Variability in Annual Fasting Glucose and the Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

PURPOSE: High glucose concentrations and swings are associated with endothelial dysfunction. We examined the effects of variability in fasting plasma glucose on peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this screening study for the risk factors of PAD, we retrospectively collected data on the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the percentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP) at the ankle between August 01, 2016 and July 31, 2017. We defined low ABI ≤0.90, high %MAP ≥45%, or both as high-risk PAD and others as low-risk PAD. We compared the standard deviation (SD) of the first fasting plasma glucose data available each year after January 01, 2007. RESULTS: In 2577 patients, a higher SD of annual fasting glucose was observed in those with an ABI ≤0.90 than in patients with an ABI >0.90 (2.6 ± 2.1 vs 2.2 ± 2.3, P = 0.009), and in patients with %MAP ≥45% than in those with %MAP <45% (2.4 ± 2.1 vs 2.2 ± 2.3, P = 0.034). A high-risk PAD was significantly associated with the SD (P = 0.032) but not with the mean (P = 0.338) of annual fasting glucose. The former was an independent risk factor for high-risk PAD (odds ratio = 1.424; 95% CI = 1.118‒1.814; P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Variability but not mean of annual fasting plasma glucose was significantly associated with a high risk of PAD in patients with DM.

Can temperament be understood at birth? The relationship between neonatal pain cry and their temperament: a preliminary study.

This study investigated the relationship between the pain cries of neonates at 3-5 days and temperament at 1 month of age, as rated by mothers. A total of 68 healthy neonates' pain cries elicited by injection of the hepatitis B virus vaccine were analyzed and were categorized into "pre-part" and "post-part" cry by the determination of a regulatory point by observers, with a high consensus on spectrogram profiles. Differences in parameters between the pre-part and post-part of the pain cries and their association with the dimensions of temperament were analyzed. The results indicated that neonates who exhibited greater intensity pre-part crying had a more positive mood quality at 1 month, and those with shorter breath intervals after the regulatory point had a higher activity temperament score at 1 month. Moreover, the higher the pitch or the shorter the duration of the cry sounds in the post-part, the lower the adaptability score at 1 month. This study demonstrates that neonatal pain cry parameters could be used to understand subsequent temperament behavioral styles.