The d3/fl-GH receptor gene polymorphism does not influence quality of life and body composition in GH-deficient adults receiving GH replacement therapy.

CONTEXT: The growth response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in GH deficient (GHD) patients may be influenced by polymorphisms in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene. OBJECTIVES: To investigate adults with GHD who have been treated with rhGH for more than 1 year to determine the relationship between genomic deletion of exon 3 in the GHR gene and quality of life (QoL), body composition (BC) and serum IGF1 levels, and to compare these variables to a healthy adult control population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 100 healthy adult controls and 131 patients were studied. Deletion of exon 3 in the GHR gene was determined in DNA that was isolated from peripheral blood. QoL was determined using the adult GHD assessment scale and three other validated QoL instruments. RESULTS: In the control population, the frequency of the genotypes was 53% fl/fl, 40% d3/fl and 7% d3/d3, and in the patient population, 55, 39 and 6% respectively. There was no significant difference in QoL scores and BC in control subjects with the fl/fl genotype compared with those with the d3/d3 or fl/d3 genotype. There was no difference in the rhGH dose required to optimize serum IGF1, QoL or BC in patients with the fl/fl genotype compared with those with the d3/d3 or d3/fl genotype. CONCLUSION: Deletion of exon 3 in the GHR gene does not influence adult height, QoL or BC of the normal adult population nor does it influence rhGH dose, QoL and BC in GHD adults treated with rhGH for more than 1 year.

'Microalbuminuric anaemia'--the relationship between haemoglobin levels and albuminuria in diabetes.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing incidence of anaemia in diabetes despite the absence of significant renal impairment. AIMS: This study set out to determine the prevalence of anaemia in a diabetic population and to explore the relationship between anaemia and urinary albumin excretion in diabetes mellitus. Also, to determine the difference between those with overt nephropathy, microalbuminuria and those without evidence of renal disease. METHODS: Five hundred and two consecutive diabetes patients were screened for anaemia. Anaemia was defined by World Health Organization criteria (<13 g/dl for men and <12 g/dl for women). Urinary albumin excretion was determined by urinary albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) from a single urine sample. RESULTS: Anaemia was present in 118 (23.5%) patients. There was a rise in the prevalence of anaemia from 19% in patients with a normal ACR to 29% in those with microalbuminuria and to 41% in macroalbuminuria. This increase in the prevalence of anaemia in microalbuminuria compared to normoalbuminuria was not explained by declining renal function as there was no significant difference in eGFR between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Anaemia was common in the study population. Early detection and correction of anaemia in diabetes is important for patients at risk of impaired quality of life and increased cardiovascular risk.

Diabetes care in Nigeria: time for a paradigm shift.

Diabetes mellitus is becoming a major public health problem in Africa and its burden is expected to increase. Persons with diabetes mellitus require continuing medical care and self-management education to prevent complications. In both developed and some resource-poor countries, the management of persons with diabetes has been undergoing rapid changes in order to improve standards of care, through restructuring of clinics or through the establishment of diabetes centres with a multidisciplinary team approach to care. There has been a progressive increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Nigeria and the burden is expected to increase even further. In view of the looming burden of diabetes in Nigeria, there is an urgent need to examine existing healthcare structures, revise the delivery process of healthcare programmes for persons with diabetes and effectively implement a process that facilitates accessibility to such programmes. Well-structured community-based care, appropriate to the local situation and resources, would provide for this, making it more accessible and realistic to the needs of persons with diabetes living in urban and rural areas of Nigeria. Various models have been adopted for the delivery of diabetes care. This article aims to highlight some of these various models of diabetes care. It concludes with a proposed model for the care of persons with diabetes mellitus in Nigeria.

Microalbuminuria and clinical correlates in black African patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of morbidity and mortality as a result of its complications. Long-term complications of diabetes mellitus have been linked to poor glycemic control. Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end stage renal disease in the developed world and third leading cause in Nigeria. Various independent risk factors have been identified as predictors of diabetic nephropathy. One of such factors is urinary albumin excretion. OBJECTIVE: This study set out to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria (MA), glycemic control and the relationship between urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and other known predictors of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients with disease duration greater than 5 years. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty non-proteinuric patients were selected consecutively for this cross-sectional study. Urinary albumin concentration was determined in a timed overnight urine sample by immunoturbidimetry and glycated haemoglobin was determined using boronate affinity method. Comparison was made between the patients with microalbuminuria and those with normal albumin excretion and the most likely predictors of urinary albumin excretion were determined. RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of the patients studied had good glycaemic control (HbA1c < 7%) while 83% had microalbuminuria (UAE 20-200 mg/min). There was no significant correlation between the UAE and the HbA1c. UAE however correlated significantly with the age and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the patients. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the patient population had suboptimal glycemic control. There was a high prevalence of microalbuminuria amongst the patients studied. Significant predictors of UAE in this study were the age of the patients and DBP but not HbA1c.