Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011849 (diabetes)
 277,896 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The beneficial effects of weight loss in the obese have been widely accepted. Still, there is a lack of controlled studies displaying large maintained weight losses over long periods (>4 years). We wanted to examine the results of long-standing intentional weight loss on the development of diabetes and hypertension in severely obese individuals over an 8-year period. In the ongoing prospective Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study, 346 patients awaiting gastric surgery were matched with 346 obese control subjects on 18 variables by a computerized matching program. The controls were drawn from a registry consisting of 1508 obese potential controls examined at primary health care centers in Sweden. Of the 692 selected patients (body mass index 41.2+/-4.7 kg/m(2) [mean+/-SD]), 483 (70%) were followed for 8 years. No significant weight changes occurred in the obese control group over 8 years. Gastric surgery resulted in a maximum weight loss of -31.1+/-13.6 kg after 1 year. After 8 years, the maintained weight loss was still 20.1+/-15.7 kg (16.3+/-12.3%). Whereas this weight reduction had a dramatic effect on the 8-year incidence of diabetes (odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.36), it had no effect on the 8-year incidence of hypertension (odds ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.67). A differentiated risk factor response was identified: a maintained weight reduction of 16% strongly counteracted the development of diabetes over 8 years but showed no long-term effect on the incidence of hypertension.
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PMID:Differentiated long-term effects of intentional weight loss on diabetes and hypertension. 1090 7

Prematurity is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Antenatal administration of glucocorticoids improves the neonatal outcome of preterm born infants. 1994 the NIH published recommendations for the use of glucocorticoids for women at risk of preterm delivery. A recent evaluation by the Cochrane Collaboration in 1999 showed that antenatal administration of glucocorticoids significantly reduced the rate of RDS and IVH in the gestational age between 24 and 34 weeks. Consequences of repeated courses of antenatal glucocorticoids are not sufficiently studied. The effectivity and safety regarding birth weights, infectious diseases, and the best timing remains unknown. Administration of glucocorticoids lowers fetal activity and heart rate variability. Effects on fetal growth, maternal and fetal immunosystem, and the development of atopic diseases are controversely discussed. Thus preterm labour not leading to a cervical ripening is not necessarily a reason for antenatal glucocorticoids. Antenatal glucocorticoids with PROM do not lower the rate of RDS but of IVH. No prospective randomized trial evaluated the effectivity of antenatal glucocorticoids in diabetes mellitus and IUGR. In preeclampsia beta-methason could improve the rate of RDS and the neonatal outcome. Still our knowledge of antenatal glucocorticoid administration is not sufficient. But despite possible (longtime-) risks for mother and child the administration of glucocorticoids according to the guidelines of the NIH is a major part in the treatment of prematurity and improves the outcome of premature infants. The indication for multiple courses of glucocorticoids should be considered carefully.
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PMID:[Lung maturation therapy with glucocorticoids in threatened premature labor. Considerations of risk-benefit in evidence-based medicine]. 1119 48

As a result of the St Vincent declaration, a Belgian "task force" was installed in 1992 and consequently 16 working groups were formed. They presented their objectives in 1995. The working group "prevention and treatment of diabetic foot lesions" started the implementation of a screening program to obtain an overview of the presentation of diabetic foot lesions, the amputation rate and the prevalence of patients with a foot at risk. This study reports the results from 43 out of 73 Flemish diabetes centres. 1653 patients were enrolled in this study (53% women, 47% men, median age 61). 34.6% were type 1 and, 65.4% type 2. One or more arterial pedal pulses were absent in 28%, 30.5% had an abnormal monofilament test, 35% skin lesions and 28% malformations. Still 19% smoked, 15.8% had visual problems and 11% had already developed an ulcer previously. Ulcers were reported in 8.7% of which almost 2/3 belonged to Wagner class I. 69 (3.87%) of the patients had had amputations. According to the four-risk categories-scale 46.3% of the patients belonged to the highest one; peripheral vascular disease, previous amputations, previous ulcers, and Charcot joints. In our region we didn't have previous data on the prevalence and morbidity of the amputation rate with diabetes patients. We observed 3.87% amputations, which is rather high in comparison with international data (0.44% - 2.4%). The general follow-up of diabetic foot problems can be organised in co-operation with other care providers. A national program therefore is going to start in the next months. We all have to be aware of the size of the problem to offer the best possible prevention. As we have seen, the use of inlay soles and podiatrist-made ortheses for example is very low. We hope that all care providers will participate in this important project, so that they will acquire a specific attitude towards these patients. In daily clinical practice there are some key-roles to be respected by all health care providers. In our opinion the next are of the utmost importance: take off your diabetic patient's shoes when they visit you; give specific education if your patient has a foot at risk; if an ulcer is present, carefully follow-up is mandatory and if no good evolution of the ulcer is seen, an early referral to a diabetic foot clinic is obvious. Together we can lower down the amputation rate of diabetic foot lesions. And that would be a marvelous implementation of the St Vincent declaration in Belgium.
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PMID:The Diabetic Foot Project of Flanders, the northern part of Belgium: implementation of the St Vincent consensus. Sensibilisation and registration in diabetes centres. 1130 80

Few medical professionals would dispute the obvious health benefits afforded by regular exercise if pursued judiciously and in moderation. Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, and fibromyalgia are a few of the many disorders in which exercise plays a key role in management. Less well-appreciated until recently is the beneficial effect exercise may have in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Previously, rest and inactivity seemed to be the prevailing treatment strategy until it was recognized that this approach was ineffective and contributed further to the patient's disability and loss of function. New trial data support the value of physical exercise whether it involves aerobic or resistance-type training. The studies are not without statistical and methodologic imperfections. Still, the evidence favoring an exercise intervention as part of the OA treatment plan is impressive. It remains for the clinician to select an appropriate exercise routine that meets the strength, balance, flexibility, and aerobic needs of the patient. The clinician then monitors and evaluates the patient's response to this activity with the same exactness used in following pharmacologic therapy.
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PMID:Exercise in the treatment of osteoarthritis. 1170 15

Recent advances of cell transplantation and tissue engineering are remarkable. And also the diabetic treatment using pancreatic beta cells have performed great advances. Even clinical islet transplantation has been considered a common curative treatment for diabetes mellitus in the place of an experimental treatment. Still more the lack of donor's organ as a worst problem of transplantation will be overcome by using the beta cells produced in vitro culture. Therefore diabetes mellitus will be closed to cure in the near future.
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PMID:Current progress and perspectives in cell therapy for diabetes mellitus. 1192 31

Protein kinase C (PKC) comprises a superfamily of isoenzymes, many of which are activated by 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in the presence of phosphatidylserine. In order to be capable of DAG activation, PKC must first undergo a series of phosphorylation at three conserved sites. PKC isoforms phosphorylate a wide variety of intracellular target proteins and have multiple functions in signal transduction-mediated cellular regulation. An elevation in DAG levels and an increase in composite PKC activity and/or certain isoforms occurs in several nonneural tissues from diabetic animals, including the vasculature. The ability of isoform-specific PKC inhibitors to antagonize diabetes-induced abnormalities has implicated altered PKC beta activity in the onset of several diabetic complications, In contrast to many other tissues, DAG levels fall in diabetic nerve and a consistent pattern of change in PKC activity has not been observed. Treatments that alter PKC activity affect nerve Na+, K+-ATPase activity, but the mechanism involved is not well understood, Inhibition of PKC beta in diabetic rats appears to correct reduced nerve blood flow and decreased nerve conduction velocity. These and other findings indicate that changes in the neurovasculature exert adverse effects during the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Still unresolved is a clear-cut role for PKC in the development of abnormalities in neural cell metabolism. Further progress will depend on a more complete understanding of the functions of individual PKC isoforms in nerve. Future investigation could focus profitably on biochemical processes in nerve cells that modulate PKC activity and that are altered in diabetes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor levels and production of reactive oxygen species arising from oxidative stress.
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PMID:Protein kinase C changes in diabetes: is the concept relevant to neuropathy? 1219 21

Although angiotensin II has long been considered to represent the end product of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), there is accumulating evidence that it encompasses additional effector peptides with diverse functions. In this respect, angiotensin IV (Ang IV) formed by deletion of the two N terminal amino acids, has sparked great interest because of its wide range of physiological effects. Among those, its facilitatory role in memory acquisition and retrieval is of special therapeutic relevance. High affinity binding sites for this peptide have been denoted as AT(4)- receptors and, very recently, they have been proposed to correspond to the membrane-associated OTase/ IRAP aminopeptidase. This offers new opportunities for examining physiological roles of Ang IV in the fields of cognition, cardiovascular and renal metabolism and pathophysiological conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Still new recognition sites may be unveiled for this and other angiotensin fragments. Recognition sites for Ang-(1-7) (deletion of the C terminal amino acid) are still elusive and some of the actions of angiotensin III (deletion of the N terminal amino acid) in the CNS are hard to explain on the basis of their interaction with AT(1)-receptors only. A more thorough cross-talk between in vitro investigations on native and transfected cell lines and in vivo investigations on healthy, diseased and transgenic animals may prove to be essential to further unravel the molecular basis of the physiological actions of these small endogenous angiotensin fragments.
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PMID:Cellular targets for angiotensin II fragments: pharmacological and molecular evidence. 1258 63

Use of portable pumps is increasing to achieve intensive insulin treatment. Beside unpredictable insulin absorption and insufficient reactivity to changes of insulin flow rate due to the subcutaneous route, this therapy is however limited by the lack of information on blood glucose level provided by self-blood glucose monitoring. Thus, patient interpretation only leads to speculative adaptation of pump flow rate. The lack of alert toward the risk of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemic ketogenic deviations can lead to the occurrence of deleterious metabolic distorsions, among which severe hypoglycemia stands in first rank. Starting experiences of continuous recording of interstitial glucose level by portable systems using glucose-oxidase allow on short time durations the identification of daily periods of poor metabolic control. Retrospective availability of information gives the possibility of more adequate treatment adaptations than conventional capillary blood glucose monitoring, but does not allow immediate prevention of metabolic events. Only devices providing real time or near-real time information to the patient can fulfill this function. However, the absence of tight parallelism between variations of interstitial and blood glucose levels may lead to erroneous decisions. A true continuous real time information on blood glucose level on long-term seems only expectable from implantable glucose sensors. Still under investigation, these systems should be able to insure vigilance toward the risk of hypo- and hyperglycemia on weekly or monthly periods. Initially used as complementary to capillary self-monitoring, their reliability should allow their use as substitutes for conventional monitoring, except for measurements aimed at signal calibration. Pump control by the sensor signal is conceivable if it corresponds to a direct, continuous, real time measurement of blood glucose, and subject to a simultaneous improvement of insulin infusion modes.
Diabetes Metab 2003 Apr
PMID:[Insulin therapy by insulin pump: continuous or conventional self-blood glucose monitoring? ]. 1274 28

On December 31, 2001, 2486 patients with terminal renal failure received dialysis treatment in Croatia. Only one third of the patients are registered on the national waiting list for cadaveric kidney transplant. In most of the others, transplantation is impossible because of comorbidity. This is mainly due to the steadily growing age of the dialytic population and therefore a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Still, evaluation of the potential recipients of cadaveric kidney transplant, registered on the waiting list, often reveals contraindications for transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and type of contraindications in transplant candidates, found during immediate preoperative evaluation. Analysis of these data should help in determining how contraindications can be early detected and prevented. Before registering onto the national waiting list transplant candidates need to be thoroughly investigated including detailed history, physical examination, routine diagnostic procedures and additional examinations, if needed, to exclude or evaluate the possibly existing contraindications for transplantation. During the period from January 1997 until June 2002, 145 potential recipients from the national waiting list were referred to the Rijeka University Hospital Center and evaluated for kidney transplantation. Eighty-eight patients underwent transplantation. Preoperative evaluation revealed contraindications for transplantation in 52 (35.9%) candidates. Twenty-two (15.2%) patients had a positive cross-match with donor lymphocytes, 6 (4.1%) patients refused transplantation, and in 24 (16.6%) patients serious comorbidity was the reason for not being accepted for transplantation and for their withdrawal from the national waiting list. Comorbidity was mainly due to cardiovascular disease (12 patients--8.3%) and infection (8 patients--5.5%). These data show a high incidence of contraindications found during the immediate preoperative evaluation of potential kidney recipients. It was the case in more than one third of patients. During the evaluation of potential candidates for kidney transplantation special attention should be addressed to the presence of cardiovascular morbidity and infection. Peripheral vascular occlusive disease, cardiac status and/or cerebrovascular disease should be evaluated. Measures used to treat or reduce the development of complications include an optimal control of blood pressure, serum phosphate, hyperparathyroidism, dyslipidemia, and renal anemia. The sites of infection must be treated and eradicated, because immunosuppressive treatment is a threat to the transplant recipient's life. The second most common cause of refusal of potential candidates was a positive cross-match with donor lymphocytes. Sensitization to human leukocyte antigens can be prevented by the avoiding of blood transfusions and use of erythopoietin in treating renal anemia. To minimize the morbidity and mortality, the potential kidney recipients should undergo rigorous selection and thorough evaluation before including them into the waiting list for kidney transplantation. Afterwards, regular examinations are obligatory to reveal contraindications, proceed to medical interventions and treat concomitant diseases in time, which can influence the patient's survival. In case that contraindications for transplantation arise, the patient must be temporarily or definitely removed from the waiting list.
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PMID:[Evaluation and selection of candidates for renal transplantation at the Clinical Hospital Center in Rijeka]. 1287 67

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition characterized histologically by macrovesicular steatosis and lobular hepatitis with necrosis or ballooning degeneration and/or fibrosis--a picture resembling alcoholic hepatitis, in the absence of alcohol abuse. Most patients with NASH are asymptomatic, and the disease is detected incidentally. The most common signs of NASH are hepatomegaly and laboratory abnormalities, which include a 2-4-fold elevation of serum aminotransferase levels, while other liver function test results are usually normal. Most patients with NASH are obese, many have diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertriglyceridemia. NASH has also been associated with a number of metabolic derrangements, conditions, surgical procedures, and drug treatments. The pathogenesis of NASH is poorly understood, but lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress seem to be the leading culprits. The natural history of NASH is unknown, but it seems to be a stable disease in most patients. Still, the progress to cirrhosis is possible. There is no established treatment for NASH. Treatment is usually directed towards optimizing body weight, and pharmacologic agents are mostly experimentally used. Orthotopic liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease secondary to NASH.
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PMID:[Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis]. 1458 65


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