Diabetes care
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Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is a gastrointestinal hormone stimulated after oral nutrient ingestion, but not after intravenous nutrient administration. GIP stimulates insulin release in the presence of hyperglycemia and as such is considered a major enteroinsular hormone. Since elevated glucose and insulin levels are found in hyperthyroidism, we compared the GIP responses to oral glucose ingestion in 12 hyperthyroid patients and 10 age-matched controls. ⋯ Mean fasting, stimulated, and incremental IRGIP levels were slightly higher but not statistically different in the hyperthyroid subjects versus controls. Glucose and IRI responses are exaggerated in hyperthyroidism after oral glucose ingestion. Even though GIP has insulinotropic action, its role in the hyperinsulinism found in hyperthyroid subjects appears to be minimal.
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A statewide insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) registry is used to identify and epidemiologically characterize patients admitted to Rhode Island's hospitals. Physician interviews and record reviews are obtained to ascertain reasons for hospitalization. ⋯ An outpatient diabetic education program was successful in reducing the number of persons hospitalized (P = 0.04) and the number of hospitalizations for participants (P = 0.01) when comparisons of hospital admissions before and after the program were made. Potential cost savings for persons with IDDM over the 4 yr of the study are estimated at $674,400.00.
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Blood glucose control in patients with diabetes after myocardial infarction is often poor, and this may contribute to increased mortality in the diabetic patient. A retrospective review of the records of 71 diabetic patients admitted with suspected myocardial infarction, and managed using a variety of methods, showed that adequate control (mean blood glucose less than 234 mg/dl; 13 mmol/L) was achieved in only 60%. ⋯ Control was adequate in 87% (P less than 0.001 versus retrospective group) and mean blood glucose concentration on days 1 and 2 were significantly lower than in the retrospective group (167 versus 232; 165 versus 236 mg/dl; both P less than 0.001). Simple protocols using three-times-daily subcutaneous insulin or glucose-insulin-potassium infusion provide a practical method for achieving good glycemic control in the diabetic patient with suspected acute myocardial infarction.
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Case Reports
The urine anion gap: the critical clue to resolve a diagnostic dilemma in a patient with ketoacidosis.
Usually, ketoacidosis presents few if any diagnostic or therapeutic problems; in this article, we report a case where ketoacidosis was clinically occult and biochemically obscure. The patient presented with acute pancreatitis associated with a modest antecedent alcohol intake. Metabolic acidosis with a normal anion gap (10 meq/L) was observed together with moderate hyperglycemia and a 2 + (but not 4 +) test for serum ketones. ⋯ In addition, the urine anion gap (Na + K - Cl) was 103 meq/L in the absence of renal disease. This indicated that the expected large quantity of urinary ammonium must have been masked by an even greater quantity of unmeasured anion; in this case proven by direct measurement to be B-hydroxybutyrate. Finally, metabolism of the alcohol ingested, which yields hepatic NADH, could explain, in part, the modest hyperglycemia and the absence of a 4 + test for serum ketones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)