Aims: The associations between the number of antihypertensive agents being taken by type 2 diabetic patients and 1) the grade of atherosclerosis according to non-invasive surrogate markers for atherosclerosis and 2) t...Aims: The associations between the number of antihypertensive agents being taken by type 2 diabetic patients and 1) the grade of atherosclerosis according to non-invasive surrogate markers for atherosclerosis and 2) the other risk factor for atherosclerosis, were cross-sectionally investigated. Methods: The association between the blood pressure control and the clinical characteristics was evaluated in 1359 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: The number of antihypertensive agents was 1.5 ± 1.4 (2.0 ± 1.2 among the 990 patients with hypertension). The proportion of patients taking no antihypertensive agents was 29%, 22% were taking one, 29% were taking two and 21% of the patients were taking three or more antihypertensive agents. The value of the ankle-brachial pressure index significantly decreased with the increase in the number of antihypertensive agents even if the blood pressure was corrected to the target value. The values of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness were also increased. The prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, hyperuricemia and anemia was significantly elevated with the number of agents. Conclusions: The number of antihypertensive agents simply reflects the grade and risk of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.展开更多
Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) infection is a rare disease in Japan but the leading cause of death related to raw seafood consumption. We hereby reported a successfully treated case of V. vulnificus septicemia, sev...Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) infection is a rare disease in Japan but the leading cause of death related to raw seafood consumption. We hereby reported a successfully treated case of V. vulnificus septicemia, severe necrotizing fasciitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure after raw perch consumption with underlying alcoholic liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus. It is the first report of a case of V. vulnificusinfection caused by eating raw perch, whereas V. vulnificus infection should be suspected in all of middle-aged to elderly men with underlying immunosuppressive diseases, who have recent consumption of raw seafood or contact with seawater, especially in the summer. The levels of HbA1c and glycoalbumin were not high in the present case, however, obvious hyperglycemia was found even after the infection had completely healed. On reviewing 166 case of V. vulnificus infection in Japan including ours, the complication of diabetes mellitus, one of immunocompromised condition, was found only in 11%, although it had been reported that individuals strongly suspected of having diabetes were 17.2% among the Japanese male population aged from 40 to 74 years. Because diabetes mellitus might be underdiagnosed in the previous reports, intensive examinations are considered to be necessary in order to correctly diagnose diabetes mellitus in patients with severe V. vulnificus infection.展开更多
Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics of diabetic patients with a low-titer positive for the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody (GAD antibody). Methods: The subjects were 420 diabetic inpatients. ...Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics of diabetic patients with a low-titer positive for the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody (GAD antibody). Methods: The subjects were 420 diabetic inpatients. The endogenous insulin secretion was estimated on the basis of the C-peptide immunoreactivity from a 24 h urine collection (uCPR). Clinical variables were compared between patients negative for the GAD antibody (GAD antibody titer < 1.5 U/mL), a low-titer positive GAD antibody (1.5 U/mL ≤ GAD antibody titer < 10 U/mL) and a high-titer positive GAD antibody (10 U/mL ≤ GAD antibody titer). Results: The low and high-titer positive GAD antibodies were found in 25 and 10 patients, respectively. The uCPR was significantly lower in both the patients with a low (37 ± 33 ug/24h) and high-titer (39 ± 27 ug/24h) positive GAD antibodies than in those negative for GAD antibodies (71 ± 52 ug/24h). The uCPR level was significantly lower in the low-titer positive GAD antibody group (29 ± 22 ug/24h) than in the negative group (67 ± 55 ug/24h) among the patients not taking insulin secretagogues. The difference disappeared in the subjects taking insulin secreagogues. In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, a low-titer positive GAD antibody was independently associated with the uCPR level. Conclusions: Endogenous insulin secretion is reduced in diabetic patients positive for GAD antibodies, even if the titer is low. Earlier initiation of insulin therapy might therefore protect the pancreatic β-cell function in diabetic patients with a low-titer positive GAD antibody.展开更多
文摘Aims: The associations between the number of antihypertensive agents being taken by type 2 diabetic patients and 1) the grade of atherosclerosis according to non-invasive surrogate markers for atherosclerosis and 2) the other risk factor for atherosclerosis, were cross-sectionally investigated. Methods: The association between the blood pressure control and the clinical characteristics was evaluated in 1359 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: The number of antihypertensive agents was 1.5 ± 1.4 (2.0 ± 1.2 among the 990 patients with hypertension). The proportion of patients taking no antihypertensive agents was 29%, 22% were taking one, 29% were taking two and 21% of the patients were taking three or more antihypertensive agents. The value of the ankle-brachial pressure index significantly decreased with the increase in the number of antihypertensive agents even if the blood pressure was corrected to the target value. The values of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness were also increased. The prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, hyperuricemia and anemia was significantly elevated with the number of agents. Conclusions: The number of antihypertensive agents simply reflects the grade and risk of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
文摘Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) infection is a rare disease in Japan but the leading cause of death related to raw seafood consumption. We hereby reported a successfully treated case of V. vulnificus septicemia, severe necrotizing fasciitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure after raw perch consumption with underlying alcoholic liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus. It is the first report of a case of V. vulnificusinfection caused by eating raw perch, whereas V. vulnificus infection should be suspected in all of middle-aged to elderly men with underlying immunosuppressive diseases, who have recent consumption of raw seafood or contact with seawater, especially in the summer. The levels of HbA1c and glycoalbumin were not high in the present case, however, obvious hyperglycemia was found even after the infection had completely healed. On reviewing 166 case of V. vulnificus infection in Japan including ours, the complication of diabetes mellitus, one of immunocompromised condition, was found only in 11%, although it had been reported that individuals strongly suspected of having diabetes were 17.2% among the Japanese male population aged from 40 to 74 years. Because diabetes mellitus might be underdiagnosed in the previous reports, intensive examinations are considered to be necessary in order to correctly diagnose diabetes mellitus in patients with severe V. vulnificus infection.
文摘Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics of diabetic patients with a low-titer positive for the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody (GAD antibody). Methods: The subjects were 420 diabetic inpatients. The endogenous insulin secretion was estimated on the basis of the C-peptide immunoreactivity from a 24 h urine collection (uCPR). Clinical variables were compared between patients negative for the GAD antibody (GAD antibody titer < 1.5 U/mL), a low-titer positive GAD antibody (1.5 U/mL ≤ GAD antibody titer < 10 U/mL) and a high-titer positive GAD antibody (10 U/mL ≤ GAD antibody titer). Results: The low and high-titer positive GAD antibodies were found in 25 and 10 patients, respectively. The uCPR was significantly lower in both the patients with a low (37 ± 33 ug/24h) and high-titer (39 ± 27 ug/24h) positive GAD antibodies than in those negative for GAD antibodies (71 ± 52 ug/24h). The uCPR level was significantly lower in the low-titer positive GAD antibody group (29 ± 22 ug/24h) than in the negative group (67 ± 55 ug/24h) among the patients not taking insulin secretagogues. The difference disappeared in the subjects taking insulin secreagogues. In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, a low-titer positive GAD antibody was independently associated with the uCPR level. Conclusions: Endogenous insulin secretion is reduced in diabetic patients positive for GAD antibodies, even if the titer is low. Earlier initiation of insulin therapy might therefore protect the pancreatic β-cell function in diabetic patients with a low-titer positive GAD antibody.
