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.
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Namgok Lecture 2024
Hypothalamus and pituitary gland Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder caused by excessive growth hormone secretion. Its low prevalence poses challenges in studying its long-term prognosis and systemic effects. To address this research gap, we conducted five studies using nationwide cohort data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database (NHID). This review consolidates the findings of these studies, which examined various long-term effects of acromegaly. The results demonstrated significant associations between acromegaly and increased mortality, a higher prevalence of mortality, cardiovascular outcomes, neurodegenerative diseases, depression, end-stage kidney disease, respiratory complications, specifically bronchiectasis, spine & hip fracture, and malignancy. These findings highlight the critical need for early diagnosis, comprehensive care, and long-term monitoring, and underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing acromegaly.
Background We examined the distribution of time to insulin therapy (TIT) post-diabetes diagnosis and the hazard of severe hypoglycemia (SH) according to TIT in Korean adults initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and who progressed to insulin therapy.
Methods Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (2002 to 2018), we selected adult incident insulin users (initially diagnosed as T2D) who underwent health examinations between 2009 and 2012. The hazards of SH, recurrent SH, and problematic hypoglycemia were analyzed according to groups categorized using the TIT and clinical risk factors for SH (TIT ≥5 years with risk factors, TIT ≥5 years without risk factors, 3 ≤TIT <5 years, 1 ≤TIT <3 years, and TIT <1 year).
Results Among 41,637 individuals, 14,840 (35.64%) and 10,587 (25.43%) initiated insulin therapy within <5 and <3 years postdiabetes diagnosis, respectively. During a median 6.53 years, 3,406 SH events occurred. Compared to individuals with TIT ≥5 years and no risk factor for SH, individuals with TIT <3 years had higher outcome hazards in a graded manner (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence intervals] for any SH: 1.117 [0.967 to 1.290] in those with 3 ≤TIT <5 years; 1.459 [1.284 to 1.657] in those with 1 ≤ TIT <3 years; and 1.515 [1.309 to 1.754] in those with TIT <1 year). This relationship was more pronounced in the non-obese subpopulation.
Conclusion Among adults who progressed to insulin therapy after being diagnosed with T2D, a shorter TIT was not uncommon and may predict an increased risk of SH, particularly in non-obese patients.
Diabetes, obesity and metabolism Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background Intellectual disability (ID) may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, evidence from longitudinal studies is scarce, particularly in Asian populations.
Methods This retrospective cohort study used representative linked data from the Korea National Disability Registration System and the National Health Insurance Service database. Adults (≥20 years) who received a national health examination in 2009 (3,385 individuals with ID and 3,463,604 individuals without ID) were included and followed until 2020. ID was identified using legal registration information. Incident DM was defined by prescription records with relevant diagnostic codes. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for DM risks in individuals with ID compared to those without ID.
Results Over a mean follow-up of 9.8 years, incident DM occurred in 302 (8.9%) individuals with ID and 299,156 (8.4%) individuals without ID. Having ID was associated with increased DM risk (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.55). Sensitivity analysis confirmed a higher DM risk in individuals with ID (aHR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.56) than those with other disabilities (aHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.13) or no disability (reference). Stratified analysis showed higher DM risk in non-hypertensive subjects (aHR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.43 to 1.86) compared to hypertensive subjects (aHR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.26; P for interaction <0.001).
Conclusion Adults with ID have an increased risk of developing DM, highlighting the need for targeted public health strategies to promote DM prevention in this population.
Background We examined the impact of gout on the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and determined whether this association differs according to chronic kidney disease (CKD) status.
Methods Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service, this nationwide cohort study enrolled 847,884 patients with T2DM who underwent health checkups in 2009. Based on the presence of CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and gout (two outpatient visits or one hospitalization within 5 years), patients were classified into four groups: CKD−Gout−, CKD− Gout+, CKD+Gout−, and CKD+Gout+. Patients with incident ESRD were followed up until December 2018.
Results Among 847,884 patients, 11,825 (1.4%) experienced progression to ESRD. ESRD incidence increased in the following order: 0.77 per 1,000 person-years (PY) in the CKD−Gout− group, 1.34/1,000 PY in the CKD−Gout+ group, 8.20/1,000 PY in the CKD+Gout− group, and 23.06/1,000 PY in the CKD+Gout+ group. The presence of gout modified the ESRD risk in a status-dependent manner. Hazard ratios (HR) were 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32 to 1.69) and 2.24 (95% CI, 2.09 to 2.40) in patients without and with CKD, respectively, indicating a significant interaction (P<0.0001). The CKD+Gout+ group had a markedly higher risk of developing ESRD (HR, 18.9; 95% CI, 17.58 to 20.32) than the reference group (CKD−Gout−).
Conclusion Gout substantially enhances the risk of ESRD, even in the absence of CKD. Concurrent CKD and gout synergistically increase the risk of ESRD. Therefore, physicians should carefully screen for hyperuricemia to prevent progression to ESRD.
The prevalence of obesity in Korea has steadily increased over the past decade, reaching 38.4% in 2021. Notably, the rate of class II– III obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher, exceeded 7% in the same year. Since January 2019, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has provided coverage for bariatric surgery (BS) for eligible patients. Coverage is available for individuals with a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or higher, or those with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher who also have obesity-related comorbidities. Additionally, partial reimbursement is offered for BS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have BMI values between 27.5 and 30 kg/m2. From 2019 to 2022, the NHIS recorded 9,080 BS procedures, with sleeve gastrectomy being the most commonly performed. The average percentage of weight loss 198±99.7 days post-surgery was 17.9%, with 80.0% of patients losing more than 10% of their body weight. This article presents the trends in obesity and BS in Korea.
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Original Articles
Mineral, Bone & Muscle Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background Limited longitudinal evidence exists regarding the potential association between smoking status and hip fracture among individuals with type 2 diabetes. We investigated this association using large-scale, nationwide cohort data for the Korean population.
Methods This nationwide cohort study included 1,414,635 adults aged 40 and older who received Korean National Health Insurance Service health examinations between 2009 and 2012. Subjects with type 2 diabetes were categorized according to their smoking status, amount smoked (pack-years), number of cigarettes smoked per day, and duration of smoking. The results are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between smoking status parameters and risk of hip fracture in multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.
Results Compared with never-smokers, an increased adjusted HR (aHR) for hip fracture was observed in current smokers (1.681; 95% CI, 1.578 to 1.791), and a comparable aHR for hip fracture was found in former smokers (1.065; 95% CI, 0.999 to 1.136). For former smokers who had smoked 20 pack-years or more, the risk was slightly higher than that for never-smokers (aHR, 1.107; 95% CI, 1.024 to 1.196). The hip fracture risk of female former smokers was similar to that of female current smokers, but the hip fracture risk in male former smokers was similar to that of male never-smokers.
Conclusion Smoking is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in patients with type 2 diabetes. Current smokers with diabetes should be encouraged to quit smoking because the risk of hip fracture is greatly reduced in former smokers.
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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.
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Diabetes, obesity and metabolism Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background This study investigated the risk of cause-specific mortality according to glucose tolerance status in elderly South Koreans.
Methods A total of 1,292,264 individuals aged ≥65 years who received health examinations in 2009 were identified from the National Health Information Database. Participants were classified as normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, newly-diagnosed diabetes, early diabetes (oral hypoglycemic agents ≤2), or advanced diabetes (oral hypoglycemic agents ≥3 or insulin). The risk of system-specific and disease-specific deaths was estimated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis.
Results During a median follow-up of 8.41 years, 257,356 deaths were recorded. Diabetes was associated with significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.57 to 1.60); death due to circulatory (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.46 to 1.52), respiratory (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.47 to 1.55), and genitourinary systems (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 2.10 to 2.35); and neoplasms (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.32). Diabetes was also associated with a significantly higher risk of death due to ischemic heart disease (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.63 to 1.76), cerebrovascular disease (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.41 to 1.50), pneumonia (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.63 to 1.76), and acute or chronic kidney disease (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.09 to 2.38). There was a stepwise increase in the risk of death across the glucose spectrum (P for trend <0.0001). Stroke, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease increased the risk of all-cause mortality at every stage of glucose intolerance.
Conclusion A dose-dependent association between the risk of mortality from various causes and severity of glucose tolerance was noted in the elderly population.
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Background The effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors over the course of long-term treatment remain unclear, and concerns have been raised regarding the role of DPP-4 inhibitors in carcinogenesis in the pancreas. Earlier studies of pancreatic adverse events have reported conflicting results.
Methods This study analyzed Korean National Health Insurance Service data from January 2009 to December 2012. Patients who had type 2 diabetes mellitus and took two or more oral glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) were included. Patients prescribed DPP-4 inhibitors (n=51,482) or other GLDs (n=51,482) were matched at a 1:1 ratio using propensity score matching. The risk of pancreatic cancer was calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis.
Results During a median follow-up period of 7.95 years, 1,051 new cases of pancreatic cancer were identified. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for DPP-4 inhibitor use was 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88 to 1.12) compared with the other GLD group. In an analysis limited to cases diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during hospitalization, the adjusted HR for the use of DPP-4 inhibitors was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.86 to 1.17) compared with patients who took other GLDs. Using the other GLD group as the reference group, no trend was observed for elevated pancreatic cancer risk with increased DPP-4 inhibitor exposure.
Conclusion In this population-based cohort study, DPP-4 inhibitor use over the course of relatively long-term follow-up showed no significant association with an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer.
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Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background The severity of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to generate a risk model for predicting insulin-requiring GDM before pregnancy in Korean women.
Methods A total of 417,210 women who received a health examination within 52 weeks before pregnancy and delivered between 2011 and 2015 were recruited from the Korean National Health Insurance database. The risk prediction model was created using a sample of 70% of the participants, while the remaining 30% were used for internal validation. Risk scores were assigned based on the hazard ratios for each risk factor in the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Six risk variables were selected, and a risk nomogram was created to estimate the risk of insulin-requiring GDM.
Results A total of 2,891 (0.69%) women developed insulin-requiring GDM. Age, body mass index (BMI), current smoking, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol, and γ-glutamyl transferase were significant risk factors for insulin-requiring GDM and were incorporated into the risk model. Among the variables, old age, high BMI, and high FBG level were the main contributors to an increased risk of insulin-requiring GDM. The concordance index of the risk model for predicting insulin-requiring GDM was 0.783 (95% confidence interval, 0.766 to 0.799). The validation cohort’s incidence rates for insulin-requiring GDM were consistent with the risk model’s predictions.
Conclusion A novel risk engine was generated to predict insulin-requiring GDM among Korean women. This model may provide helpful information for identifying high-risk women and enhancing prepregnancy care.
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Ga Eun Nam, Youn Huh, Jin-Hyung Jung, Kyungdo Han, Seon Mee Kim, on Behalf of the Taskforce Team of the Obesity Fact Sheet of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity
Endocrinol Metab. 2022;37(2):261-271. Published online April 25, 2022
Background We investigated whether low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and isolated and non-isolated low HDL-C levels are associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality among Korean adults.
Methods We included 8,665,841 individuals aged ≥20 years who had undergone a health examination provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in 2009 and were followed up until the end of 2018. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for study outcomes were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.
Results During the 8.2 years of mean follow-up, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality occurred in 81,431, 110,996, and 244,309 individuals, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables (model 3), individuals with low HDL-C and lower HDL quartiles were associated with significantly increased risks of all three outcomes, compared to those with normal HDL-C and highest HDL-C quartile (all P<0.001), respectively. HRs for incident MI (1.28; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.30), stroke (1.13; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.15), and all-cause mortality (1.07; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.08) increased in the non-isolated low HDL-C group compared to the normal HDL-C group. Isolated low HDL-C also showed an increase in the HRs of incident stroke (1.06; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.08) and all-cause mortality (1.30; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.32).
Conclusion Low HDL-C and non-isolated low HDL-C were associated with increased risk of MI, stroke, and all-cause mortality, and isolated low HDL-C was associated with incident stroke and all-cause mortality risk.
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Background Elevated γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GTP) level is associated with metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance, which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes. We aimed to investigate the association of cumulative exposure to high γ-GTP level with risk of diabetes.
Methods Using nationally representative data from the Korean National Health Insurance system, 346,206 people who were free of diabetes and who underwent 5 consecutive health examinations from 2005 to 2009 were followed to the end of 2018. High γ-GTP level was defined as those in the highest quartile, and the number of exposures to high γ-GTP level ranged from 0 to 5. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for diabetes were analyzed using the multivariable Cox proportional-hazards model.
Results The mean follow-up duration was 9.2±1.0 years, during which 15,183 (4.4%) patients developed diabetes. There was a linear increase in the incidence rate and the risk of diabetes with cumulative exposure to high γ-GTP level. After adjusting for possible confounders, the HR of diabetes in subjects with five consecutive high γ-GTP levels were 2.60 (95% CI, 2.47 to 2.73) in men and 3.05 (95% CI, 2.73 to 3.41) in women compared with those who never had a high γ-GTP level. Similar results were observed in various subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
Conclusion There was a linear relationship between cumulative exposure to high γ-GTP level and risk of diabetes. Monitoring and lowering γ-GTP level should be considered for prevention of diabetes in the general population.
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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.
Citations
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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
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Thyroid Big Data Articles (National Health Insurance Service Database)
Background High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) plays an important role in the reverse cholesterol transport pathway and prevents atherosclerosis-mediated disease. It has also been suggested that HDL-C may be a protective factor against cancer. However, an inverse correlation between HDL-C and cancer has not been established, and few studies have explored thyroid cancer.
Methods The study participants received health checkups provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2009 to 2013 and were followed until 2019. Considering the variability of serum HDL-C level, low HDL-C level was analyzed by grouping based on four consecutive health checkups. The data analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models.
Results A total of 3,134,278 total study participants, thyroid cancer occurred in 16,129. In the crude model, the hazard ratios for the association between repeatedly measured low HDL-C levels and thyroid cancer were 1.243, 1.404, 1.486, and 1.680 (P for trend <0.01), respectively, which were significant even after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors, and metabolic diseases. The subgroup analysis revealed that low HDL-C levels likely had a greater impact on the group of patients with central obesity (P for interaction= 0.062), high blood pressure (P for interaction=0.057), impaired fasting glucose (P for interaction=0.051), and hyperlipidemia (P for interaction=0.126).
Conclusion Repeatedly measured low HDL-C levels can be considered a risk factor for cancer as well as vascular disease. Low HDL-C levels were associated with the risk of thyroid cancer, and this correlation was stronger in a metabolically unhealthy population.
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