Hipoglucemia en pacientes con diabetes tipo 1 y tipo 2 en tratamiento con insulina. Resultados del estudio HAT en argentina / Hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus on insulin therapy. Results of the global HAT study in Argentina

Describimos los resultados del estudio internacional no intervencionista HAT en una muestra de Argentina que evaluó las hipoglucemias graves y no graves en 433 pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DMT1) y 823 con diabetes tipo 2 (DMT2) tratados con insulina, mediante un cuestionario de autoevaluación doble (retrospectivo y prospectivo). La incidencia anual de al menos un evento de hipoglucemia fue 46 episodios/paciente-año en DMT1 y 14.2 en DMT2 (retrospectivo) y 96.5 y 24.6 eventos/paciente/año en DMT1 y DMT2, respectivamente (prospectivo). La hipoglucemia influyó en la calidad de vida (en escala 0-10 de temor a hipoglucemia: 60% en DMT1 y 37.6% en DMT2 puntuó de 5 a 10), en el desempeño cotidiano, laboral o académico (2.1% con DMT1 y el 3.2% con DMT2 no asistieron a su labor por hipoglucemia) y en el mayor consumo de recursos (en DMT1: 66.1% aumentó el monitoreo glucémico, 60.5% la ingesta, 51% las consultas y 60.5% redujo la insulina y el 20.9% el ejercicio, con 3.5% de internación, y en DMT2 aumentó un 46.2% el monitoreo glucémico, 43.8% las consultas, 38.6% la ingesta, el 24.1% redujo y el 13.9% salteó la dosis de insulina, 14.3% suspendió el ejercicio). Se registró mayor número de episodios en el período prospectivo. Es necesario contar con un instrumento para evaluar las hipoglucemias en la práctica clínica y con estrategias para reducir su riesgo. También es importante indagar sobre los episodios y reforzar la educación de pacientes y familiares sobre ajustes de tratamiento ante episodios de hipoglucemia.

We describe the results of the HAT study in 433 Argentinean patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 823 with type 2 diabetes (T2D). HAT was an international non-interventional study assessing severe and non-severe hypoglycaemia in patients with T1D and T2D under insulin treatment through a two-part self-assessment questionnaire (retrospective and prospective). The annual incidence of at least one hypoglycaemic episode was 46 episode/patient/year in T1D and 14.2 in T2D (retrospective), 96.5 and 24.6 episode/patient/year in T1D and T2D, respectively (prospective). Hypoglycaemia affected quality of life (on a scale of 0-10 for fear of hypoglycaemia: 60% in T1D and 37.6% in T2D scored 5 to 10), daily life, occupational or academic performance (2.1% with T1D and 3.2% with T2D did not attend to their work after hypoglycaemia), and induced an increased use of health resources (T1D: 66.1% increased glucose monitoring, 60.5% food intake, 51% consultations, 3.5% hospital admissions; 60.5% reduced insulin and 20.9% exercises; T2D increased 46.2% glucose monitoring, 43.8% consultations, 38.6% food intake, 24.1% reduced and 13.9% skipped the insulin dose and 14.3% suspended exercises). Greater numbers of episodes were recorded in the prospective period. An instrument to assess hypoglycaemia in clinical practice and strategies to reduce their risk are required. It is also important to ask about the episodes and reinforce the education of patients and close relatives on hypoglycaemia prevention and treatment.

High prevalence of thyroid nodules in patients with achrocordons (skin tags): Possible role of insulin-resistance / Alta prevalencia de nódulos tiroideos en pacientes con acrocordones (fibromas blandos): Posible papel de la insulino-resistencia

Due to the observation of a great number of patients having achrocordons, when they underwent fine needle biopsies for thyroid nodules, we decided to perform a prospective study to investigate the relationship between this finding and the presence of insulin resistance (IR), since achrocordons are commonly seen in hyperinsulinemic subjects. A total of 120 consecutive women, aged 18-35 yrs were studied. All subjects were also evaluated by thyroid ultrasound (US) for measuring thyroid volume and the presence of nonpalpable nodules. Basal and post-prandial serum insulin was measured in all of them, as well as the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). Subjects were divided in two groups: Group A, with achrocordons (n = 44) and Group B, without achrocordons (n = 76). Group A showed 24 patients (54.5%) with thyroid nodules, whereas Group B only 13 subjects (17.1%); p = 0.0087. When we considered, as having high normal thyroid volume, the glands weighting more than 16 grams by US, without nodules, it was found that 8/44 cases from Group A (18.6%) and 3/76 from Group B (3.9%) fitted in such category, p = 0.0076. In patients with nodules and/or bigger thyroids, IR was observed in 36/44 (81.8%) of Group A and 14/76 (18.4%) of Group B, p = 0.0069, while the overall prevalence of IR was 0.47 in Group A and 0.05 in Group B, p = 0.00094. It is concluded that patients with achrocordons have a higher prevalence of US-detected thyroid nodules and larger thyroid glands. Then, it may be beneficial to search for thyroid abnormalities in those subjects with skin tags.

Debido a la alta frecuencia de acrocordones en pacientes que concurrían a nuestro servicio para realizar punciones aspirativas de nódulos tiroideos, realizamos un estudio prospectivo para investigar la relación entre este hallazgo y la presencia de insulino resistencia (IR), dado que los acrocordones son frecuentemente observados en pacientes hiperinsulinémicos. Se incluyeron 120 pacientes consecutivas, con edades entre 18 y 35 años. Todas fueron evaluadas con una ecografía tiroidea para determinar su volumen y la presencia de nódulos no palpables. Se midió insulinemia basal y post prandial, así como el índice Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). Las pacientes se dividieron en 2 grupos: Grupo A, con acrocordones (n = 44) y Grupo B, sin acrocordones (n = 76). En el Grupo A se encontraron 24 (54.5%) con nódulos tiroideos, mientras que el Grupo B, sólo 13 (17.1%); p = 0.0087. Cuando consideramos la presencia de una glándula tiroides de tamaño elevado pero dentro de los límites normales, medida por ecografía (peso mayor a 16 gramos sin nódulos), encontramos que 8/44 casos del Grupo A (18.6%) y 3/76 del Grupo B (3.9%) entraron en esta categoría, p = 0.0076. En aquellas pacientes con nódulos tiroideos o glándula tiroides de mayor tamaño, observamos IR en 36/44 (81.8%) del Grupo A y en 14/76 (18.4%) del Grupo B, p = 0.0069, mientras que la prevalencia total de IR fue del 0.47 en el Grupo A y del 0.05 en el Grupo B, p = 0.00094. En conclusión, las pacientes con acrocordones tuvieron mayor prevalencia de nódulos tiroideos detectados por ecografía, glándula tiroides de mayor tamaño y mayor proporción de insulino resistencia.

Management of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism: factors influencing L-thyroxine dosage

With the aim of establishing optimal dosage schedules, 171 women with either orvet (OH, n=80) or subclinical (SCH, n=91) hypothyroidism were assessed before and 6 months after starting L-thyroxine (LT4) replacement therapy. Each group was further classified into four subgroups according to post-therapy serum TSH level, as follows; A) complete suppression; B) partial suppression; C) normal range and D) above normal range (insufficient response). In all subgroups, LT4 doses were higher for OH than for SCH, whether expressed as total daily dose (mug) or as a function of either actual or ideal body weight (mug/kg BW). In OH, LT4 dose was higher for subgroups A or B as compared with either C or D. In SCH, subgroup A received a larger dose than the other subgroups. Post-treatment serum thyroxine levels showed the same pattern for both OH and SCH. Mean LT4 dose was similar in patients with high and normal antithyroid antibodies and in patients with goiter and in those without it. In goitrous patients thyroid volume decreased in subgroup B, particularly in those patients that had elevated antithyroid antibodies, but not in subgroup C. In OH patients a significant negative correlation was found between daily LT4 dose per Kg actual BW and actual BW, especially in subgroup C for patients with a body mass index > 27 kg/cm2 (r = -0.90, p<0.001). In subgroup C of the SCH group, a negative correlation between LT4 dose and age was noticed. Both in OH and in SCH, LT4 dose per kg actual BW required to obtain a serum TSH within the normal range was lower in women with a body mass index (BM) > 27 kg/m2 than in those with a BMI = 27 kg/m2. LT4 doses for subgroup C did not differ from those needed in hypothyroid patients with previous Graves' disease, in either OH or SCH patients.