Background This study aimed to assess whether markers of diabetes severity could serve as predictors for foot amputation risk among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods We analyzed data from the nationally representative Korean National Health Insurance System database, tracking 2,544,077 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who participated in routine health check-ups between 2009 and 2012, with followup extending through the end of 2018. The parameters used to define the diabetes severity score encompassed diabetes duration, insulin usage, the number of oral glucose-lowering medications, the presence of chronic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease. Each factor was assigned one point, yielding a cumulative severity score ranging from 0 to 6.
Results The risk of diabetic foot amputation was predominantly predicted by insulin therapy, diabetic retinopathy, and a prolonged duration of diabetes. The hazard ratios for foot amputation increased with the severity score as follows: 2.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15 to 2.47) for a score of 1, 4.73 (95% CI, 4.42 to 5.07) for a score of 2, 8.86 (95% CI, 8.24 to 9.53) for a score of 3, 16.95 (95% CI, 15.60 to 18.4) for a score of 4, 23.98 (95% CI, 21.25 to 27.05) for a score of 5, and 37.87 (95% CI, 28.93 to 49.57) for a score of 6.
Conclusion Specific markers of advanced diabetes effectively identified patients at an elevated risk for diabetic foot amputation.
Diabetes, obesity and metabolism Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background Elevated γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GTP) levels are associated with metabolic syndrome. We investigated the association of cumulative exposure to high γ-GTP with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large-scale population.
Methods Using nationally representative data from the Korean National Health Insurance system, 1,640,127 people with 4 years of consecutive γ-GTP measurements from 2009 to 2012 were included and followed up until the end of 2019. For each year of the study period, participants were grouped by the number of exposures to the highest γ-GTP quartile (0–4), and the sum of quartiles (0–12) was defined as cumulative γ-GTP exposure. The hazard ratio for CVD was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model.
Results During the 6.4 years of follow-up, there were 15,980 cases (0.97%) of myocardial infarction (MI), 14,563 (0.89%) of stroke, 29,717 (1.81%) of CVD, and 25,916 (1.58%) of death. Persistent exposure to high γ-GTP levels was associated with higher risks of MI, stroke, CVD, and death than those without such exposure. The risks of MI, stroke, CVD, and mortality increased in a dose-dependent manner according to total cumulative γ-GTP (all P for trend <0.0001). Subjects younger than 65 years, with a body mass index <25 kg/m2, and without hypertension or fatty liver showed a stronger relationship between cumulative γ-GTP and the incidence of MI, CVD, and death.
Conclusion Cumulative γ-GTP elevation is associated with CVD. γ-GTP could be more widely used as an early marker of CVD risk, especially in individuals without traditional CVD risk factors.
Citations
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Thyroid Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Yoon Young Cho, Bongseong Kim, Dong Wook Shin, Hye Ryoun Jang, Bo-Yeon Kim, Chan-Hee Jung, Jae Hyeon Kim, Sun Wook Kim, Jae Hoon Chung, Kyungdo Han, Tae Hyuk Kim
Endocrinol Metab. 2022;37(2):281-289. Published online April 6, 2022
Background Hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the hyperdynamic state, which is reversible after restoring euthyroidism. However, long-term follow-up of renal dysfunction in patients with hyperthyroidism has not been performed.
Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance database and biannual health checkup data. We included 41,778 Graves’ disease (GD) patients and 41,778 healthy controls, matched by age and sex. The incidences of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were calculated in GD patients and controls. The cumulative dose and duration of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) were calculated for each patient and categorized into the highest, middle, and lowest tertiles.
Results Among 41,778 GD patients, 55 ESRD cases occurred during 268,552 person-years of follow-up. Relative to the controls, regardless of smoking, drinking, or comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease, GD patients had a 47% lower risk of developing ESRD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 to 0.76). In particular, GD patients with a higher baseline GFR (≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2; HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.99), longer treatment duration (>33 months; HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.58) or higher cumulative dose (>16,463 mg; HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.57) of ATDs had a significantly reduced risk of ESRD.
Conclusion This was the first epidemiological study on the effect of GD on ESRD, and we demonstrated that GD population had a reduced risk for developing ESRD.
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Chronic Kidney Disease and Thyroid Hormones Yuan Cheng, Haofei Hu, Wangyang Li, Sheng Nie, Shiyu Zhou, Yuna Chen, Tao Cao, Hong Xu, Bicheng Liu, Chunbo Chen, Huafeng Liu, Qiongqiong Yang, Hua Li, Yaozhong Kong, Guisen Li, Yan Zha, Ying Hu, Gang Xu, Yongjun Shi, Yilun Zhou, Guobin Su, Ying Tang, Men The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Renal function changes in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism: a novel postulated mechanism Magdy Mohamed Allam, Hanaa Tarek El-Zawawy, Tarek Hussein El-Zawawy Endocrine.2023; 82(1): 78. CrossRef
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Effects and Clinical Value of Peritoneal Dialysis on Water and Water Balance, Adverse Reactions, Quality of Life, and Clinical Prognosis in Patients with Decompensated Chronic Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Xichao Wang, Miaomiao Zhang, Na Sun, Wenxiu Chang, Gang Chen Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine.2022; 2022: 1. CrossRef