The multicenter, open-Label, observational LEAD-Ph study: Real-world safety and effectiveness of liraglutide in Filipino participants with Type 2 Diabetes / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objective@#Assess safety and effectiveness of liraglutide among Filipino participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in routine clinical practice.@*Methodology@#A 26-week, prospective, multicenter, open-label, observational study was conducted in adults with T2D prescribed liraglutide (1.2 mg or 1.8 mg) in routine clinical practice in the Philippines. Primary endpoint: incidence rate and type of serious adverse drug reactions (SADRs). Secondary endpoints included other aspects of safety, and effectiveness.@*Results@#Participants (n=1056) had a mean (standard deviation) age of 53.2 (12.0) years, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 8.8% (2.0). Of 19 ADRs reported in 17 participants, none were SADRs (primary endpoint). No serious adverse events were reported. From baseline to week 26: the proportion of participants with major hypoglycemic episodes (requiring assistance) decreased from 2.0% to 0.2%; and with minor episodes (plasma glucose <3.1 mmol/L [<56 mg/dL]) decreased from 6.1% to 1.5%; serum creatinine remained unchanged. Among secondary effectiveness endpoints, improvements were seen from baseline to week 26 in HbA1c level, fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, body weight, blood pressure, and fasting lipid profile.@*Conclusion@#During routine clinical use of liraglutide for T2D in the Philippines, no new safety concerns were identified and blood glucose was lowered effectively.

Change in HbA1c among filipino diabetic patients who shifted from multiple daily injection to continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion: A retrospective cohort study

Introduction@#Insulin delivered by multiple daily injection (MDI), for a time, has been considered to be the most physiologic among the different insulin regimen. Among patients on MDI, there is still a significant proportion who remains uncontrolled. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) or insulin pump has been shown to benefit some patients who are still uncontrolled despite intensive insulin therapy with MDI. Currently, there is little information on the use of insulin pump in the Philippines. The researchers aim to determine the change in HbA1c and the proportion of patients with HbA1c of <8% after shifting from MDI to CSII. To correlate the change in HbA1c with age and baseline HbA1c. To compare the change in HbA1c between gender, type of diabetes and type of bolus regimen.@*Methods@#This is a retrospective cohort analytical study of 33 adult patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), switched from MDI to insulin pump. Chart review was done to obtain data on age, gender, type of bolus, baseline HbA1c and HbA1c six to twelve months after switching insulin pump initiation. The change in HbA1c was correlated with baseline HbA1c and age. Mean change in HbA1c was also compared between gender, type of bolus and type of diabetes.@*Results@#Mean HbA1c prior to switching to insulin pump was 10±1.7. The HbA1c reduction was 1.86±1.6 (p<0.001, CI 1.38-2.34), resulting to a mean final A1c of 8.1±1.2 after CSII initiation. Seventeen out of 33 patients (52%) achieved an average HBA1c of <8%. A positive correlation was observed between HBA1c reduction and baseline HbA1c (r =0.738, p<0.001) but not with age (r = -0.002, p=0.99). There was no significant difference in the HbA1c reduction between male and female (p=0.353), Type 1 DM and Type 2 DM (p=0.133), and those that used fixed bolus vs bolus calculator (p=0.559). The reduction in A1c remains significant when analyzed as individual subgroups: 2.1±2.3 (p=0.001) in males; 1.6±1.0 (p<0.001) in females; 1.5±1.6 (p=0.001) in type 1; 2.3±1.6 (p<0.001) in type 2; 2.1±1.5 (p<0.001) in bolus calculator, and 1.7±1.8 (p<0.001) in fixed bolus group.@*Conclusion@#There is significant reduction in HbA1c among this cohort of Filipino diabetic patients after switching from MDI to CSII. While majority of patients had >1% reduction, achieving an ideal goal of <7% remains to be a challenge. Greater HbA1c reduction are seen in patients with higher baseline HbA1c. There is no significant difference in the reduction in HbA1c with respect to gender, type of diabetes and type of bolus used.

Metastatic glucagonoma presenting with weight loss and necrolytic migratory erythema / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

@#A 42-year-old Filipino female was admitted due to weight loss and recurrent abdominal pain over the past ten years. In 2010, she was diagnosed to have disseminated PTB associated with a liver mass. After 1 year of anti-TB treatment, lung condition was treated but her liver mass has enlarged. She also developed diarrhea, diabetes, and skin lesions with biopsy results showing Necrolytic Migratory Erythema (NME). CT scan showed liver and pancreatic tumors that were biopsied revealing a neuroendocrine tumor. Blood glucagon level was elevated. She was treated as a case of glucagon-secreting tumor with liver metastases with Everolimus and Octreotide. After 3 months of treatment, she gained weight, the skin lesions improved, and the liver mass decreased in size. Many of the initial symptoms of glucagonoma are nonspecific and subtle. As a result, glucagonoma is often diagnosed relatively late in the course of the disease. NME, the characteristic skin lesion of the glucagonoma syndrome, is often the clue that leads to the correct diagnosis.

Ultrasonographic measurement of skin and subcutaneous thickness at insulin injection sites among adult Filipinos with diabetes / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objectives@#To determine the skin and subcutaneous thickness of adult diabetic Filipinos using ultrasonography. @*Methodology@#We studied 293 Filipino diabetic adults who had ultrasonographic measurements of their skin thickness (ST) and subcutaneous thickness (SCT) at common insulin injection sites.@*Results@#The mean ST ranges from 1.76 mm to 2.75mm. The mean SCT ranges from 6.91 mm to 19.1 mm. The anterior thigh area has the thinnest mean ST and SCT. On the other hand, the buttocks have the thickest mean ST and area of abdomen has the thickest mean SCT. On multiple regression analysis, the predictors for skin thickness are injection site, age, BMI, gender and insulin use, however the overall influence of all these factors on skin thickness is variable at best. @*Conclusion@#Skin thickness among Filipinos varies marginally depending on injection site being thickest at the buttocks and thinnest at the thighs. On the other hand, there is greater variability in SCT depending on the injection site, being thickest at the abdominal area and thinnest at the anterior thigh.

The transformation of transsexual individuals / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

@#The traditional binary classification of gender is repeatedly challenged throughout history with the presence of transgenders. Under the umbrella of transgenderism is transsexualism which pertains to individuals who identify with or desire to become the opposite sex. Transsexualism or Gender Dysphoria is classified as a medical condition under ICD 10 and DSM-5. The proposed treatment is sex reassignment that includes all treatments carried out to adapt to the desired sex. Sex reassignment involves a multidisciplinary approach wherein the psychiatrist or mental health practitioner, endocrinologist and surgeon play active roles. Certain legal and ethical issues exist in the treatment of transsexualism. This article provides a review of psychological, medical and surgical issues in the evaluation and treatment of Transgender individuals, with an Asian perspective, and in the context of an actual case.