Determinants of intensive insulin therapeutic regimens in patients with type 1 diabetes: data from a nationwide multicenter survey in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the determinants of intensive insulin regimens (ITs) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted between December 2008 and December 2010 in 28 public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities. Data were obtained from 3,591 patients (56.0% female, 57.1% Caucasian). Insulin regimens were classified as follows: group 1, conventional therapy (CT) (intermediate human insulin, one to two injections daily); group 2 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate plus regular human insulin); group 3 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate human insulin plus short-acting insulin analogues); group 4, basal-bolus (one or two insulin injections of long-acting plus short-acting insulin analogues or regular insulin); and group 5, basal-bolus with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Groups 2 to 5 were considered IT groups. RESULTS: We obtained complete data from 2,961 patients. Combined intermediate plus regular human insulin was the most used therapeutic regimen. CSII was used by 37 (1.2%) patients and IT by 2,669 (90.2%) patients. More patients on IT performed self-monitoring of blood glucose and were treated at the tertiary care level compared to CT patients (p < 0.001). The majority of patients from all groups had HbA1c levels above the target. Overweight or obesity was not associated with insulin regimen. Logistic regression analysis showed that economic status, age, ethnicity, and level of care were associated with IT (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Given the prevalence of intensive treatment for T1D in Brazil, more effective therapeutic strategies are needed for long term-health benefits.

Relationship between adherence to diet, glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 1 diabetes: a nationwide survey in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: To determine the relationship between adherence to the diet reported by patients with type 1 diabetes under routine clinical care in Brazil, and demographic, socioeconomic status, glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted between December 2008 and December 2010 in 28 public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities. The data was obtained from 3,180 patients, aged 22 ± 11.8 years (56.3% females, 57.4% Caucasians and 43.6% non-Caucasians). The mean time since diabetes diagnosis was 11.7 ± 8.1 years. RESULTS: Overall, 1,722 (54.2%) of the patients reported to be adherent to the diet without difference in gender, duration of diabetes and socioeconomic status. Patients who reported adherence to the diet had lower BMI, HbA1c, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, non HDL-cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure and had more HbA1c at goal, performed more frequently self-monitoring of blood glucose (p < 0.001), and reported less difficulties to follow specific schedules of diet plans (p < 0.001). Less patients who reported to be adherent were obese or overweight (p = 0.005). The quantity of food and time schedule of the meals were the most frequent complaints. Logistic regression analysis showed that ethnicity, (Caucasians, (OR 1.26 [1.09-1.47]), number of medical clinical visits in the last year (OR 1.10 [1.06-1.15]), carbohydrate counting, (OR 2.22 [1.49-3.30]) and diets recommended by diabetes societies', (OR 1.57 [1.02-2.41]) were related to greater patients' adherence (p < 0.05) and age, [adolescents (OR 0.60 [0.50-0.72]), high BMI (OR 0.58 [0.94-0.98]) and smoking (OR 0.58 [0.41-0.84]) with poor patients' adherence (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that it is necessary to rethink medical nutrition therapy in order to help patients to overcome barriers that impair an optimized adherence to the diet.

Regional differences in clinical care among patients with type 1 diabetes in Brazil: Brazilian Type 1 Diabetes Study Group.

BACKGROUND: To determine the characteristics of clinical care offered to type 1 diabetic patients across the four distinct regions of Brazil, with geographic and contrasting socioeconomic differences. Glycemic control, prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, screening for chronic complications and the frequency that the recommended treatment goals were met using the American Diabetes Association guidelines were evaluated. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted from December 2008 to December 2010 in 28 secondary and tertiary care public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities in north/northeast, mid-west, southeast and south regions. The data were obtained from 3,591 patients (56.0% females and 57.1% Caucasians) aged 21.2 ± 11.7 years with a disease duration of 9.6 ± 8.1 years (<1 to 50 years). RESULTS: Overall, 18.4% patients had HbA1c levels <7.0%, and 47.5% patients had HbA1c levels ≥ 9%. HbA1c levels were associated with lower economic status, female gender, age and the daily frequency of self-blood glucose monitoring (SBGM) but not with insulin regimen and geographic region. Hypertension was more frequent in the mid-west (32%) and north/northeast (25%) than in the southeast (19%) and south (17%) regions (p<0.001). More patients from the southeast region achieved LDL cholesterol goals and were treated with statins (p<0.001). Fewer patients from the north/northeast and mid-west regions were screened for retinopathy and nephropathy, compared with patients from the south and southeast. Patients from the south/southeast regions had more intensive insulin regimens than patients from the north/northeast and mid-west regions (p<0.001). The most common insulin therapy combination was intermediate-acting with regular human insulin, mainly in the north/northeast region (p<0.001). The combination of insulin glargine with lispro and glulisine was more frequently used in the mid-west region (p<0.001). Patients from the north/northeast region were younger, non-Caucasian, from lower economic status, used less continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, performed less SBGM and were less overweight/obese (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A majority of patients, mainly in the north/northeast and mid-west regions, did not meet metabolic control goals and were not screened for diabetes-related chronic complications. These results should guide governmental health policy decisions, specific to each geographic region, to improve diabetes care and decrease the negative impact diabetes has on the public health system.

[Extreme subcutaneous and intramuscular insulin resistance at type 1 diabetes mellitus]. / Extrema resistência à insulina subcutânea e intramuscular em diabetes melito tipo 1.

Insulin resistance signs reduced cellular response to this hormone and dysfunction of glucose transport to intracellular compartment. This phenomenon is associated to genetic factors and principally behavior factors correlating to obesity and its comorbidities, as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. However clinical factors of insulin resistance are still present at not obese type 1 diabetes in a known syndrome called type 1 diabetes mellitus with resistance to insulin administered subcutaneously and intramuscularly (DRIASM). This is a rare condition that consists into insulin resistance at subcutaneously and intramuscularly use and normal or near to normal sensitivity at intravenously way. Treatments until now proposed are ineffective and are related to frequent fails and complications. We report here two cases of DRIASM in 45 and 46 female patients that are different from others yet related because they have late diabetes type 1, sustained hyperglycemia associated to catabolic, microangiopathy and neuropathic complications without any ketoacidosis episode. The treatment vary from alternative ways for insulin infusion to inscription to a possible performance of pancreas transplantation like a experiment of definitive treatment. This report was approved by Research Ethic Committee from São José do Rio Preto medical school.

Extrema resistência à insulina subcutânea e intramuscular em diabetes melito tipo 1 / Extreme subcutaneous and intramuscular insulin resistence at type 1 diabetes mellitus

Resistência insulínica consiste em reduzida resposta celular a esse hormônio e, portanto, disfunção do transporte de glicose para o meio intracelular. Esse fenômeno associa-se a fatores genéticos e principalmente comportamentais relacionados a obesidade e comorbidades a ela associadas como diabetes melito tipo 2, hipertensão arterial e dislipidemia. Entretanto, fatores clínicos de resistência insulínica também estão presentes em diabéticos tipo 1 não obesos na conhecida síndrome de extrema resistência à insulina subcutânea e intramuscular (DRIASM). Condição rara que consiste em resistência à ação da insulina no tecido subcutâneo e muscular e sensibilidade normal, ou próxima do normal, quando administrada via intravenosa. Tratamentos propostos até o momento mostram-se pouco efetivos e se relacionam a complicações e falhas frequentes. Descrevemos dois casos de pacientes femininas de 45 e 46 anos com DRIASM que se diferenciam dos demais já descritos por apresentar diagnóstico de diabetes melito tipo 1 tardio, hiperglicemia constante associada a complicações catabólicas, microvasculares (retinopatia) e neuropáticas sem, no entanto, nenhum episódio de cetoacidose diabética. Os tratamentos propostos variaram desde aplicação de insulina intramuscular e intravenosa até listagem para possível realização de transplante de pâncreas como tentativa de tratamento definitivo. Este trabalho teve aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto.

Insulin resistance signs reduced cellular response to this hormone and dysfunction of glucose transport to intracellular compartment. This phenomenon is associated to genetic factors and principally behavior factors correlating to obesity and its comorbidities, as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. However clinical factors of insulin resistance are still present at not obese type 1 diabetes in a known syndrome called type 1 diabetes mellitus with resistance to insulin administered subcutaneously and intramuscularly (DRIASM). This is a rare condition that consists into insulin resistance at subcutaneously and intramuscularly use and normal or near to normal sensitivity at intravenously way. Treatments until now proposed are ineffective and are related to frequent fails and complications. We report here two cases of DRIASM in 45 and 46 female patients that are different from others yet related because they have late diabetes type 1, sustained hyperglycemia associated to catabolic, microangiopathy and neuropathic complications without any ketoacidosis episode. The treatment vary from alternative ways for insulin infusion to inscription to a possible performance of pancreas transplantation like a experiment of definitive treatment. This report was approved by Research Ethic Committee from São José do Rio Preto medical school.

Patients with ischaemic, mixed and nephrotoxic acute tubular necrosis in the intensive care unit--a homogeneous population?

INTRODUCTION: Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is usually studied as a single entity, without distinguishing between ischaemic, nephrotoxic and mixed aetiologies. In the present study we evaluated the characteristics and outcomes of patients with ATN by aetiological group. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective comparison of clinical features, mortality rates and risk factors for mortality for the three types of ATN in patients admitted to the general intensive care unit of a university hospital between 1997 and 2000. RESULTS: Of 593 patients with acute renal failure, 524 (88%) were classified as having ATN. Their mean age was 58 years, 68% were male and 52% were surgical patients. The overall mortality rate was 62%. A total of 265 patients (51%) had ischaemic ATN, 201 (38%) had mixed ATN, and 58 (11%) had nephrotoxic ATN. There were no differences among groups in terms of age, sex, APACHE II score and reason for ICU admission. Multiple organ failure was more frequent among patients with ischaemic (46%) and mixed ATN (55%) than in those with nephrotoxic ATN (7%; P < 0.0001). The complications of acute renal failure (such as, gastrointestinal bleeding, acidosis, oliguria and hypervolaemia) were more prevalent in ischaemic and mixed ATN patients. Mortality was higher for ischaemic (66%; P = 0.001) and mixed ATN (63%; P = 0.0001) than for nephrotoxic ATN (38%). When ischaemic ATN patients, mixed ATN patients and all patients combined were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression, the independent factors for mortality identified were different except for oliguria, which was the only variable universally associated with death (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64-5.49 [P = 0.0003] for ischaemic ATN; OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.04-3.68 [P = 0.036] for mixed ATN; and OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.60-3.76 [P < 0.001] for all patients combined]). CONCLUSION: The frequency of isolated nephrotoxic ATN was low, with ischaemic and mixed ATN accounting for almost 90% of cases. The three forms of ATN exhibited different clinical characteristics. Mortality was strikingly higher in ischaemic and mixed ATN than in nephrotoxic ATN. Although the type of ATN was not an independent predictor of death, the independent factors related to mortality were different for ischaemic, mixed and all patients combined. These data indicate that the three types of ATN represent different patient populations, which should be taken into consideration in future studies.

Crises hiperglicêmicas agudas no diabetes melito - Aspectos atuais / Hyperglycemic crises in diabetes mellitus - Current aspects

A cetoacidose diabética e o estado hiperglicêmico hiperosmolar são as duas complicações agudas mais graves que observamos durante a evolução do diabetes melito. Em centros de excelência, a taxa de mortalidade para a cetoacidose diabética é <5% enquanto que, para o estado hiperglicêmico hiperosmolar ainda continua elevada, em torno de 15%. Entre os fatores precipitantes, os estados infecciosos são as causas mais comuns, predominando as do trato respiratório alto, as de vias urinárias e as pneumonias. A patogênese da descompensação metabólica da cetoacidose diabética é mais bem entendida do que a do estado hiperglicêmico hiperosmolar. Fundamentalmente, na cetoacidose diabética o que ocorre é a redução da concentração efetiva de insulina circulante associada à liberação excessiva de hormônios contra-reguladores, entre eles, o glucagon, as catecolaminas, o cortisol e o hormônio de c rescimento. Esta combinação, libera grandes quantidades de ácidos graxos livres na circulação. No fígado, estes ácidos graxos livres são oxidados em corpos cetônicos, resultando assim em cetonemia e acidose metabólica. Os principais critérios diagnósticos utilizados para a cetoacidose diabética são, a glicemia >250mg/dL, o pH arterial <7.3, o bicarbonato sérico <15mEq/L e graus variáveis de cetonemia e cetonúria. Para o estado hiperglicêmico hiperosmolar são, a glicemia em geral >600mg/dL, a osmolalidade sérica >330mOsm/Kg, o pH arterial >7.3 e o bicarbonato sérico >18mEq/L com discreta cetonemia. As metas terapêuticas para as crises hiperglicêmicas agudas são, a liberação das vias aéreas superiores, a correção da desidratação com solução salina, a correção dos distúrbios eletrolíticos e da acidose, a redução da hiperglicemia com insulina em baixas doses e a identificação e o tratamento dos fatores precipitantes.