Cellular immunological changes in patients with LADA are a mixture of those seen in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

There is currently scarce knowledge of the immunological profile of patients with latent autoimmune diabetes mellitus in the adult (LADA) when compared with healthy controls (HC) and patients with classical type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objective of this study was to investigate the cellular immunological profile of LADA patients and compare to HC and patients with T1D and T2D. All patients and age-matched HC were recruited from Uppsala County. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from freshly collected blood to determine the proportions of immune cells by flow cytometry. Plasma concentrations of the cytokine interleukin (IL)-35 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The proportion of CD11c+ CD123- antigen-presenting cells (APCs) was lower, while the proportions of CD11c+ CD123+ APCs and IL-35+ tolerogenic APCs were higher in LADA patients than in T1D patients. The proportion of CD3- CD56high CD16+ natural killer (NK) cells was higher in LADA patients than in both HC and T2D patients. The frequency of IL-35+ regulatory T cells and plasma IL-35 concentrations in LADA patients were similar to those in T1D and T2D patients, but lower than in HC. The proportion of regulatory B cells in LADA patients was higher than in healthy controls, T1D and T2D patients, and the frequency of IL-35+ regulatory B cells was higher than in T1D patients. LADA presents a mixed cellular immunological pattern with features overlapping with both T1D and T2D.

Diabetes and CVD risk during angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker treatment in hypertension: a study of 15,990 patients.

Differences in clinical effectiveness between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in the primary treatment of hypertension are unknown. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients treated with ARBs or ACEis. Patients initiated on enalapril or candesartan treatment in 71 Swedish primary care centers between 1999 and 2007 were included. Medical records data were extracted and linked with nationwide hospital discharge and cause of death registers. The 11,725 patients initiated on enalapril and 4265 on candesartan had similar baseline characteristics. During a mean follow-up of 1.84 years, 36,482 patient-years, the risk of new diabetes onset was lower in the candesartan group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.96, P=0.01) compared with the enalapril group. No difference between the groups was observed in CVD risk (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.87-1.13, P=0.86). More patients discontinued treatment in the enalapril group (38.1%) vs the candesartan group (27.2%). In a clinical setting, patients initiated on candesartan treatment had a lower risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes and lower rates of drug discontinuation compared with patients initiated on enalapril. No differences in CVD risk were observed.

Survival and clinical metastases among prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the incidence of metastases and clinical course of prostate cancer patients who are without confirmed metastasis when initiating androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study conducted using electronic medical records from Swedish outpatient urology clinics linked to national mandatory registries to capture medical and demographic data. Prostate cancer patients initiating ADT between 2000 and 2010 were followed from initiation of ADT to metastasis, death, and/or end of follow-up. RESULTS: The 5-year cumulative incidence (CI) of metastasis was 18%. Survival was 60% after 5 years; results were similar for bone metastasis-free survival. The 5-year CI of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) was 50% and the median survival from CRPC development was 2.7 years. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and PSA doubling time were strong predictors of bone metastasis, any metastasis, and death. CONCLUSION: This study provides understanding of the clinical course of prostate cancer patients without confirmed metastasis treated with ADT in Sweden. Greater PSA values and shorter PSA doubling time (particularly ≤ 6 months) were associated with increased risk of bone metastasis, any metastasis, and death.

Health-care costs of losartan and candesartan in the primary treatment of hypertension.

A recent study of two widely used angiotensin receptor blockers reported a reduced risk of cardiovascular events (-14.4%) when using candesartan compared with losartan in the primary treatment of hypertension. In addition to clinical benefits, costs associated with treatment strategies must be considered when allocating scarce health-care resources. The aim of this study was to assess resource use and costs of losartan and candesartan in hypertensive patients. Resource use (drugs, outpatient contacts, hospitalizations and laboratory tests) associated with losartan and candesartan treatment was estimated in 14,100 patients in a real-life clinical setting. We electronically extracted patient data from primary care records and mandatory Swedish national registers for death and hospitalization. Patients treated with losartan had more outpatient contacts (+15.6%), laboratory tests (+13.8%) and hospitalizations (+13.8%) compared with the candesartan group. During a maximum observation time of 9 years, the mean total costs per patient were 10,369 Swedish kronor (95% confidence interval: 3109-17,629) higher in the losartan group. In conclusion, prescribing candesartan for the primary treatment of hypertension results in lower long-term health-care costs compared with losartan.

Time to insulin treatment and factors associated with insulin prescription in Swedish patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the time between the start of OAD treatment and the initiation of insulin therapy and to identify the factors associated with insulin prescription among Swedish patients with type 2 diabetes in Uppsala County. METHODS: Retrospective, population-based, primary-care data gathered within the Swedish RECAP-DM study were used to identify type 2 diabetic patients who initiated OAD treatment. A Kaplan-Meier survival estimate for time to initiation of insulin therapy was generated and factors associated with insulin prescription were tested using a Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS: Within 6 years of starting OAD treatment, an estimated 25% of Swedish patients with type 2 diabetes will be prescribed insulin (95% CI: 0.23-0.26) and, within 10 years, this figure will rise to 42% (95% CI: 0.39-0.45). The probability of insulin prescription was increased in patients aged less than 65 years (HR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.50) and in those who initiated OAD treatment with more than one agent (HR=2.71, 95% CI: 2.15-3.43). HbA(1c) at the time of starting OAD treatment was also related to the probability of insulin prescription (HR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.146-1.25). CONCLUSION: Many type 2 diabetic patients who begin treatment with an OAD will eventually be prescribed insulin. Age, disease severity and the type of prior treatment may affect the rate of the transition.

Effects of losartan vs candesartan in reducing cardiovascular events in the primary treatment of hypertension.

Although angiotensin receptor blockers have different receptor binding properties no comparative studies with cardiovascular disease (CVD) end points have been performed within this class of drugs. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that there are blood pressure independent CVD-risk differences between losartan and candesartan treatment in patients with hypertension without known CVD. Seventy-two primary care centres in Sweden were screened for patients who had been prescribed losartan or candesartan between the years 1999 and 2007. Among the 24 943 eligible patients, 14 100 patients were diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed losartan (n=6771) or candesartan (n=7329). Patients were linked to Swedish national hospitalizations and death cause register. There was no difference in blood pressure reduction when comparing the losartan and candesartan groups during follow-up. Compared with the losartan group, the candesartan group had a lower adjusted hazard ratio for total CVD (0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77-0.96, P=0.0062), heart failure (0.64, 95% CI 0.50-0.82, P=0.0004), cardiac arrhythmias (0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.92, P=0.0330), and peripheral artery disease (0.61, 95% CI 0.41-0.91, P=0.0140). No difference in blood pressure reduction was observed suggesting that other mechanisms related to different pharmacological properties of the drugs may explain the divergent clinical outcomes.

Prevalence and incidence of Type 2 diabetes and its complications 1996-2003--estimates from a Swedish population-based study.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence and incidence of Type 2 diabetes and its complications in Uppsala county, Sweden between 1996 and 2003. METHODS: Retrospective population-based study of patients with Type 2 diabetes identified in computerized medical records at 26 county primary care centres. Prevalence and incidence of Type 2 diabetes were estimated in the population aged 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and > or = 80 years. Mortality, prevalence and incidence of complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes were determined through linkage to national inpatient, uraemia and cause-of-death registers. RESULTS: Crude prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increased from 2.2 to 3.5% between 1996 and 2003. In the population aged > or = 30 years, the age- and sex-adjusted period increase was 53%[odds ratio (OR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.47-1.58]. Crude population incidence was approximately stable after 1997 (3.7 cases/1000 residents in 1997 compared with 3.8/1000 in 2003). Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates in Type 2 diabetic patients decreased by 4% per year (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.97). Prevalence rates of cardiovascular disease in Type 2 diabetic patients were essentially stable, affecting 13.8% of females and 18.0% of males in 2003. No trend was detected for prevalence of renal failure or incidence of acute myocardial infarction, stroke and amputation. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increased in Uppsala county between 1996 and 2003 as a consequence of approximately stable incidence since 1997 and declining mortality. Rates of diabetes-related complications, notably cardiovascular disease, continued to impose a substantial burden.

Resource use and costs of type 2 diabetes in Sweden - estimates from population-based register data.

AIMS: To examine medical resource use of Swedish patients with type 2 diabetes during 2000-2004 and to estimate annual costs of care. METHODS: Retrospective population-based cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes identified in computerised medical records at 26 primary care centres in Uppsala county, Sweden. Annual quantities of medical resources were determined for prevalent cases during 2000-2004 using register data from outpatient primary care, outpatient hospital care, the National Inpatient Register and a national register for treatment of uraemia. Average costs of care of patients with type 2 diabetes were estimated based on year 2004 resource quantities of 8230 prevalent study cases. RESULTS: Annual quantities of medical resource use were stable in outpatient primary care and outpatient hospital care, with patients making an average of two General Practitioner visits and 3.5 outpatient hospital visits each year. Higher rates of hospitalisation [12% in 2000 (n = 6711) compared with 16% in 2004 (n = 8230)] led to an increase in the mean (SD) number of inpatient days from 2.3 (11.8) to 2.7 (11.9) (p = 0.040) between 2000 and 2004. Mean (SD) total costs of care in 2004 were EUR 3602 (EUR 9537). Inpatient care was the major contributor to costs, accounting for 57% of total costs while drug costs accounted for an average 7%. CONCLUSIONS: Swedish type 2 diabetic patients in this large sample from Uppsala county required steady annual amounts of outpatient care and increasing amounts of inpatient care during 2000-2004. The associated costs in 2004 were substantial, with inpatient care identified as the most important component.

Determinants of cholesterol goal attainment at 12 months in patients with hypercholesterolaemia not at consensus goal after 3 months of treatment with lipid-lowering drugs.

BACKGROUND: Less than half of patients in Scandinavian societies achieve target cholesterol values established by consensus coronary prevention panels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using logistic regression analysis, we determined that patients not at consensus cholesterol goals after 3 months of treatment using lipid-lowering medications were significantly more likely to achieve these goals at 12 months if they were treated with an active management strategy (changes in lipid-lowering therapy within 3 months), had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, or initiated lipid-lowering more recently, compared with their counterparts without these factors. CONCLUSION: An active management strategy is associated with a higher probability of achieving treatment goals in patients not at goal after 3 months following treatment initiation.

Do guidelines matter? A population-based study of diabetes drug use during 20 years.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse diabetes drug use in a defined population during 20 years in relation to recommendations in published guidelines. DESIGN: From the Tierp Study Database, all medical records for diabetes patients at the primary health care centre in Tierp municipality and all prescriptions for diabetes drugs at the local pharmacies during the period 1975-1994 were collected. Data for 2125 persons were obtained, generating 13,190 person-years of observation. SETTING: Tierp primary health care district. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diabetes treatment. RESULTS: The annual prevalence of diabetes mellitus increased from 2.8% (565 patients) to 3.8% (734 patients). When guidelines emphasised diet treatment, treatment with diet only increased and oral pharmacological treatment decreased. When guidelines emphasised better glycaemic control, diet only decreased and biguanide treatment increased, and when guidelines emphasised vigorous glycaemic control, treatment with diet only decreased further and sulphonylurea and insulin use increased. The substantial age and sex differences in antidiabetic drug use at the beginning of the period were partly reduced over time. CONCLUSIONS: The considerable changes in antidiabetic drug use during the study period coincided with changes in the guidelines issued. The age and sex differences in drug use became less pronounced towards the end of the period.

Written communication from specialists to general practitioners in cancer care. What are the expectations and how are they met?

OBJECTIVE: To examine how general practitioners (GPs) and specialists assess the importance of different aspects of information regarding cancer treatment in the discharge letter from the hospital. DESIGN: A postal questionnaire study among GPs in two Swedish counties and cancer specialists (oncologists, surgeons and urologists) in six Swedish counties. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and four GPs and 48 cancer specialists. MAIN OUTCOME: Self-evaluation and assessment of the counterparts' evaluation of 17 items concerning cancer care in a discharge letter from hospital specialists to GPs. RESULTS: GPs, especially female GPs, generally rated the items higher than the cancer specialists. The differences were most pronounced in items concerning caring and psychosocial dimensions. Concerning the assessment of the other MD group, GPs deemed specialists as more interested in technical items and less interested in psychosocial items than themselves, whereas specialists believed that GPs had a similar view as themselves. CONCLUSION: The differences in self-evaluation and assessment of the other MD groups evaluation of the content in a discharge letter, concerning cancer patients from hospital specialists to GPs, might reflect different professional strategies in cancer management and hamper the efficiency in the shared care of these patients.

Well-being and treatment satisfaction in adults with diabetes: a Swedish population-based study.

In order to implement the St Vincent Declaration programme, instruments for quality assurance of medical outcomes as well as measures of psychological outcomes of diabetes care had to be developed. This paper presents baseline values for three questionnaires measuring psychological Well-being, Treatment Satisfaction and General Health among a representative sample of adult people with diabetes in Sweden consisting of 423 individuals of which 153 were insulin treated and 270 were diet/tablet-treated. Cronbach's alpha indicated that each of the Well-being and Treatment Satisfaction subscales was internally reliable, alphas ranging from 0.66-0.88. Factor analysis resulted in identification of five subscales (depression, anxiety, positive well-being, treatment satisfaction and metabolic control). There was no relation between any of the quality of life subscales with HbA1c, BMI, duration of diabetes, frequency of blood glucose tests per day, insulin regimens or diabetic complications. Females reported a more negative impact of diabetes on daily life compared with males (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the Well-being and Treatment Satisfaction scales are reliable for quality assurance purposes in diabetes while the briefer general health instrument provides a useful assessment of the global impact of a chronic disease.

Metabolic control in diabetic subjects in three Swedish areas with high, medium, and low sales of antidiabetic drugs.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between use of antidiabetic drugs and metabolic control was studied in Swedish diabetic populations in areas with high (Gotland), medium (Tierp), and low (Skellefteå) sales of antidiabetic drugs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 405 drug-treated diabetic subjects aged 50-74 yr. In all three areas, glyburide comprised approximately 75% of the oral treatment. RESULTS: In accordance with sales, Gotland was found to be a heavy-use area, characterized by a high prevalence of insulin treatment (43%), combination therapy with sulfonylureas and biguanide (28%), and high prescribed daily doses (PDDs) of glyburide (15.5 +/- 0.8 mg) compared with other areas. In Skellefteå, 38% were on insulin, 4% were on combination therapy, and the PDD of glyburide was 7.1 +/- 0.6 mg. In Tierp, 27% were on insulin, 26% were on combination therapy, and the PDD of glyburide was 11.4 +/- 0.7 mg. In Gotland, both men and women had significantly lower HbA1c levels, regardless of treatment mode, and a tendency to be more overweight compared with the area with the least pharmacological intensity (Skellefteå). CONCLUSIONS: In the three diabetic populations, good metabolic control, defined as an HbA1c level of less than 7% and acceptable weight control (body mass index less than 27 for men and less than 25 for women), was achieved among only 16% in Gotland, 17% in Skellefteå, and 12% in Tierp.

Prescription drug use among diabetics--a population study.

Diabetes mellitus is a multifaceted disease which intervenes in the personal lives of those afflicted in many different ways. In this study prescription drug use among diabetics was analyzed in order to shed light on the characteristics of diabetic morbidity. Prescription drug use among diabetics and non-diabetics in a total population of 21,000 inhabitants in a defined geographic area were studied. The diabetic population was categorized according to the type of treatment received: insulin treatment, oral anti-diabetic treatment or dietary treatment or dietary treatment only. The pattern of prescription drug use differed between diabetics and non-diabetics and important differences were observed also between diabetics according to type of treatment. Drug use among those treated with insulin and those treated orally was substantially higher than among non-diabetics while the difference between diabetics on dietary regimen and non-diabetics was much smaller. All three treatment groups had considerably higher consumption of cardiovascular drugs than non-diabetics. Additional findings include more frequent antibiotic use among diabetics treated orally and on diet only than among non-diabetics. The use of these drugs was also common among insulin treated diabetics but did not differ significantly from among non-diabetics. Use of psychotropics was more common among diabetics treated with insulin and orally than among non-diabetics.