovascular, renal and liver districts.

CONCLUSION

A better knowledge of such sex- and gender-related characteristics is required for a more precise patient phenotypization, and for the choice of a personalized antihyperglycemic treatment. Despite such mounting evidence, current diabetes clinical guidelines do not as yet adequately consider sex/gender differences.

Long term risk of heart failure in individuals with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND

We aimed to evaluate the risk of heart failure in young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) Study. We also examined risk factors and microvascular disease burden associated with the incidence of heart failure.

METHODS

Participants in the EDC study without known baseline heart failure (n = 655) were enrolled and then followed for 25 years. "Any" heart failure comprised the underlying cause of death, primary reason for hospitalization, EDC clinic examination findings or self-report of a physician diagnosis. "Hard" heart failure was determined only by the underlying cause of death or primary reason for hospitalization. Incidence rates for heart failure were estimated using Poisson models. Cox models were constructed to examine the associations between risk factors and microvascular disease burden with incident heart failure.

RESULTS

The mean baseline age and diabetes duration were 27(8) years and 19 (8) years. Incidence for any and hard heart failure were 3.4 and 1.8/1000 person-years. Diabetes duration, ever smoking and triglycerides were significant risk factors of any heart failure; longer diabetes duration, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and higher white blood cell count significantly predicted hard heart failure. A gradient association was observed between the number of microvascular disease (from 0 to 3) and "hard" heart failure endpoint but not "any" clinically defined heart failure.

CONCLUSION

Young adults with long-duration type 1 diabetes had a high risk of heart failure. As microvascular disease burden increases so does the risk of heart failure independently of diabetes duration, A1c and coronary artery disease.

Impact of Diabetes Duration on Clinical Outcome in Patients Receiving Rotational Atherectomy in Calcified Lesions in Korea-Results from ROCK Registry

There are limited data regarding the clinical impact of diabetes duration for patients with heavy calcified coronary lesions. We sought to determine the clinical impact of diabetes duration on clinical outcomes in patients with heavily calcified lesions who required rotational atherectomy during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 540 diabetic patients (583 lesions) were enrolled between January 2010 and October 2019. Patients were classified into three subgroups: patients with no diabetes mellitus (non-DM), shorter duration (S-DM), and longer duration (L-DM), of which duration was divided at 10 years. During 18 months of follow-up-duration, diabetes duration was significantly associated with the primary outcome. The incidence rate of target-vessel failure (TVF), the primary outcome, was significantly higher in the L-DM group compared with non-DM or S-DM. Among secondary outcomes, any repeat revascularization (RR) was frequently observed in the L-DM compared with other groups. In multivariate analysis, the risk of TVF and any RR was 1.9 times and 2.4 times higher in L-DM than in non-DM, respectively. This study firstly demonstrated that there is an association between a longer DM duration and poor clinical outcomes in patients with severe calcified CAD after PCI. More careful monitoring for recurrence is needed during follow-up in those patients.

Sex-Based Differences in Risk Factors and Complications of Chronic Kidney Disease

Globally, females are ∼30% more likely to have pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) than males for reasons that are not fully understood. CKD is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes which makes understanding and working to eradicating sex based disparities in CKD prevalence essential. This review maps both what is known, and what is unknown, about the way sex and gender impacts (1) the epidemiology and risk factors for CKD including age, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, and cerebrovascular disease, and (2) the complications from CKD including kidney disease progression, cardiovascular disease, CKD mineral and bone disorders, anaemia, quality-of-life, cancer and mortality. This mapping can be used to guide future research.

Joint 30-year HbA1c and lipid trajectories and mortality in type 1 diabetes

AIMS

Higher HbA1c has been associated with dyslipidemia in type 1 diabetes, but it is unknown whether there is heterogeneity in this association. Thus we assessed the longitudinal association between HbA1c and lipids over 30 years in a type 1 diabetes cohort and examined whether variation in such longitudinal patterns was associated with total and cause-specific mortality.

METHODS

Data were from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study (n = 581 with ≥2 visits, 51% male, baseline mean age 27, diabetes duration 19 years). Longitudinal associations between HbA1c and lipids were assessed in mixed models. Group-based multi-trajectory models identified simultaneous trajectories of HbA1c and lipids.

RESULTS

Longitudinal HbA1c was associated with Non-HDLc (p < 0.0001) and triglycerides (p < 0.0001), but not HDLc (men: p = 0.72, women: p = 0.76). There was heterogeneity in the HbA1c-Non-HDLc association only, with five HbA1c-Non-HDLc groups identified. One group (20%) had an unexpected combination of high HbA1c but normal Non-HDLc and had only moderately increased cardiovascular mortality (rate ratio [RR] = 2.80, 95% CI 1.31-6.00) and kidney disease mortality (RR = 2.30, 95% CI 0.97-5.50) compared to Low HbA1c-Normal Non-HDLc.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest there is a subgroup with type 1 diabetes who, despite poor glycemic control, has a relatively good prognosis, perhaps related to good Non-HDLc.

Sex-specific associations between diabetes mellitus and hearing loss in the middle-aged and elderly: a national cohort study of Chinese adults

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between diabetes and hearing loss and whether the association varied by sex.

METHODS

This cohort study based on nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study included 16140 Chinese adults aged over 45 years between 2011 and 2018. Diabetes was identified by blood glucose, HbA_1c, and a self-reported diagnosis at baseline. The main outcome is self-reported incident hearing loss. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to estimate the risk of hearing loss.

RESULTS

We documented 2388 cases of hearing loss during a median 6.9 years of follow-up. The incidence rate was 29.64 (95% CI 28.07-31.29) per 1000 person-years in women and 25.23 (95% CI 23.77-26.78) per 1000 person-years in men. After adjustment, the HR of hearing loss associated with diabetes was 1.20 (95% CI 1.01-1.42) for women and 0.97 (95% CI 0.78-1.19) for men. Compared with poor control of blood sugar, the OR for hearing loss for women with good glycemic control was reduced from 5.08 (95%CI 1.31-19.66) to 1.26 (95%CI 0.69-2.28), and the corresponding OR for men was 1.65 (95% CI 0.61-4.44) to 0.50 (95%CI 0.18-1.38).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we identified a differential effect of sex on hearing loss risk with more pronounced effects for women. Our data suggest that good blood glucose control is helpful to prevent hearing loss.

30-Year Cardiovascular Disease in Type 1 Diabetes: Risk and Risk Factors Differ by Long-term Patterns of Glycemic Control

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that there is heterogeneity in long-term patterns of glycemic control with respect to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in type 1 diabetes and that risk factors for CVD differ by glycemic control pattern. Thus, we estimated associations between data-derived latent HbA1c trajectories and 30-year CVD risk in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study of childhood-onset (<17 years old) type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants (n = 536 with two or more HbA1c measurements [median 6] and CVD-free at baseline; mean age 27 and diabetes duration 18 years) were followed from 1986 to 1988 to 2016 to 2018 to ascertain CVD incidence (CVD death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization or blockage ≥50%, ischemic electrocardiogram, or angina). Latent HbA1c trajectories and their association with time-to-CVD incidence were simultaneously assessed using joint latent class mixed models.

RESULTS

Two HbA1c trajectories with respect to differential CVD risk were identified: low (HbA1c ∼8% [64 mmol/mol] and improving over follow-up, 76% of cohort) and high (HbA1c ∼10% [86 mmol/mol] and stable, 24%). Overall, 30-year CVD incidence was 47.4% (n = 253); major adverse cardiovascular event incidence was 31.0% (n = 176). High HbA1c was associated with threefold increased CVD risk versus low HbA1c. Both groups had similar age and diabetes duration. Non-HDL cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate were associated with CVD risk only in low HbA1c; albumin excretion rate was associated with CVD risk only in high HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

These risk factor differences suggest that pathways to CVD may differ by glycemic control, potentially resulting in important implications for prognosis in type 1 diabetes.

Predictors of Change in Skin Intrinsic Fluorescence in Type 1 Diabetes: The Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study

BACKGROUND

Skin intrinsic fluorescent (SIF) scores are indirect measures of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). SIF scores are cross-sectionally associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) complications such as increased albumin excretion rate (AER), coronary artery calcification (CAC) and neuropathy. We assessed predictors of SIF score change in those with T1D.

METHODS

Data from the 30-year longitudinal Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study of childhood-onset T1D were used to assess AGEs measured with a SIF score produced by the SCOUT DS® device. SIF scores were assessed twice in 83 participants: between 2007-08 and again between 2010-14. Regression analyses were used to assess independent predictors of SIF score change.

RESULTS

At baseline, mean age was 47.9 ± 6.9 years, diabetes duration was 36.7 ± 6.4 years, and median glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was 7.1 (interquartile range: 6.5, 8.5). During a mean follow-up of 5.2 ± 0.9 years, mean change in SIF score was 2.9 ± 2.8 arbitrary units. In multivariable linear regression models, log HbA1c (P < 0.001), log estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P < 0.001), overt nephropathy (defined as AER ≥ 200 µg/min, P = 0.06), and multiple daily insulin shots/pump use (MDI) exposure years (P = 0.02) were independent predictors of SIF score change.

CONCLUSIONS

Increases in SIF score over 5 years were related to increased glycemic levels and decreased kidney function (eGFR). MDI and glomerular damage were related to a decreased SIF score. This is one of the first studies with repeated SIF assessments in T1D and provides unique, albeit preliminary, insight about these associations.

Clinical correlation of diabetic retinopathy with nephropathy and neuropathy

Purpose:

To evaluate the presence of nephropathy and neuropathy in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to correlate the severity of DR to that of diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy.

Methods:

This prospective noninterventional hospital-based study included 57 consecutive cases of DR of either sex, presenting to the eye OPD between January 2019 and November 2020 with minimum 5-year duration of Type 1 and 2 DM. Complete ophthalmic examination was done and DR was classified according to early treatment diabetic retinopathy study classification. Severity of diabetic nephropathy was based on urine albumin creatinine ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Severity of diabetic neuropathy was based on nerve conduction velocity.

Results:

The study was conducted on 57 patients of whom patients 45 were males and 12 were females. Mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy was present in 22 patients, moderate in 14 patients, severe in 18 patients, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy in 3 patients. In our study, group 30 patients of DR presented without clinically significant macular edema (CSME) and 27 patients presented with CSME. The distribution of severity of DR according to CSME was observed to be statistically significant (P<<0.05). The association of severity of DR with severity of diabetic nephropathy was observed to be statistically significant (P<<0.05). The association of severity of DR with that of diabetic neuropathy was inconclusive.

Conclusion:

The association of severity of DR with severity of diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy can be used as a marker for future chronic kidney diseases progression and also to prognosticate neurological outcomes in diabetic patients.

Estimation of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in combination with diabetic kidney disease and identification of the associated factors in patients attending primary hospitals in Anhui Province, China

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with chronic kidney disease (DM-CKD) and identify the associated factors in patients attending primary hospitals in Anhui Province, China.

Methods

A multi-stage sampling method was used to collect the demographic information, general clinical data, and details of the kidney disease of patients in 2019 through a questionnaire survey, physical examination, and laboratory examination.

Results

A total of 1067 patients with T2DM were studied, of whom 345 had chronic kidney disease (CKD; 32.33%); 18.8%, 12.2%, 58.0%, 9.9% and 1.2% of the participants had stages 1 to 5 CKD. Fifty-point-three percent of the participants were female and they were 59 ± 11.3 years old. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, systolic blood pressure, the duration of diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and smoking were associated with DM-CKD. The duration of diabetes was positively associated with body mass index, 2-hour postprandial glucose, fasting blood glucose concentration, glycosylated haemoglobin, total cholesterol concentration and triglyceride concentration.

Conclusions

The incidence of DM-CKD is relatively high in primary hospitals in Anhui Province. Appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures should be instituted according to the age, the duration of diabetes, sex, hypertension, smoking habits, and lipidaemia of patients.

Association of Coding Variants in Hydroxysteroid 17-beta Dehydrogenase 14 (HSD17B14) with Reduced Progression to End Stage Kidney Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Rare variants in gene coding regions likely have a greater impact on disease-related phenotypes than common variants through disruption of their encoded protein. We searched for rare variants associated with onset of ESKD in individuals with type 1 diabetes at advanced kidney disease stage.

METHODS

Gene-based exome array analyses of 15,449 genes in five large incidence cohorts of individuals with type 1 diabetes and proteinuria were analyzed for survival time to ESKD, testing the top gene in a sixth cohort (n=2372/1115 events all cohorts) and replicating in two retrospective case-control studies (n=1072 cases, 752 controls). Deep resequencing of the top associated gene in five cohorts confirmed the findings. We performed immunohistochemistry and gene expression experiments in human control and diseased cells, and in mouse ischemia reperfusion and aristolochic acid nephropathy models.

RESULTS

Protein coding variants in the hydroxysteroid 17-β dehydrogenase 14 gene (HSD17B14), predicted to affect protein structure, had a net protective effect against development of ESKD at exome-wide significance (n=4196; P value=3.3 × 10-7). The HSD17B14 gene and encoded enzyme were robustly expressed in healthy human kidney, maximally in proximal tubular cells. Paradoxically, gene and protein expression were attenuated in human diabetic proximal tubules and in mouse kidney injury models. Expressed HSD17B14 gene and protein levels remained low without recovery after 21 days in a murine ischemic reperfusion injury model. Decreased gene expression was found in other CKD-associated renal pathologies.

CONCLUSIONS

HSD17B14 gene is mechanistically involved in diabetic kidney disease. The encoded sex steroid enzyme is a druggable target, potentially opening a new avenue for therapeutic development.

Heterogeneous long-term trajectories of glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes

AIMS

We aimed to identify long-term HbA1c trajectories and examine associated characteristics in an observational, childhood-onset (<17 years) type 1 diabetes cohort.

METHODS

Data are from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study, comprising 405 participants with ≥2 of seven possible HbA1c measurements over follow-up (1988-2013) and available DNA (baseline mean diabetes duration 21 years, 53% men). HbA1c trajectories were estimated using latent class growth models. Baseline and change in participant characteristics were compared across trajectories.

RESULTS

Five HbA1c trajectories were identified: low (51%), intermediate stable (22%), improved (19%), high stable (6%), and worsened (2%; not included in analyses). Age, diabetes duration, diabetes onset age, and sex did not differ across trajectories. Characteristics did not differ significantly between intermediate stable and low trajectories at baseline, though albumin excretion rate (AER, p = 0.0002) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, p = 0.001) worsened slightly more in intermediate stable over time. Improved and high stable trajectories had higher baseline LDL-c (p = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). Improved trajectory increased median self-monitoring of blood glucose from <1 to 3.5 times/day (p < 0.0001) and had larger LDL-c improvement (p = 0.004) but greater worsening of AER (p < 0.0001) and eGFR (p < 0.0001) than low. The A allele of rs12970134 (near MC4R) was associated with improved (p = 0.0003) or high stable (p = 0.001) HbA1c trajectory, both patterns with high baseline HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term HbA1c trajectories were primarily associated with modifiable factors in this type 1 diabetes cohort. The intermediate stable pattern had a risk factor profile that suggests some protection against adverse metabolic effects of chronic hyperglycaemia, warranting further study.

Genetic association between interleukin-10 gene rs1518111 and rs3021094 polymorphisms and risk of type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy in Egyptian children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in etiopathogenesis and progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Genetic association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with T2DM and DN was recently established. We aimed to explore the potential genetic risk of IL-10 gene rs1518111 and rs3021094 SNPs in susceptibility to T1DM and DN.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study included 140 T1DM children, of whom 74 had DN and 90 controls. IL-10 gene rs1518111 and rs3021094 SNP were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique of the extracted genomic DNA from participants. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to explore the association between IL-10 gene polymorphisms and the risk of T1DM and DN.

RESULTS

For rs1518111 SNP, AA genotype was associated with high risk of T1DM (OR = 4.53; CI = 2.11-9.74; p < 0.001), while A allele was associated with high risk of both T1DM (OR = 3.35; CI = 2.20-5.09; p < 0.001) and DN (OR = 2.36; CI = 1.27-4.38; p = 0.006). For rs3021094 SNP, AC genotype displayed lower risk to develop T1DM (OR = 0.35; CI = 0.13-0.94; p = 0.037), while A allele displayed higher risk to develop T1DM (OR = 1.69; CI = 1.11-2.56; p = 0.013). GA and AC haplotypes of rs1518111 and rs3021094 had lower ORs for having T1DM and DN, while GC had lower OR for having T1DM.

CONCLUSIONS

AA genotype and A allele of IL-10 rs1518111 SNP could be linked to increased risk for T1DM and DN among Egyptian children. None of rs3021094 genotypes or alleles displayed significant association with DN. GA and AC haplotypes could be protective against T1DM and DN susceptibility.

Gender Differences in Diabetic Kidney Disease: Focus on Hormonal, Genetic and Clinical Factors

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most serious complications of both type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Current guidelines recommend a personalized approach in order to reduce the burden of DM and its complications. Recognizing sex and gender- differences in medicine is considered one of the first steps toward personalized medicine, but the gender issue in DM has been scarcely explored so far. Gender differences have been reported in the incidence and the prevalence of DKD, in its phenotypes and clinical manifestations, as well as in several risk factors, with a different impact in the two genders. Hormonal factors, especially estrogen loss, play a significant role in explaining these differences. Additionally, the impact of sex chromosomes as well as the influence of gene-sex interactions with several susceptibility genes for DKD have been investigated. In spite of the increasing evidence that sex and gender should be included in the evaluation of DKD, several open issues remain uncovered, including the potentially different effects of newly recommended drugs, such as SGLT2i and GLP1Ras. This narrative review explored current evidence on sex/gender differences in DKD, taking into account hormonal, genetic and clinical factors.

Predictors of the age at which natural menopause occurs in women with type 1 diabetes: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study

OBJECTIVE

Women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are thought to experience menopause earlier than women without diabetes, although not all studies agree. We assessed metabolic predictors of the age at which natural menopause occurs among women with T1D participating in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study.

METHODS

Women with childhood-onset (<17 y) of T1D who underwent natural menopause without use of hormone therapy during their menopausal transition were included in the analysis (n = 105; mean baseline age, 29.5 and diabetes duration, 20.2 y). Self-reported reproductive history and the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation hormonal algorithms were used to determine menopause status. Linear regression was used to ascertain whether time-weighted metabolic factors (eg, BMI, lipids, HbA1c, insulin dose, albumin excretion rate [AER]) were associated with age at natural menopause.

RESULTS

Univariately, only insulin dose (β = -4.87, P = 0.04) and log (AER) (β = -0.62, P = 0.02) were associated (negatively) with age at natural menopause. Adjusting for BMI, smoking status, lipids, HbA1c, number of pregnancies, and oral contraceptive use, each 0.1 unit increase in the daily dose of insulin per kilogram body weight was associated with 0.64 years younger age at natural menopause (P = 0.01), while for every 30% increase in AER, age at natural menopause decreased by 0.18 years (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Higher average levels of insulin dose and AER over time were significantly associated with a younger age at which natural menopause occurred among women with T1D. The biologic mechanisms underlying the observed associations between exogenous insulin dose and AER on reproductive health should be investigated among women with T1D.

Insulin resistance-associated genetic variants in type 1 diabetes

AIMS

To examine candidate insulin resistance single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for associations with glycemic control, insulin resistance, BMI, and complications in an observational type 1 diabetes (T1D) cohort: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study.

METHODS

In 422 European-ancestry participants, we assessed associations using additive models between 15 candidate SNPs and 25-year mortality, cardiovascular disease, microalbuminuria, overt nephropathy and proliferative retinopathy, and 25-year mean HbA1c, estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR, inverse measure of insulin resistance), and BMI.

RESULTS

The A allele of rs12970134 was associated with higher mean HbA1c (β = +0.34 ± 0.09, p = 0.00009) and nominally associated with worse eGDR (p = 0.02). Further analyses suggest the HbA1c association may be modified by diabetes therapy regimen: rs12970134 AA genotype was associated with higher HbA1c under non-intensive therapy conditions (<3 insulin injections/day or monitoring blood glucose<3 times/day [p = 0.004]), but not under intensive therapy (≥3 injections/day or insulin pump and monitoring glucose≥3 times/day [p = 0.71]). There were no significant associations between any SNPs and BMI or complications.

CONCLUSIONS

rs12970134, near MC4R, is strongly associated with HbA1c in this cohort. Further exploration of this genomic region is warranted, as it may hold promise for discovering new therapeutic targets to improve glycemic control in T1D.

Sex-related differences in diabetic kidney disease: A review on the mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications

Sexual dimorphism may play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and explain differences observed in disease phenotypes, responses to interventions, and disease progression between men and women with diabetes. Therefore, omitting the consideration of sex as a biological factor may result in delayed diagnoses and suboptimal therapies. This review will summarize the effects of sexual dimorphism on putative metabolic and molecular mechanisms underlying DKD, and the potential implications of these differences on therapeutic interventions. To successfully implement precision medicine, we require a better understanding of sexual dimorphism in the pathophysiologic progression of DKD. Such insights can unveil sex-specific therapeutic targets that have the potential to maximize efficacy while minimizing adverse events.

Cardiovascular health in early adulthood predicts the development of coronary heart disease in individuals with type 1 diabetes: 25 year follow-up from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Type 1 diabetes increases CHD risk. We examined the use of the American Heart Association's cardiovascular health metrics (blood pressure, total cholesterol, glucose/HbA_1c, BMI, physical activity, diet, smoking) to predict incidence of CHD among individuals with type 1 diabetes, with the hypothesis that a better American Heart Association health metric profile would be associated with lower incident CHD.

METHODS

Prevalence of the seven cardiovascular health metrics was determined using first and second visits from adult participants (mean age 28.6 years) in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications prospective cohort study of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. An ideal metric score (0-7) was defined as the sum of all metrics within the ideal range, and a total metric score (0-14) was calculated based on poor, intermediate and ideal categories for each metric. Incident CHD development (medical record-confirmed CHD death, myocardial infarction, revascularisation, ischaemic electrocardiogram changes or Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications physician-determined angina) over 25 years of follow-up was examined by metric scores.

RESULTS

Among 435 participants, BMI, blood pressure, total cholesterol and smoking demonstrated the highest prevalence within the ideal range, while diet and HbA_1c demonstrated the lowest. During 25 years of follow-up, 177 participants developed CHD. In Cox models, each additional metric within the ideal range was associated with a 19% lower risk (p = 0.01), and each unit increase in total metric score was associated with a 17% lower risk (p < 0.01) of CHD, adjusting for diabetes duration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, albumin excretion rate, triacylglycerols, depression and white blood cell count.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Among individuals with type 1 diabetes, higher cardiovascular health metric scores were associated with lower risk of incident CHD. The American Heart Association-defined cardiovascular health metrics provide straightforward goals for health promotion that may reduce CHD risk in the type 1 diabetes population. Graphical abstract.

Women with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience a shorter reproductive period compared with nondiabetic women: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study and the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

OBJECTIVE

Evidence suggests that insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia may disrupt the female reproductive system's normal function, leading to delayed menarche and premature ovarian aging. We thus compared the length of the reproductive period of women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to women without diabetes.

METHODS

Women with childhood-onset T1D (diagnosed in 1950-80) from the prospective Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study and nondiabetic women from the Pittsburgh site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) were studied. Exclusion criteria comprised not having reached natural menopause, hysterectomy/oophorectomy before menopause, and sex hormone therapy during the menopausal transition. Reproductive history was self-reported. The historical and Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation hormonal algorithms were also used to assess menopause status.

RESULTS

Women in the T1D cohort (n = 105) were younger, more likely to be White, never smokers, with lower BMI and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (all P values < 0.05) compared with women without diabetes (n = 178). After covariate adjustment, T1D women were also older at menarche (0.5-y delay, P = 0.002) but younger at natural menopause (-2.0 y, P < 0.0001). Women with T1D thus experienced 2.5 fewer reproductive years compared to those without diabetes (P < 0.0001). These findings were restricted to the subgroup of women who were diagnosed with T1D before reaching menarche (n = 80).

CONCLUSION

Women with T1D onset before menarche have a shorter reproductive period compared with nondiabetic women, exhibiting delayed menarche and earlier natural menopause. Factors that may be related to a shorter reproductive period in T1D should be investigated.

Association of age at diabetes complication diagnosis with age at natural menopause in women with type 1 diabetes: The Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) Study

OBJECTIVE

Vascular damage is thought to have a role in premature ovarian aging. We thus assessed the association between the presence, and age at onset of, vascular diabetes complications and age at natural menopause in women with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

Female participants of the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study with type 1 diabetes who experienced natural menopause and who never received hormone therapy during their menopausal transition were included in the analysis (n=105). Microalbuminuria (MA), overt nephropathy, proliferative retinopathy, confirmed distal symmetric polyneuropathy, and coronary artery disease, were assessed during biennial clinical exanimations for the first 10 years of follow-up and at year 18, 25 and 30. Menopausal status was determined via self-report and sex hormone data. For each complication, separate linear regression models were used to assess whether, compared with women without the complication of interest, an earlier age at complication development (i.e., <30 years of age) was associated with an earlier age at natural menopause.

RESULTS

Although results from multivariable linear regression models suggested a similar age at menopause between women with normo-albuminuria and those diagnosed with MA after 30 years of age, menopause occurred 2.06 years earlier (β±SE=-2.06±1.08) among women diagnosed with MA before age 30 (p=0.06). No significant association was observed for other complications.

CONCLUSION

Among women with type 1 diabetes, menopause appears to occur earlier in those diagnosed with MA before age 30 compared to those with normo-albuminuria, suggesting that vascular dysfunction associated with early microvascular disease may affect ovarian aging.

Skin intrinsic fluorescence scores are a predictor of all-cause mortality risk in type 1 diabetes: The Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study

AIMS

We assessed the association of skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF) scores, as a measure of advanced glycation end-products (AGE), with all-cause mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

METHODS

This is an observational retrospective study of a convenience sample from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study. AGEs were measured with a SIF score between 2007 and 2014; vital status was assessed in 2020.

RESULTS

Among 245 participants, mean age was 48.6 ± 7.4 years, median diabetes duration was 39.5 years (IQR: 34.2, 44.9), and 53.5% were female. Compared to survivors, the deceased (n = 20) were older, with higher SIF scores, longer diabetes duration, lower body mass index (BMI), and an adverse risk factor profile (all p≤0.05). Univariate Cox regression showed a marginal association between SIF score and mortality (HR: 1.1, 95% CI 0.9-1.2, p = 0.06), which persisted after adjustment for multiple daily insulin shots/pump (MDI) use (HR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2, p = 0.04). This association was attenuated after adjustment for T1D duration, A_1c months, or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

CONCLUSIONS

In individuals with long duration T1D, SIF scores adjusted for MDI predicted all-cause mortality, although this association was attenuated after adjustments. Given the nature of sampling and small number of events, our findings require replication.

Screening model for diabetic retinopathy among patients with type 1 diabetes attending a tertiary care setting in India

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication in young individuals with type 1 diabetes. It is recommended to implement structured screening programs and adopt an appropriate referral mechanism at all levels of the health system to prevent vision loss in this disease. We developed and pilot-tested the feasibility of a comprehensive DR screening model at a tertiary care diabetes clinic in India. The model comprised an affordable DR screening facility at the diabetes clinic, structured education sessions, and annual inhospital diabetes complication screening camps. Over the span of 2 years, we screened 413 eligible patients with type 1 diabetes and 17.4% (n = 72) had any form of DR in at least one eye. Half of the retinopathy positive patients had mild DR. However, only one-third of newly diagnosed patients reported to the eye care facility for DR management. Based on this study, it is feasible to screen all patients with type 1 diabetes for DR by increasing awareness and providing opportunities for DR screening at a tertiary care diabetes clinic. Our model combined with formal referral and follow-up systems would be a potentially scalable approach for DR prevention and management at diabetes care facilities in India.

Muscle insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes with coronary artery disease

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) is substantially increased in type 1 diabetes and it has been postulated that insulin resistance may contribute to this risk. The current study measured insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes with vs without CAD and with a focus upon skeletal muscle, to test the hypothesis that insulin resistance is more severe in participants who have type 1 diabetes and CAD. Additionally, in type 1 diabetes, we examined the hypothesis that insulin resistance is more severe in soleus (an oxidative type muscle) vs tibialis anterior (a more glycolytic type of muscle).

METHODS

Insulin resistance was measured in participants with type 1 diabetes with (n = 9, CAD+) and without CAD (n = 10, CAD-) using euglycaemic insulin infusions combined with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake into soleus and tibialis anterior skeletal muscles. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score was quantified by electron beam tomography.

RESULTS

CAD+ participants with type 1 diabetes had a >100-fold higher CAC score than did CAD- participants with type 1 diabetes but groups did not differ in HbA_1c or insulin dose. During clamp studies, CAD+ and CAD- groups had similar glucose disposal but were insulin resistant compared with historical non-diabetic participants (n = 13). FDG uptake by soleus muscle was similarly reduced, overall, in individuals with type 1 diabetes with or without CAD compared with non-diabetic individuals. However, FDG uptake by tibialis anterior muscle was not reduced in CAD- participants with type 1 diabetes while in CAD+ participants with type 1 diabetes it was 75% greater (p < 0.01). Across all participants with type 1 diabetes, FDG uptake by tibialis anterior muscle correlated positively with CAC severity.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our study confirms that systemic and skeletal muscle-specific insulin resistance is seen in type 1 diabetes but found that it does not appear to be more severe in the presence of CAD. There were, however, sharp differences between soleus and tibialis anterior muscles in type 1 diabetes: while insulin resistance was clearly manifest in soleus muscle, and was of equal severity in CAD+ and CAD- participants, tibialis anterior did not suggest insulin resistance in participants with type 1 diabetes, as FDG uptake by tibialis anterior correlated positively with CAC severity and was significantly increased in participants with type 1 diabetes and clinical CAD. Graphical abstract.

The Causes of Insulin Resistance in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Is There a Place for Quaternary Prevention?

Diabetes mellitus was the first non-communicable disease that was recognized by the United Nations as a 21st-century pandemic problem. Recent scientific reports suggest that people with type 1 diabetes mellitus also develop insulin resistance, which is generally considered to be a distinctive feature of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The causes of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes mellitus were explored, but there was a lack of publications that connected the risk factors of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes mellitus with the proposition of repair mechanisms that are offered by quaternary prevention. Toward this end, the present review is an attempt to combine the previous reports on the causes of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes mellitus and a brief review of quaternary prevention. The destructive effect of insulin resistance on many physiological processes that predisposes the individual to chronic diabetes complications creates an urgent need to introduce effective therapeutic methods for preventing the development and progression of this pathology.

A Targeted Multiomics Approach to Identify Biomarkers Associated with Rapid eGFR Decline in Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) demonstrate varied trajectories of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline. The molecular pathways underlying rapid eGFR decline in T1D are poorly understood, and individual-level risk of rapid eGFR decline is difficult to predict.

METHODS

We designed a case-control study with multiple exposure measurements nested within 4 well-characterized T1D cohorts (FinnDiane, Steno, EDC, and CACTI) to identify biomarkers associated with rapid eGFR decline. Here, we report the rationale for and design of these studies as well as results of models testing associations of clinical characteristics with rapid eGFR decline in the study population, upon which "omics" studies will be built. Cases (n = 535) and controls (n = 895) were defined as having an annual eGFR decline of ≥3 and <1 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Associations of demographic and clinical variables with rapid eGFR decline were tested using logistic regression, and prediction was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) statistics. Targeted metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics are being performed using high-resolution mass-spectrometry techniques.

RESULTS

At baseline, the mean age was 43 years, diabetes duration was 27 years, eGFR was 94 mL/min/1.73 m2, and 62% of participants were normoalbuminuric. Over 7.6-year median follow-up, the mean annual change in eGFR in cases and controls was -5.7 and 0.6 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Younger age, longer diabetes duration, and higher baseline HbA1c, urine albumin-creatinine ratio, and eGFR were significantly associated with rapid eGFR decline. The cross-validated AUC for the predictive model incorporating these variables plus sex and mean arterial blood pressure was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68-0.79; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Known risk factors provide moderate discrimination of rapid eGFR decline. Identification of blood and urine biomarkers associated with rapid eGFR decline in T1D using targeted omics strategies may provide insight into disease mechanisms and improve upon clinical predictive models using traditional risk factors.

Sex-Specific Metabolic Changes in Peripheral Organs of Diabetic Mice

Diabetes mellitus (DM) can cause systemic metabolic disorders, but the impact of gender on DM-related metabolic changes is rarely reported. Herein, we analyzed metabolic alterations in the heart, liver, and kidney of male and female mice from normal to diabetes via a ¹H NMR-based metabolomics method and aimed to investigate sex-specific metabolic mechanisms underlying the onset and development of diabetes and its complications. Our results demonstrate that male mice had more significant metabolic disorders from normal to diabetes than female mice. Moreover, the kidney was found as the major organ of metabolic disorders during the development of diabetes, followed by the liver and heart. These altered metabolites were mainly implicated in energy metabolism as well as amino acid, choline, and nucleotide metabolism. Therefore, this study suggests that the kidney is the primary organ affected by diabetes in a sex-specific manner, which provides a metabolic view on the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney diseases between genders.

Older age of childhood type 1 diabetes onset is associated with islet autoantibody positivity >30 years later: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study

AIMS

To examine the association between islet autoantibody positivity and clinical characteristics, residual β-cell function (C-peptide) and prevalence of complications in a childhood-onset (age <17 years), long-duration (≥32 years) type 1 diabetes cohort.

METHODS

Islet autoantibodies (glutamic acid decarboxylase, insulinoma-associated protein 2 and zinc transporter-8 antibodies) were measured in the serum of participants who attended the 2011-2013 Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study follow-up examination (n=177, mean age 51 years, diabetes duration 43 years).

RESULTS

Prevalences of islet autoantibodies were: glutamic acid decarboxylase, 32%; insulinoma-associated protein 2, 22%; and zinc transporter-8, 4%. Positivity for each islet autoantibody was associated with older age at diabetes onset (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies, P=0.03; insulinoma-associated protein 2 antibodies, P=0.001; zinc transporter-8 antibodies, P<0.0001). Older age at onset was also associated with an increasing number of autoantibodies (P = 0.001). Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positivity was also associated with lower HbA_1c (P = 0.02), insulinoma-associated protein 2 antibody positivity was associated with lower prevalence of severe hypoglycaemic episodes (P=0.02) and both distal and autonomic neuropathy (P=0.04 for both), and zinc transporter-8 antibody positivity was associated with higher total and LDL cholesterol (P=0.01). No association between autoantibody positivity and C-peptide was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The strong association between islet autoantibody positivity and older age at type 1 diabetes onset supports the hypothesis of a less aggressive, and thus more persistent, immune process in those with older age at onset. This observation suggests that there may be long-term persistence of heterogeneity in the underlying autoimmune process.

Costs and outcomes of "intermediate" vs "minimal" care for youth-onset type 1 diabetes in six countries

OBJECTIVE

Data are needed to demonstrate that providing an "intermediate" level of type 1 diabetes (T1D) care is cost-effective compared to "minimal" care in less-resourced countries. We studied these care scenarios in six countries.

METHODS

We modeled the complications/costs/mortality/healthy life years (HLYs) associated with "intermediate" care including two blood glucose tests/day (mean HbA1c 9.0% [75 mmol/mol]) in three lower-gross domestic product (GDP) countries (Mali, Tanzania, Pakistan), or three tests/day (mean HbA1c 8.5% [69 mmol/mol]) in three higher-GDP countries (Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan); and compared findings to "minimal" care (mean HbA1c 12.5% [113 mmol/mol]). A discrete time Markov illness-death model with age and calendar-year-dependent transition probabilities was developed, with inputs of 30 years of complications and Standardized Mortality Rate data from the youth cohort in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study, background mortality, and costs determined from international and local prices.

RESULTS

Cumulative 30 years incidences of complications were much lower for "intermediate care" than "minimal care", for example, for renal failure incidence was 68.1% (HbA1c 12.5%) compared to 3.9% (9%) and 2.4% (8.5%). For Mali, Tanzania, Pakistan, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, and Azerbaijan, 30 years survival was 50.1%/52.7%/76.7%/72.5%/82.8%/89.2% for "intermediate" and 8.5%/10.1%/39.4%/25.8%/45.5%/62.1% for "minimal" care, respectively. The cost of a HLY gained as a % GDP/capita was 141.1%/110.0%/52.3%/41.8%/17.0%/15.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Marked reductions in complications rates and mortality are achievable with "intermediate" T1D care achieving mean clinic HbA1c of 8.5% to 9% (69-75 mmol/mol). This is also "very cost-effective" in four of six countries according to the WHO "Fair Choices" approach which costs HLYs gained against GDP/capita.

Risk factors differ by first manifestation of cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes

AIMS

We compared risk factors for three CVD manifestations and a composite outcome over 25 years' follow-up in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) prospective cohort study of childhood-onset (<17 years) type 1 diabetes (n = 658).

METHODS

First CVD manifestations examined were: (1) major atherosclerotic cardiovascular event (MACE, i.e. CVD death, myocardial infarction, stroke), (2) coronary revascularization, (3) soft coronary artery disease (CAD, i.e. ischemia ECG, angina), and a (4) composite (MACE + revascularization) outcome. Baseline and time-varying mean and current risk factors, including medication use, were assessed, in diabetes duration-adjusted models.

RESULTS

MACE (n = 107) was predicted by ln(albumin excretion rate) (AER, HR = 1.3, p < 0.0001), systolic BP (SBP, HR = 1.03, p < 0.0001), white blood cell count (WBC, HR = 1.2, p < 0.0001), HbA1c (HR = 1.2p = 0.03), LDLc (HR = 1.01, p = 0.03). Soft CAD (n = 91) was predicted by ln(AER) (HR = 1.2, p = 0.004), SBP (HR = 1.03, p = 0.0002), WBC (HR = 1.2, p = 0.0003), HbA1c (HR = 1.2, p = 0.005). Revascularization (n = 38) was predicted by LDLc (HR = 1.03, p < 0.0001), eGFR (HR = 0.98, p = 0.002), HbA1c (HR = 1.3, p = 0.03). Adding revascularization to MACE enhanced the role of LDLc, while diminishing that of HbA1c, compared to MACE alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Important risk factor associations may be affected by examining composite CVD outcomes. More research is needed to determine how to best incorporate revascularization into composite CVD definitions.

Sex Differences in Diabetic Kidney Disease

While the global prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus is similar in men and women, the consequences of diabetes on associated end-organ complications, including diabetic kidney disease appear to be more sex-specific. Particularly, women with diabetes have higher mortality rates for diabetes-related deaths, and higher prevalence of diabetic kidney disease risk factors such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, and dyslipidemia. However, the evidence for the impact of sex on diabetic kidney disease prevalence and disease progression is limited and inconsistent. Although most studies agree that the protective effect of the female sex against the development of kidney disease is diminished in the setting of diabetes, the reasons for this observation are unclear. Whether or not sex differences exist in the risk of diabetic kidney disease is also unclear, with studies reporting either higher risk in men, women, or no sex differences. Despite the remaining controversies, some of the factors that associate with sex differences in the risk of diabetic kidney disease are age at onset, and type and duration of diabetes. There is growing appreciation of the importance of sex hormones in the regulation of renal function, with estrogens generally considered to be renoprotective. Although some progress has been made towards better understanding of the mechanisms by which sex hormones play a role in the pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease, the translational potential of this knowledge is still underappreciated. A better understanding of sex differences in diabetic kidney disease may provide basis for personalized and sex-specific treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

Understanding Metabolic Memory: A Tale of Two Studies

The results of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) have given rise to much encouragement in the battle to stave off the complications of type 1 diabetes, showing dramatic declines in the development of severe retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy in those treated intensively compared with conventional therapy. Particularly encouraging has been the continuing difference between the two groups despite both having similar HbA1c (∼8%) since the end of DCCT, when 96% of participants entered the observational Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study. This continuing relative benefit has been termed "metabolic memory," which implies altered metabolic regulation. Based on evidence from both the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) prospective cohort study of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and DCCT/EDIC, we show that the metabolic memory effect can be largely explained by lower cumulative glycemic exposure in the intensive therapy group, and, on average, the development of complications increases with greater glycemic exposure, irrespective of whether this results from a high exposure for a short time or a lower exposure for a longer time. Thus, there is no need for a concept like "metabolic memory" to explain these observations. Potential mechanisms explaining the cumulative glycemic effect are also briefly discussed.

Clinical Features and Comorbidities of Patients With Necrobiosis Lipoidica With or Without Diabetes

Importance

Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a rare granulomatous condition. Current knowledge of its key features is based on a limited number of studies and case reports, leading to wide variability in the characterization of its defining features, with limited comparison of patients with or without diabetes.

Objective

To evaluate the epidemiologic characteristics, clinical features, and disease associations of NL in patients with or without type 1 or 2 diabetes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multicenter retrospective review included 236 patients aged 15 to 84 years who were evaluated and received a diagnosis of NL at the University of Pennsylvania Health System between January 1, 2008, and July 15, 2018; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between January 1, 2000, and June 15, 2018; and Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital between January 1, 2000, and February 15, 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Patient demographics, clinical features, medical comorbidities, and biopsy status.

Results

Of the 236 patients with NL, 200 were women and 36 were men, and 182 were white, with a median age at presentation of 50.0 years (interquartile range, 33.0-59.0 years). The diagnosis was biopsy proven in 156 patients (66.1%). Of the 230 patients with location specified, 225 (97.8%) had NL on the lower legs. A total of 138 patients with NL (58.5%; 95% CI, 52.7%-65.3%) had diabetes. The median hemoglobin A1c for patients with diabetes was 8.00% (interquartile range, 6.68%-9.50%) (to convert hemoglobin A1c to proportion of total hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01). Patients with diabetes were significantly younger than patients without diabetes (median age, 45.0 vs 52.0 years; P = .005), and slightly less likely to be female (112 of 138 [81.2%] vs 87 of 96 [90.6%]; P = .046), but lesion characteristics were otherwise comparable. Other notable comorbidities included obesity in 95 of 184 patients (51.6%; 95% CI, 44.4%-58.9%), hypertension in 104 of 230 patients (45.2%), dyslipidemia in 98 of 225 patients (43.6%), and thyroid disease in 56 of 229 patients (24.5%).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study of NL supports its associations with diabetes as well as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and thyroid disease. Younger age and female sex were observed more frequently in patients with diabetes. Otherwise, NL lesions in patients with or without diabetes shared many clinical features, suggesting that risk factors outside of elevated blood glucose may play an important role in the disease. Future studies should evaluate these associations with the goal of further elucidating NL's underlying pathophysiologic characteristics.

Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Fatty Acid Composition and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 in Adult Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

Metabolic changes in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) impair vasodilation, and this leads to tissue hypoxia and microvascular pathology. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can significantly improve the outcome of ischemic conditions in T1DM patients and reduce vascular complications. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of HBOT on plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, and expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1) in T1DM patients.

METHODS

Our study included 24 adult T1DM patients diagnosed with peripheral vascular complications. The patients were exposed to 10 sessions of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.4 atmosphere absolute for 1 hour. Blood samples were collected at admission and after HBOT for measurement of metabolic parameters, FA composition and IGFBP-1. Measurement of plasma FA composition was determined by gas chromatography. Expression of IGFBP-1 in the serum was estimated by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

HBOT decreased blood levels of total cholesterol (p<0.05), triglycerides (p<0.05) and low-density lipoprotein (p<0.05). HBOT increased plasma levels of individual FAs: palmitic acid (p<0.05), palmitoleic acid (p<0.05), docosapentaenoic acid (p<0.05) and docosahexaenoic acid (p<0.01), and decreased levels of stearic acid (p<0.05), alpha linolenic acid (p<0.05) and linoleic acid (p<0.01). Expression of IGFBP-1 (p<0.01) was increased, whereas the level of insulin (p<0.001) was decreased in the serum after HBOT.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that HBOT exerts beneficial effects in T1DM patients by improving the lipid profile and altering FA composition.

Risk factors for diabetic kidney disease in adults with longstanding type 1 diabetes: results from the Canadian Study of Longevity in Diabetes

Objectives: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D). We aimed to explore clinical and biochemical factors, including the achievement of American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended targets associated with DKD in people living with T1D for ≥50 years.

Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional study of 75 participants enrolled in the Canadian Study of Longevity in T1D. We explored diabetes-related complications, including neuropathy, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and DKD. Study participants were dichotomized based on the achievement of ADA recommended targets as the low-target group (achieving ≤4 targets, n = 31) and high-target group (achieving >4 targets, n = 44). The outcome of interest was DKD defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values <60/mL/min/1.73 m² and/or 24-h albumin excretion >30 mg. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for DKD with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Of the 75 participants with prolonged T1D duration (45% male, mean age 66 years), 25 participants had DKD and 50 did not. There was no statistical difference between the high- and low-target groups in terms of age and body mass index. eGFR was significantly higher and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was significantly lower in the high-target group. Older age at diagnosis of T1D and lower frequency component to high-frequency component ratio increased the odds of having DKD.

Conclusions: In adults with prolonged T1D duration, older age at diagnosis and lower heart rate variability may be associated with DKD.

Mediation analysis for estimating cardioprotection of longitudinal RAS inhibition beyond lowering blood pressure and albuminuria in type 1 diabetes

PURPOSE

We assessed the extent of cardiovascular benefit of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition beyond lowering blood pressure (BP) and albuminuria in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

METHODS

This cohort study included 605 T1D participants from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study without baseline coronary artery disease (CAD). Participant follow-up extended through 25 years. We implemented marginal structural models to estimate total effect of and controlled direct effect by isolating the role of BP or albuminuria in mediating the relation between RAS inhibitors and CAD.

RESULTS

Total effect of longitudinal RAS inhibition treatment was associated with 38% decreased CAD risk (HR [95% CI]: 0.62 [0.23, 1.77]). The controlled direct effect of RAS inhibition was a 27% risk reduction (HR: 0.73 [0.20, 2.59]) when isolating the role of BP and 26% risk reduction (HR: 0.74 [0.16, 3.35]) when isolating the role of albuminuria. The mediation proportion for each 10 mm Hg systolic BP and each 1 log unit of albumin excretion rate were 34% and 37%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that BP regulation and albuminuria reduction can only partially explain cardiovascular benefit of RAS inhibition on CAD in T1D, supporting the assertion that RAS inhibitors provide additional cardioprotection beyond lowering BP and albuminuria.

Prognostic Significance of Pulse Pressure and Other Blood Pressure Components for Coronary Artery Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

To compare in individuals with type 1 diabetes the prediction of incident coronary artery disease (CAD) by components of resting blood pressure-systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure.

METHODS

In 605 participants without known CAD at baseline and followed sequentially for 25 years, we used Cox modeling built for each blood pressure component associated with incident CAD, overall and stratified by age (<35 and ≥35 years) or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (<9% and ≥9%).

RESULTS

Baseline mean age and diabetes duration were 27 and 19 years, respectively. We observed an early asymptote and then fall in diastolic blood pressure in their late 30s and early 40s in this group of type 1 diabetes individuals, followed by an early rise of pulse pressure. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95% con) for CAD associated with 1 SD pressure increase were 1.35 (1.17, 1.56) for systolic pressure; 1.30 (1.12, 1.51) for diastolic pressure; 1.20 (1.03, 1.39) for pulse pressure; and 1.35 (1.17, 1.56) for mean arterial pressure. Pulse pressure emerged as a strong predictor of CAD at age ≥ 35 years (HR: 1.49 [1.15, 1.94]) and for HbA1c ≥ 9% (HR: 1.32 [1.01, 1.72]).

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with type 1 diabetes may manifest early vascular aging by an early decline in diastolic blood pressure and rise in pulse pressure, the latter parameter becoming a comparable to systolic blood pressure in predictor incident CAD in those aged over 35 years and those with poor glycemic control.

Effect of age at menarche on microvascular complications among women with Type 1 diabetes

AIM

To test the hypothesis that delayed menarche is associated with an increased microvascular complication risk among women with Type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

We studied the female participants of an ongoing prospective study of childhood-onset Type 1 diabetes diagnosed during the period 1950-1980. Of 325 women, we included data from 315 who had reached menarche by the study baseline (1986-1988) and who self-reported their age at menarche. Both cross-sectional and prospective analyses over the 25-year follow-up were used to assess the relationship of age at menarche with the prevalence, incidence and cumulative incidence of microvascular complications, comprising overt nephropathy, proliferative retinopathy and confirmed distal symmetric polyneuropathy.

RESULTS

In cross-sectional analyses at baseline, the odds of overt nephropathy increased 1.24 times (P=0.02) with each annual increase in age at menarche, and 3.2 times (P=0.009) in those with delayed menarche compared with women with normal menarche onset, after adjustment. Similarly, the cumulative incidence of overt nephropathy increased 1.16 times (P=0.01) with each older year of menarche and women with delayed menarche were at twofold increased risk of overt nephropathy (hazard ratio 2.30, P=0.001) compared with women with normal menarche onset. However, age at menarche was not significantly associated with either proliferative retinopathy or confirmed distal symmetric polyneuropathy after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Age at menarche was significantly associated with the prevalence and cumulative incidence of overt nephropathy, but not with proliferative retinopathy or confirmed distal symmetric polyneuropathy in Type 1 diabetes. Women with delayed menarche may therefore be targeted for early screening and timely interventions to prevent the development of nephropathy.