1.
Glucose homeostasis, nutrition and infections during critical illness.
Ingels, C, Vanhorebeek, I, Van den Berghe, G
Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 2018;(1):10-15
Abstract
Critical illness is a complex life-threatening disease characterized by profound endocrine and metabolic alterations and by a dysregulated immune response, together contributing to the susceptibility for nosocomial infections and sepsis. Hitherto, two metabolic strategies have been shown to reduce nosocomial infections in the critically ill, namely tight blood glucose control and early macronutrient restriction. Hyperglycaemia, as part of the endocrine-metabolic responses to stress, is present in virtually all critically ill patients and is associated with poor outcome. Maintaining normoglycaemia with intensive insulin therapy has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality, by prevention of vital organ dysfunction and prevention of new severe infections. The favourable effects of this intervention were attributed to the avoidance of glucose toxicity and mitochondrial damage in cells of vital organs and in immune cells. Hyperglycaemia was shown to impair macrophage phagocytosis and oxidative burst capacity, which could be restored by targeting normoglycaemia. An anti-inflammatory effect of insulin may have contributed to prevention of collateral damage to host tissues. Not using parenteral nutrition during the first week in intensive care units, and so accepting a large macronutrient deficit, also resulted in fewer secondary infections, less weakness and accelerated recovery. This was at least partially explained by a suppressive effect of early parenteral nutrition on autophagic processes, which may have jeopardized crucial antimicrobial defences and cell damage removal. The beneficial impact of these two metabolic strategies has opened a new field of research that will allow us to improve the understanding of the determinants of nosocomial infections, sepsis and organ failure in the critically ill.
2.
Interdisciplinary approach to compensation of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients with chronic heart failure.
Anfinogenova, Y, Grakova, EV, Shvedova, M, Kopieva, KV, Teplyakov, AT, Popov, SV
Heart failure reviews. 2018;(3):481-497
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease requiring lifelong control with hypoglycemic agents that must demonstrate excellent efficacy and safety profiles. In patients taking glucose-lowering drugs, hypoglycemia is a common cause of death associated with arrhythmias, increased thrombus formation, and specific effects of catecholamines due to sympathoadrenal activation. Focus is now shifting from merely glycemic control to multifactorial approach. In the context of individual drugs and classes, this article reviews interdisciplinary strategies evaluating metabolic effects of drugs for treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) which can mask characteristic hypoglycemia symptoms. Hypoglycemia unawareness and cardiac autonomic neuropathy are discussed. Data suggesting that hypoglycemia modulates immune response are reviewed. The potential role of gut microbiota in improving health of patients with diabetes and CHF is emphasized. Reports stating that nondiabetic CHF patients can have life-threatening hypoglycemia associated with imbalance of thyroid hormones are discussed. Regular glycemic control based on HbA1c measurements and adequate pharmacotherapy remain the priorities in diabetes management. New antihyperglycemic drugs with safer profiles should be preferred in vulnerable CHF patients. Multidrug interactions must be considered. Emerging therapies with reduced hypoglycemia risk, telemedicine, sensor technologies, and genetic testing predicting hypoglycemia risk may help solving the challenges of hypoglycemia in CHF patients with diabetes. Interdisciplinary work may involve cardiologists, diabetologists/endocrinologists, immunologists, gastroenterologists, microbiologists, nutritionists, imaging specialists, geneticists, telemedicine experts, and other relevant specialists. This review emphasizes that systematic knowledge on pathophysiology of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients with CHF is largely lacking and the gaps in our understanding require further discoveries.
3.
Effect of pioglitazone on insulin resistance, progression of atherosclerosis and clinical course of coronary heart disease.
Skochko, OV, Kaidashev, IP
Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960). 2017;(5):881-890
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pioglitazone, a medication of thiazolidinedione group, is capable of triggering the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR-γ). Activation of receptor PPAR-γ regulates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, immune and inflammatory responses in heart tissues. THE AIM Our aim was to study the effect of pioglitazone on insulin resistance, the clinical course of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 43 patients with coronary artery disease. Patients were divided into the main group - 20 patients, in whom pioglitazone (Pioglar, Ranbaxy, India) was included in the combined therapy at a dose of 15 mg 1 time per day in the morning, and the comparison group - 23 patients receiving standard complex drug therapy over 6 months. Patients underwent clinical examination, ultrasound of neck vessels, study of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. RESULTS Joining pioglitazone to standard therapy resulted in the reduction of systolic (p<0.05) and diastolic (p<0.05) blood pressure; decrease in the duration of pain attacks (p<0.05); reduction in the frequency of angina attacks (p<0.05); regression of atherosclerosis of the carotid vessels (p<0.05), decrease in the thickness of the intima-media complex (p<0.05). The decline in oral glucose tolerance test (p<0.05), hyperglycemic factor (p<0.05), total cholesterol (p<0.05), and low density lipoproteins (p<0.05) were observed, as well as increased high-density lipoprotein (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Long-term treatment with pioglitazone at low doses against the background of standard therapy contributes to functional and clinical condition of patients, promotes the prevention of atherosclerosis and reduction of insulin resistance, thereby improving the clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease.
4.
DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS: A COMMON DEBUT OF DIABETES AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES.
Vellanki, P, Umpierrez, GE
Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2017;(8):971-978
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE More than half of African Americans (AA) with a new diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis have clinical and metabolic features of type 2 diabetes during follow-up. This particular presentation of diabetes has been termed as ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes (KPDM) or atypical diabetes. METHODS We review the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and acute and long-term management of AA with KPDM and compare these similarities to patients with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS In contrast to the long-term insulin requirement of auto-immune type 1 diabetes, patients with KPDM are able to discontinue insulin after a few months of therapy and maintain acceptable glycemic control for many years on either diet or oral agents. Patients with KPDM have significant impairment of both insulin secretion and insulin action at presentation; however, at the time of near-normoglycemia remission, insulin secretion and action improve to levels similar to hyperglycemic patients with ketosis-resistant type 2 diabetes. In the long term, however, patients with KPDM have a decline in β-cell function similar to patients with type 2 diabetes. Recent studies indicate that treatment with metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors can prolong the period of near-normoglycemia remission for several years compared to placebo therapy. CONCLUSION KPDM is a unique but common presentation of newly diagnosed African Americans with type 2 diabetes. ABBREVIATIONS A(+/-) = auto-antibody positive/negative AA = African Americans DKA = diabetic ketoacidosis FFA = free fatty acids G6PD = glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase GAD-65 = 65-kDA glutamic acid decarboxylase HBA1c = glycated hemoglobin A1c HHV8 = human herpes virus 8 HLA = human leukocyte antigen KPDM = ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes.