RESUMO
Increased carotid intima-media thickness [CIMT] is considered as a marker for early detection of atherosclerotic changes in the arterial walls. The purpose of this study was to assess CIMT in type 1 diabetic patients compared to controls. A case-control study was performed on 34 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 33 healthy people in Kashan during 2013-2014. The inclusion criterion was the diabetes history more than one year and the exclusion criteria were the use of antihypertensive or lipid reducing drugs, smoking, family history of cardiovascular disease, any complications of diabetes and any chronic disease. The weight, height, blood pressure and CIMT of the patients were measured. Moreover, laboratory tests including fast blood sugar, Hb Ale and lipid tests were performed. Sixty-seven subjects [34 type 1 diabetes patients and 33 healthy controls] were evaluated. The mean history of diabetes mellitus was 76.03 +/- 51.44 months. The mean age of the healthy subjects was 15.35 +/- 5.73 years and for the patients 15.25 +/- 7.94 years. Mean CIMT in healthy subjects was 0.439 +/- 0.06 mm and in patients 0.478 +/- 0.05 mm [P=0.005]. Moreover, maximum CIMT was higher in the patients than in the controls [P=0.01]. The multiple linear regression showed that CIMT was about 0.012 units higher in diabetic patients than in controls, and also CIMT was increased 0.012 units per one unit increase in HbAlc values. The mean CIMT in patients with type 1 diabetes was higher than in the controls and positively correlated with the history of diabetes, while it does not correlate with the lipid profiles, blood pressure and body mass index
RESUMO
Diabetes is a multi-factorial chronic disease that has no absolute cure and requires continuous self-care. Emotional disorders such as alexithymia have been considered as one of the major barriers to self-care behaviors in diabetes control. This study aimed to compare glycemic control indicators in patients with type II diabetes in two alexithymic and non-alexithymic groups. This was a cross-sectional study with a study sample of 80 [47 females and 33 males, aged 40 to 60 years] type 2 diabetic out-patients who referred to clinics of the Labbafinejad hospital in 2012. Data collected, using 3 questionnaires included information on demographic, anthropometric and clinical characteristics, a summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scales. Blood tests were performed to obtain HbA1c. Pearson's correlation coefficients showed alexithymia has a significant negative association with self-care activities [-0.49] and a significant positive association with HbA1c levels [0.44]. Results of t-test indicated that self-care activities in alexithymic group were significantly lesser than the non-alexithymic one and their glycated haemoglobin was higher than this group. Alexithymia in patients with type II diabetes limits their ability in their self-care activities, resulting in higher levels of glycated haemoglobin in these patients, compared to the non-alexithymic group, results which could initiate related research on potential emotional problems in patients with type 2 diabetes and enhance their diabetes control