The Japanese version of Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale: a clinical and research tool to assess emotional functioning among people with diabetes.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale, a measure of emotional adjustment to diabetes that has been translated into Japanese by our group. Materials and methods: A total of 418 Japanese people with diabetes attending our outpatient clinic participated (n = 65 type 1 and n = 353 type 2). We assessed the internal reliability of the PAID, examined correlations of the PAID with conceptually related psychosocial constructs, evaluated mean differences in the PAID between diabetes treatment groups, and examined correlations of the PAID with diabetes self-care behaviours and selected treatment outcomes. Results: Results showed that the PAID had excellent reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.934). The PAID correlated significantly with the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (r = -0.593, p < 0.0001) and the positive wellbeing (r = -0.396, p < 0.0001), negative wellbeing (r = -0.640, p < 0.0001) and energy (r = -0.444, p < 0.0001) subscales of the Wellbeing Questionnaire. Adherence to diet was negatively correlated with PAID score (r = -0.263, p < 0.0001). The frequency of recent hypoglycemia and number of chronic complications (retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy) were positively correlated with PAID scores. PAID was weakly correlated with HbA1c (r = 0.13, p = 0.01). Conclusions: In conclusion, the Japanese version of the PAID demonstrated good internal reliability and evidence of concurrent and discriminant validity. The PAID measures the impact of diabetes, diabetes treatment and treatment outcomes on the emotions of people with diabetes. The results provide encouraging evidence for the clinical utility of the PAID in Japanese people with diabetes.

Causes of death in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes and factors associated with all-cause mortality from a large registry in Japan: the Japan Diabetes Complication and its prevention prospective (JDCP) study-9.

Aims: We aimed to estimate the causes of death and their incidence rates and risk factors for all-cause mortality in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes using baseline data from the Japan Diabetes Complication and its Prevention (JDCP) prospective study. Methods: We analyzed a multicenter prospective cohort of 5944 Japanese people with diabetes aged 40-74 years. Causes of death were categorized as cardiac or cerebrovascular disease, malignancy, infectious disease, accident or suicide, sudden death of unknown cause, and other unknown causes. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of all-cause mortality risk factors. Results: The mean age was 61.4 years, and 39.9% of the population was female. Overall, the mortality ratio per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 515.3 (95% CI 445.1-596.9). Malignancies are the most common cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes, accounting for 46.9% of all deaths, followed by cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases at 11.7% and infectious diseases at 3.9%. Higher mortality risk was significantly associated with older age, lower body-mass index, alcohol intake, history of hypertension, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Conclusions: The frequency of causes of death in people with type 2 diabetes identified in this study was similar to that from a recent survey on causes of death conducted by the Japan Diabetes Society. A lower body-mass index, alcohol intake, history of hypertension, and AMI were found to be associated with an increased total risk of type 2 diabetes. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-023-00628-y.

Association between urinary C-megalin levels and progressive kidney dysfunction: a cohort study based on the diabetes distress and care registry at Tenri (DDCRT 24).

AIMS: The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate the association between urinary levels of C-megalin, a full-length form of megalin, and kidney dysfunction progression and its dependence on the urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) in individuals with diabetes. METHODS: We enrolled 1,547 individuals with diabetes who visited the ambulatory clinic at Tenri Hospital, a regional tertiary-care hospital in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture, Japan, with an estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) of ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models to examine the association between urinary C-megalin levels and eGFR decline by ≥ 40% from baseline. RESULTS: Urinary C-megalin level was not associated with ≥ 40% eGFR decline in an age-, sex-, eGFR-, systolic blood pressure-, hemoglobin-, and UACR-adjusted model in the 1,547 patients enrolled in the study. However, urinary C-megalin levels were associated with a ≥ 40% decline in eGFR when accounting for the relationship between urinary C-megalin levels and UACR in the model. This association was UACR-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: High urinary C-megalin levels were associated with progressive kidney dysfunction in individuals with diabetes, and this association was attenuated by high UACRs.

Diabetes Distress Is Associated With Future Risk of Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study (Diabetes Distress and Care Registry at Tenri [DDCRT23]).

OBJECTIVES: Our aim in this study was to investigate the prospective association between diabetes distress assessed with Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) survey scores at baseline and the subsequent risk of development or progression of diabetic nephropathy in people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Longitudinal data were acquired from 2,845 individuals with type 2 diabetes registered in a Japanese diabetes registry. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for possible confounders to examine the prospective association between baseline diabetes distress (PAID score ≥40) and the development or progression of albuminuria. RESULTS: Mean patient age, body mass index, and glycated hemoglobin level were 64.8 years, 24.5 kg/m2, and 57.4 mmol/mol (7.5%), respectively. We did not observe a significant association between diabetes distress and the subsequent risk of diabetic nephropathy development from normoalbuminuria to microalbuminuria/macroalbuminuria (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=0.95 over 4.2 years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77 to 1.17, p=0.640); however, we identified a significant association for progression from microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria (multivariable-adjusted HR=1.34 over 7.0 years, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.80, p=0.045). Stratification by sex revealed a significant association between diabetes distress and the subsequent risk of progressing diabetic nephropathy (HR=1.45, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.98, p=0.019) in males, but not females (HR=1.42, 95% CI 0.95 to 2.14, p=0.087). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes distress at baseline, assessed using the PAID survey, was associated with a subsequent risk of progressing diabetic nephropathy independent of possible confounders in males, but not females, with type 2 diabetes.

Behavioral change stage might moderate the impact of multifaceted interventions on non-attendance from medical care among patients with type 2 diabetes: The Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial-2 Large-Scale Trial 007 (J-DOIT2-LT007).

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Non-attendance from regular medical care is a major problem in diabetes patients. This study aimed to examine the impact of a multifaceted lifestyle intervention by face-to-face approach (FFA) on non-attendance from regular medical care in comparison with that by telephone from the technical support center (TSC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was secondary analysis from a 1-year, prospective, cluster randomized, intervention study. Patients with type 2 diabetes, who were regularly visiting primary care physicians cluster-randomized into the control or intervention (TSC or FFA according to resource availability of the district medical associations) groups, were consecutively recruited. The primary end-point was non-attendance from regular medical care. The interaction between the type of intervention (TSC vs FFA) and behavioral change stage (pre- vs post-action stage) in diet and exercise for the dropout rate was assessed. RESULTS: Among the 1,915 participants (mean age 56 ± 6 years; 36% women) enrolled, 828, 564 and 264 patients belonged to the control, TSC and FFA groups, respectively. We found evidence suggestive of an interaction between the intervention type and behavioral change stage in diet (P = 0.042) and exercise (P = 0.038) after adjusting for covariates. The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of FFA to TSC were 0.21 (0.05-0.93) and 7.69 (0.50-117.78) in the pre-action and post-action stages for diet, respectively, whereas they were 0.20 (0.05-0.92) and 4.75 (0.29-73.70) in the pre-action and post-action stages for exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Among diabetes patients, the impact of multifaceted intervention on non-attendance from medical care might differ by the behavioral change stage.

Psychological and Situational Factors Affecting Dropout from Regular Visits in Diabetes Practice: The Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial-2 Large Scale Trial 004 (J-DOIT2-LT004).

Introduction: This study explored the psychological and situational factors affecting dropout from regular visits to diabetes care using data obtained from the Japan Diabetes Outcome Intervention Trial 2 (J-DOIT2) Large-scale Trial (LT). Methods: A total of 2,031 patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the J-DOIT2-LT were included in the analysis. Responses to a baseline questionnaire with 17 items asking about the experience of dropout from regular visits in diabetes care and its reasons were analyzed using principal component analysis, and factors related to dropout were extracted. Using Cox regression analysis, the association of these factors with the incidence of dropout was investigated. Results: The mean age of the 2,031 patients was 56.4 ± 5.9 years and 742 (36.5%) were women. They were followed for a median of 392 days, and 125 patients dropped out from regular visits during the follow-up period. In the principal component analysis of the questionnaire, there were four latent factors with eigenvalues of >1.0, which were labeled as "negative perceptions for regular visits," "social pressure," "lack of perceived necessity," and "environmental obstacles" based on the retained items. The Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients with high scores of "lack of perceived necessity" and "environmental obstacles" had a significantly increased risk of dropout from regular visits. Conclusions: The present study revealed psychological and situational factors related to dropout, which may be useful for detecting patients at high risk of dropout. Effective measures focusing on such patients to prevent dropouts should be investigated in future studies (The trial registration number: UMIN000002186, registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network-Clinical Trials Registry).

Production of insulin antibody associated with relapsed hodgkin's lymphoma.

A 72-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus with good glucose control for 20 years and maintained on oral hypoglycaemic agents was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) and started on insulin glargine for glycaemic control. Despite increased doses of insulin, his blood glucose levels went up dramatically. The anti-insulin antibody test proved to be positive, and Scatchard plot analysis showed 2 binding sites with relatively low-affinity constants: K 1 = 0.0032, K 2 = 0.0002 (108/M); and high binding capacities: R 1 = 98.4, R 2 = 372 (10-8 M), which were compatible with the features of antibody of insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS). However, hypoglycaemia was not noted throughout the course of treatment. Since the insulin binding ratio of the antibody decreased from 87.3% to 62% after the termination of insulin treatment, it was suggested that the antibody reacted mainly to exogenously injected insulin. Switching insulin preparations or introducing insulin secretagogues did not improve elevated blood glucose levels. The initiation of brentuximab vedotin (BV), a therapeutic agent for relapsed HL, resulted in a remarkable improvement in glycaemic control despite the absence of insulin therapy and partial remission of HL. This case suggested that HL triggered anti-insulin antibody production, which resulted in poor glycaemic control, and that BV could be a new treatment option for autoimmune diseases associated with HL. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13340-021-00550-1.

Dietary intake and physical activity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: the Japan Diabetes Complication and its Prevention prospective study (JDCP study 8).

Medical nutrition therapy and exercise therapy are the cornerstones of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes; however, there has not been a nationwide study on the actual dietary intake and physical activity status of patients since the 2000s. We aimed to clarify this in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes using data from the Japan Diabetes Complication and its Prevention prospective (JDCP), a nationwide study launched in 2007. A total of 1992 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 40-75 years, completed either the Brief-type, self-administered Diet History Questionnaire (1643 patients) or International Physical Activity Questionnaire (1834 patients), and their data were analyzed in this study. Mean daily energy intake for all participants was 1686.8 kcal/day, and the mean proportions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat comprising total energy intake were 60.2, 16.2, and 23.6%, respectively. The patients in this study had similar energy and nutrient intake status to patients in the 1996 Japan Diabetes Complications Study; however, Japanese patients still had higher carbohydrate and lower fat consumption than patients with diabetes in Western countries. The physical activity questionnaire reported that 31.0% of patients did not have exercise habits; this was particularly noticeable in female patients and patients under the age of 65. BMI increased from 22.7 to 24.1 kg/m2 in men and 23.2 to 24.8 kg/m2 in women from 1996 to 2007, respectively. Further research is required to investigate how dietary intake and physical activity associates with the risk of developing complications in type 2 diabetes patients.

Urinary C-megalin as a novel biomarker of progression to microalbuminuria: A cohort study based on the diabetes Distress and Care Registry at Tenri (DDCRT 22).

AIMS: Megalin is a multiligand receptor expressed in proximal tubular cells that reabsorbs filtered albumin and correlates cross-sectionally with albuminuria. We investigated the association between urinary C-megalin levels and the incidence of microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: This cohort study included 752 patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine (Cr) ratio (UACR) within the normoalbuminuric range (<30 mg/g Cr). The association between urinary C-megalin and persistent microalbuminuria, accounting for the possible interaction between baseline UACR and urinary C-megalin, was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 1.99 years, 179 cases of persistent microalbuminuria were observed. The association between urinary C-megalin and persistent microalbuminuria was UACR-dependent (P for interaction < 0.001), with the highest association observed in the absence of UACR (per 100 fM/gCr of urinary C-megalin: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% CI 1.07-1.19), gradually decreasing as UACR increased to 30 mg/g Cr. UACR dependence was confirmed by sensitivity analyses according to low-normal (<10 mg/gCr) or high-normal (10-<30 mg/gCr) UACR. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary C-megalin is associated with progression to microalbuminuria, especially in those with low-normal UACR levels, and its usefulness to identify high risk patients requires further investigation.

Employment status and diabetic outpatient appointment non-attendance in middle to senior working generation with type 2 diabetes: the Japan diabetes outcome intervention trial-2 large­scale trial 005 (J-DOIT2-LT005).

AIMS: Workplace demands, support, and relationships differ according to employment status (e.g., employment that is full-time, part-time, or self-employed) and may lead to unequal opportunities to keep diabetic appointments. We investigated the association between employment status and outpatient diabetic appointment non-attendance among working-age adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized trial (the Japan diabetes outcome intervention trial 2 large-scale trial). The analysis included 2010 trial participants (40-65 years old) with type 2 diabetes who were regularly followed by primary care physicians (PCPs). The outcome measure was the first non-attendance (defined as a failure to visit a PCP within 2 months of the original appointment) during the one-year follow-up. The association between baseline employment status and non-attendance was examined using Cox proportional hazard model in men and women. RESULTS: During the 1279 and 789 person-year follow-up periods, 90 men and 34 women, respectively, experienced their first appointment non-attendance. Among men, self-employed participants had a higher risk of non-attendance compared with full-time employees (adjusted HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.15, 2.95). The trial intervention (attendance promotion) was associated with a significantly reduced risk of non-attendance among self-employed participants (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.99). Among women, a significant association between employment status and non-attendance was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Self-employed men with type 2 diabetes had a twofold increased risk of non-attendance than did full-time employees. Our study suggests that self-employed men with type 2 diabetes should be targeted for interventions promoting appointment adherence.

Association of urinary C-megalin with albuminuria and renal function in diabetes: a cross-sectional study (Diabetes Distress and Care Registry at Tenri [DDCRT 21]).

BACKGROUND: A urinary biomarker sensitive to glomerular functional or structural changes in diabetic kidney disease is required. This study examined whether urinary C-megalin reflects renal function or albuminuria in diabetes. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1576 patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes. The exposure variables were estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and the outcomes were urinary C-megalin excretion and concentration. Two-part models were used to examine the associations between eGFR and UACR with urinary C-megalin excretion or concentration. RESULTS: The UACR was linearly associated with urinary C-megalin excretion (per 100 mg/gCr of UACR; 11.8 fM/gCr [95% CI 8.9-14.7]). There was no association between decreasing eGFR and increasing urinary C-megalin excretion. The UACR was also linearly associated with the urinary C-megalin concentration (per 100 mg/gCr of UACR, 7.7 fM/L [95% CI 5.8-9.6]). At eGFR values > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, the eGFR and urinary C-megalin concentration were inversely linearly related (per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 decline, 7.7 fM/L [95% CI 0.2-15.1]). CONCLUSION: Urinary C-megalin excretion as well as concentration levels are potentially useful biomarkers to detect early changes in diabetic kidney disease.

Different impacts of metabolic profiles on future risk of cardiovascular disease between diabetes with and without established cardiovascular disease: the Japan diabetes complication and its prevention prospective study 7 (JDCP study 7).

AIMS: Most risk calculators that predict future cardiovascular disease (CVD) by baseline profiles are originally developed for primary prevention, but some studies applied the calculators to secondary prevention. We compared the impact of baseline profiles on the future CVD risk between patients with diabetes with and without a CVD history. METHODS: We analyzed a multicenter prospective cohort of 6338 Japanese patients with diabetes aged 40-74 years, including those with (n = 634) and without a CVD history (n = 5704). The future risk of CVD was investigated using the competing risk model, with adjustment for non-cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 6.9 years, 413 CVD events were observed. The 8-year cumulative incidence rates of CVD were 21.5% and 7.2% in patients with and without a CVD history, respectively. A higher systolic blood pressure and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were independently associated with a future CVD risk in patients without a CVD history (both P < 0.05), whereas they were not associated in those with a CVD history. The P values for interaction were 0.040 and 0.005, respectively. The male sex, an older age, a longer duration of diabetes, higher hemoglobin A1c levels, and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were common independent risk factors regardless of CVD history (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic impact of metabolic profiles on CVD risk would not be identical between patients with and without a CVD history, suggesting that it might be inappropriate to apply CVD risk calculators developed for primary prevention to patients with a CVD history.

Predictive Validity of Each Item of the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey for All-Cause Mortality in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective Cohort Study (Diabetes Distress and Care Registry at Tenri [DDCRT 19]).

AIMS: While health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is reported to be associated with mortality, this assessment was made using surveys with a large number of questions, not specifically focused on populations with diabetes, or in western countries alone. We thus evaluated the predictive validity of summary scores, and each item score of the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey in Japanese individuals with type-2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal data from 3269 individuals with diabetes were obtained from a large Japanese diabetes registry. To assess the independent correlation between the 10-point scores of the SF-8 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), each item score, and all-cause mortality, the Cox proportional hazards model was used with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: Mean cohort parameters included age (64.9 years [SD 11.2]), body mass index (24.6 kg/m2 [SD, 3.9]), and HbA1c level (7.5% [SD, 1.2]; or 58.6 mmol/mol [SD, 12.7]). We recorded 248 deaths during the median follow-up of 7.2 years (incidence ratio, 12.2 per 1000 person-years). Multivariable-adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality were 0.780 (95%CI, 0.674-0.902; p=0.001) and 0.776 (95%CI, 0.656-0.917; p=0.003), respectively, for 10-point increment of PCS and MCS scores. Higher score of any single item of SF-8 was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality even after adjusting for possible confounders. CONCLUSIONS: As assessed by the SF-8, higher PCS, MCS, and any single 1-item scores were associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality in Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Author Correction: A cluster-randomized trial of the effectiveness of a triple-faceted intervention promoting adherence to primary care physician visits by diabetes patients: J-DOIT2 large-scale trial (J-DOIT2-LT).

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The joint association of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms with all-cause mortality in Japanese individuals with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study (Diabetes Distress and Care Registry in Tenri [DDCRT 20]).

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The independent association of depressive symptoms and diabetes distress with mortality risk in individuals with diabetes has not been evaluated. We examined the temporal joint association of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at baseline and the subsequent risk of all-cause mortality. METHODS: The longitudinal data of 3118 individuals with type 2 diabetes were obtained from a large Japanese diabetes registry. To assess the joint association of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at baseline with the subsequent risk of all-cause mortality, the Cox proportional hazards model was used with adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: The mean age, BMI and HbA1c levels were 64.7 years, 24.6 kg/m2 and 58.6 mmol/mol (7.5%), respectively, and 38.1% of the participants were women. In the multivariable-adjusted models evaluating the diabetes distress and depressive symptoms separately, the HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.67 (95% CI 1.14, 2.43; p = 0.008) and 1.40 (95% CI 1.05, 1.85; p = 0.020), respectively. In such models evaluating the joint association of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms, compared with individuals without diabetes distress or depressive symptoms (DD-/DS-), the HRs for all-cause mortality for the group without diabetes distress but with depressive symptoms (DD-/DS+), with diabetes distress but without depressive symptoms (DD+/DS-), and with diabetes distress and depressive symptoms (DD+/DS+) were 1.34 (95% CI 0.99, 1.86; p = 0.056), 1.96 (95% CI 1.10, 3.50; p = 0.023) and 1.71 (95% CI 1.06, 2.77; p = 0.029), respectively. We did not observe a significant interaction between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms with all-cause mortality risk (p = 0.2636). In the stratified analysis by sex, a significant joint association of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms with the risk of all-cause mortality was observed only in men. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Diabetes distress and depressive symptoms were independently associated with all-cause mortality risk in male participants with type 2 diabetes, but we did not observe a significant interaction between diabetes distress and depressive symptoms in relation to all-cause mortality. Graphical abstract.

Effects of dapagliflozin on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system under renin-angiotensin system inhibitor administration.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) are reported to prevent cardiovascular events by a mechanism possibly including diuresis and sodium excretion. In this respect, diuresis-induced compensatory upregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system should be clarified and we performed a randomized controlled trial using dapagliflozin, an SGLT2I. Hypertensive diabetic patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers were randomly assigned to a dapagliflozin group (DAPA) or a control group (CTRL) with the difference in the changes in plasma renin activity (PRA) after 24 weeks of the treatment as the primary outcome. PRA, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), age, sex, BMI, blood pressure, pulse rate, eGFRcys, and HbA1c were not different between the groups at baseline. After 24 weeks, the changes in the PRA from the baseline of the DAPA (n = 44) and CTRL (n = 39) groups were 6.30 ± 15.55 and 1.42 ± 11.43 ng/mL/h, respectively (p = 0.11) although the power of detection was too small. However, post hoc nonparametric analyses revealed that there was a definite increase in the PRA and PAC in the DAPA group (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.00025, respectively) but not in the CTRL group. The PRA in the DAPA group after 24 weeks treatment was significantly elevated compared to the CTRL group (p = 0.013) but not for the PAC. Accordingly, it would be suggested that dapagliflozin may not induce a profound increase, if any, in PAC after 24 weeks of treatment in hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients under RAA suppression.

A cluster-randomized trial of the effectiveness of a triple-faceted intervention promoting adherence to primary care physician visits by diabetes patients.

We aimed to assess whether a triple-faceted intervention program administered in the primary care setting could decrease the risk of insufficient adherence to primary care physician (PCP) appointments among this patient population. We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled study to assess the effects of a 1-year intervention. The primary outcome was insufficient adherence to regular PCP attendance for diabetes treatment, defined as failure to visit a PCP within 2 months of an original appointment date. The intervention consisted of mailing patient reminders of their PCP appointments, providing patients with health education aimed at lifestyle modification and benchmarking PCP procedures. Eleven municipal level district medical associations employing 192 PCPs were divided into two subregions for assignment to intervention and control clusters, with 971 and 1,265 patients assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Primary outcome data were available for 2,200 patients. The intervention reduced insufficient adherence to regular PCP appointments by 63% (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.58). In conclusion, a triple-faceted intervention program consisting of health education, appointment reminders, and physician benchmarking may decrease the risk of incomplete adherence to regular PCP appointments by diabetes patients.

Risk perception, self-efficacy, trust for physician, depression, and behavior modification in diabetic patients.

We evaluated the associations of risk perception, self-efficacy, and trust with two health promotion behaviors (food habits and exercise) and depressive mood. Diabetic patients aged between 40 and 64 (n = 1195) were included in the analyses. Risk perception worsened behavioral changes in terms of food habits and depression, whereas self-efficacy and trust improved food habits, exercise, and depression; trust improved exercise and depression. In conclusion, self-efficacy and trust appear to be more beneficial than risk perception for positive behavioral changes and for improving depression in diabetic patients. However, their influence on behavioral changes may be different according to the types of behaviors.