Association of the rs3856806 Polymorphism in the PPARG Gene with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of 11,811 Individuals.

This study investigated the role of the rs3856806 single nucleotide variant (SNV) on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by conducting a meta-analysis. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed and were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and subjected to analysis using Review Manager 5.4.1. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to measure the association of the SNV with T2DM development. Nine studies published in English were retrieved up to October 1, 2021. Homogeneity (I2 = 3%, P = .41) was achieved for the allelic model with significant outcomes (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76-0.89; P < .00001). Genotypic models also yielded significant associations for the co-dominant, dominant, and recessive models. All genotypic analysis showed homogeneity (I2 = 0-31%, P = .17-0.76) of the pooled outcomes. Our findings suggest that carrying the T allele of the rs3856806 SNV significantly decreases the risk of acquiring T2DM. However, further studies are necessary to support our claims.

Understanding COVID-19 preventive behavior: An application of the health belief model in the Philippine setting.

BACKGROUND: With the Philippines emerging as the hotspot in the Western Pacific Region for the COVID-19 cases, the study aimed to understand the COVID-19 preventive behavior of Filipinos using the health belief model (HBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 304 respondents recruited for the whole month of July 2020 through various social media platforms. Participants were requested to answer an online questionnaire, and results were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were female (71.1%), with an average age of 29, college graduate (57.6%), and living in an area where modified general community quarantine is implemented (63.2%). Good preventive behavior was noted among the participants, and not shaking of hands with others and refraining from touching of surfaces were reported as the most practiced behavior. Spearman's correlation and Pearson's Chi-square showed that age and sex are significant predictors for the HBM constructs and preventive behavior. Furthermore, results showed that cues to action, self-efficacy, and perceived barrier have a significant association with COVID-19 preventive behavior. CONCLUSION: Findings prove that HBM is useful in understanding preventive behaviors in times of coronavirus pandemic. Strategies that promote a supportive environment and help overcome the perceived barriers can guide Filipinos to adopt the desired health behavior. Interventions to promote preventive behaviors should be focused on males and younger individuals.

Serum cystatin C as an early marker of nephropathy among type 2 diabetics: A meta-analysis.

AIM: The varying views as to the usefulness of serum cystatin C (CysC) as an early marker of diabetic nephropathy (DN) prompted us to investigate existing literature to determine whether serum CysC can be used as an early marker of DN using a meta-analysis approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve studies written in English were retrieved from PubMed using various key search terms. Data were extracted from the included studies by two of the authors and was subjected to statistical analysis using Review Manager 5.3 and Meta-Essentials. Levels of serum CysC were compared between the study groups using the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Overall outcomes indicate that serum CysC levels are higher among those with microalbuminuria (MI) and macroalbuminuria (MA) than those in the control group (CN) and those with normoalbuminuria (NO). However, these findings were heterogeneous, which warranted an investigation using the Galbraith plot. Heterogeneity was either reduced or lost in the post-outlier outcomes indicating combinability of the studies. CONCLUSION: Serum CysC is shown to be a superior biomarker in the early diagnosis of DN. However, further studies are still needed to verify our claims.

Estimation of salivary glucose, amylase, calcium, and phosphorus among non-diabetics and diabetics: Potential identification of non-invasive diagnostic markers.

AIMS: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) continues to burden millions of people worldwide. Early detection and effective diagnosis of DM are essential key strategies to reduce the impeding incidence of the disease and its complications. Thus, this study determined the potential utility of salivary glucose, amylase, calcium, and phosphorus as non-invasive diagnostic markers of DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 participants were recruited and divided into two groups (non-diabetics and diabetics). Fasting blood samples and unstimulated saliva samples were collected and tested for glucose, amylase, calcium, and phosphorus. RESULTS: Mann-Whitney U test shows that salivary glucose and salivary amylase were significantly higher among diabetics than non-diabetics. In addition to this, the receiver operations characteristics (ROC) curve showed that salivary glucose (AUC = 0.811, p < 0.001) and amylase (AUC = 0.649, p = 0.03) has significant association with DM. CONCLUSION: Overall, only salivary glucose and amylase showed good potential in discriminating patients with diabetes from those without.

Association of maternal iron deficiency anemia with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association of maternal iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Literature search was conducted in various database websites such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to 17 June 2018 for related publications written in English. Selected data were extracted from the included studies and were subjected to statistical analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed, pooled, and interpreted. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity (Asians vs. Caucasians) was also performed. RESULTS: Six studies with a total sample size of 15,157 from various countries were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled ORs of all publications included show that pregnant women with IDA have a reduced risk of developing GDM (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.47-0.80; PA = 0.0003). Subgroup analysis, on the other hand, showed significant associations among Asians (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.45-0.79; PA = 0.0003) than Caucasians (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.32-1.76; PA = 0.52). CONCLUSION: Results of this meta-analysis suggests that pregnant women with IDA are 39% less likely to develop GDM. However, more studies are needed to confirm the claims of our results.

Salivary glucose as a non-invasive biomarker of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Every year, millions of people are diagnosed with Diabetes mellitus (DM) and the number of new and undiagnosed cases continue to rise. Diagnosis of diabetes is usually performed by blood glucose analysis after fasting for a certain period. However, this method uses an invasive technique that can cause discomfort and even trauma to some patients which could eventually lead to behavioral changes such as avoidance of healthcare and laboratory testing. Studies that explore the diagnostic value of salivary glucose are promising due to the non-invasiveness of the test procedures and its potential correlation with blood results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study conducted aimed to determine if salivary glucose can be utilized as an alternative to blood glucose in the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 75 participants were recruited and equally divided into 3 groups (normal fasting glucose, impaired fasting glucose, and provisional DM) based on their fasting blood glucose (FBG) level. Blood and unstimulated saliva were collected from each participant and were subjected to glucose analysis using the routine glucose oxidase-peroxidase method. RESULTS: Using Pearson's correlation and linear regression, a high degree and significant correlation was observed between blood and salivary glucose (r = 0.715, p<0.001). Further analysis showed that salivary glucose is 88.5% sensitive and 61.5% specific with a positive predictive value of 45.8%, and a negative predictive value of 97.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary glucose is comparable to blood glucose in diagnosing and monitoring T2DM and is considered more advantageous than blood due to its non-invasive nature. Key words:Saliva, glucose, non-invasive, diabetes.