Mapping the journey of patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the Philippines

Objectives@#Knowing the limited epidemiological studies on painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) in the Philippines, the present review aimed to map the prevalence of pDPN and identify the associated healthcare gaps. @*Materials and Methods@#A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase and BIOSIS was conducted using predefine inclusion criteria, and relevant studies published in English between 2004 and 2021 were identified. An unstructured literature search was also conducted on public and government websites with no date restriction. Data combined from all sources were synthesized and presented as a simple mean.@*Results@#Three studies were considered for final analyses of the 26 articles retrieved from structured and unstructured searches. The sample sizes for the three studies were 103, 172, and 100, respectively. The simple mean prevalence of pDPN was estimated at 26.5%. Awareness of pDPN based on a published study was 89%. According to published studies, screening and diagnosis of pDPN were 65% and 76.7%, respectively. One-third of the patients with pDPN (75%) were treated. No literature is available for adherence and control.@*Conclusion@#Limited data exist on the different management stages of patients with pDPN in the Philippines. The study analysis will help address the knowledge gaps, improve patient care and pain management, and aid decisionmaking.

A retrospective cohort study on the treatment outcome after Unilateral Adrenalectomy among patients with Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital

Background@#Unilateral adrenalectomy is indicated for patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism resulting in normalization of hypokalemia and resolution of hypertension. This study aims to determine the proportion of patients with cure of hypertension and improvement of hypokalemia after unilateral adrenalectomy among patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma and assess the association of preoperative factors with these outcomes.@*Methods@#This is a retrospective cohort study among patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy with at least one month follow-up after the operation. Patients were selected from admissions to the University of Santo Tomas Hospital from January 2008 to November 2018. The proportion of patients with cure of hypertension and resolution of hypokalemia were determined. Binary logistic regression was used to determine preoperative factors associated with these outcomes.@*Results@#Twenty-one patients were included in this study. Cure of hypertension was noted in 47.62% and 42.86% of patients within 24 hours of adrenalectomy and on follow-up, respectively. Improvement of hypokalemia was noted in 61.90% of patients within 24 hours of operation while all patients had improvement of hypokalemia on follow-up. Patients without preoperative hypokalemia were more likely to have cure of hypertension within 24 hours of adrenalectomy (OR=0.0250, p=0.005) and on follow-up (OR=0.0571, p=0.010).@*Conclusion@#Unilateral adrenalectomy results in improvement of hypertension and hypokalemia in the majority of patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma. Shorter duration of hypertension and absence of preoperative hypokalemia were significantly associated with cure of hypertension after unilateral adrenalectomy.

Approach to lower the cardiovascular risk of individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence-based consensus statements of the Philippine Heart Association and Philippine Society of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism

@#Diabetes remains as the 6th leading cause of death in the Philippines, with more than 33,000 deaths in 2016. Given this alarming prevalence, it is imperative that this public health concern be prioritized in the country and to answer such concern, a group of cardiologists and endocrinologists who are in active clinical practice and research, formed a technical working group composed of five members. Their primary objective was to develop an evidence-based consensus document for Filipino healthcare practitioners and people in the academe that would serve as a guideline on the approach to lower the CV risk of individuals with T2DM. The TWG agreed on focusing with the pharmacological approach to treatment of lowering CV risk for T2DM patients using the ADAPTE model which is a more systematic approach to guideline adaptation. The recommendations were developed using the ADAPTE framework appraising all international practice guidelines and recommendations through to 2013. The technical working group’s overall objective of guideline adaptation is to take advantage of the existing guidelines to enhance the efficient production and use of high-quality adapted guidelines specially in the local Philippine setting. Each of these articles was then assessed using the AGREE instrument. Based on the key questions that the technical working group had identified regarding the approach to lower the risk of individuals with type 2 diabetes, 9 recommendations concerning the antidiabetic drug of choice for persons with type 2 diabetes with or without established ASCVD and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia were drafted and are presented in this report.

Use of SGLT-2 Inhibitors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Abdominal Obesity: An Asian Perspective and Expert Recommendations

The prevalence of obesity in Asia is of epidemic proportions, with an estimated 1 billion overweight/obese individuals in the region. The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are overweight/obese, which increases the risk of cardiorenal outcomes in these patients; hence, sustained reductions in body weight and visceral adiposity are important management goals. However, most of the glucose-lowering therapies such as insulin, sulfonylureas, glinides, and thiazolidinediones induce weight gain, which makes the management of overweight/obese T2DM patients challenging. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only oral glucose-lowering agents that have been shown to reduce body weight and visceral adiposity. In addition, SGLT-2 inhibitors therapy reduces ectopic fat deposition and improves adipose tissue function and weight-related quality of life. In this article, we aim to consolidate the existing literature on the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM and to produce clinical recommendations on their use in overweight or obese patients with T2DM. Recommendations from international and regional guidelines, as well as published data from clinical trials in Asian populations and cardiovascular outcomes trials are reviewed. Based on the available data, SGLT-2 inhibitors represent an evidence-based therapeutic option for the management of overweight/obese patients with T2DM.

Successful reduction in thyroid and nodule volumes in large solitary and multinodular goiters with serial 131 iodine therapy

Introduction@#131Iodine therapy is effective in nodular nontoxic goiter with enhanced effects using recombinant thyroid stimulating hormone (rTSH). The eventual fibrosis of the thyroid tissue and blood vessels ligates the vascular supply of the nodule. The study aims to show the successful reduction of thyroid and nodule volumes in large solitary and multinodular goiters using serial low dose 131iodine therapy (10mCi) at three to six months interval.@*Methods@#A retrospective analytical study was done from January 2010 to December 2012 and included twenty three patients with enlarged solitary and multinodular (nodule/s ≥2cm) non-toxic goiter (females: age range 35-65yrs) given serial 131iodine therapy (eight to10mCi) at three to six-month interval. Before each course, serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was done to document hypothyroidism while thyroid gland and nodule sizes were monitored by ultrasonographic measurements serially with each 131iodine therapy. Relief of compressive symptoms was monitored on follow-up at clinic.@*Results@#Thyroid size reduced by 38-40% from baseline after first radioactive iodine (RAI) and by 33-39% after the second RAI. Thyroid nodules reduced by 63-69% and 11-25% serially. Significant reduction was noted after the first RAI. One subject underwent third RAI with 80-85% overall reduction in nodule size. All patients developed post-RAI hypothyroidism and overall had greater than 50% increase in levothyroxine replacement dose after the last RAI. Significant relief of compressive symptoms was noted by 91% post-therapy. Four thyroid nodules disappeared which resulted in reduced total number of thyroid nodules from 29 to 25 nodules post serial RAI.@*Conclusion@#Serial 131iodine therapy proved to have thyroid and nodule size reduction by more than 70% in this study. Among patients who do not consent or have contraindications to surgery, serial 131iodine therapy may be considered a safe and effective non-surgical alternative.