Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association
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Comparative Study
Hyperinsulinaemia of hypertriglyceridaemia: a reappraisal.
The peripheral hyperinsulinaemia of hypertriglyceridaemic subjects has only been defined using insulin immunoassays in which proinsulin and proinsulin fragments cross-react. Relative contributions of pancreatic secretion and hepatic extraction of insulin to this hyperinsulinaemia have not been studied. We, therefore, reassessed the hyperinsulinaemia of hypertriglyceridaemia by measuring fasting plasma concentrations of intact proinsulin, glucose, insulin, and C-peptide in 24 hypertriglyceridaemic subjects with normal glucose tolerance (n = 14) and with impaired glucose intolerance (n = 10) and in normal subjects (n = 14). ⋯ Fasting intact proinsulin concentrations were similar in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects with normal glucose tolerance and control subjects but these were lower (p < 0.01) than in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. These results suggest that the fasting peripheral hyperinsulinaemia of hypertriglyceridaemic subjects is due to increased pancreatic secretion and reduced hepatic fractional extraction of insulin. The peripheral hyperinsulinaemia of hypertriglyceridaemia appears to reflect peripheral insulin resistance and is not attributable to elevated proinsulin concentrations which are characteristic of impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Is ACE inhibition with lisinopril helpful in diabetic neuropathy?
Thirteen diabetic patients with hypertension (mean diastolic blood pressure 96.2 +/- 1.1 mmHg) were included in a study to assess the effects of lisinopril (20 mg day-1) on measures of nerve function. Patients had nerve conduction velocity (NCV), temperature discrimination threshold (TDT), and vibration perception threshold (VPT) measurements. ⋯ Diastolic BP decreased significantly, but there was no significant change in HbA1. Double blind controlled studies are now needed to confirm the effect of lisinopril on measures of nerve function.
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Cerebral oedema which develops during the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children. We examined 25 management protocols from throughout the UK and related variations in fluid, bicarbonate, insulin, and potassium regimens to the incidence of cerebral oedema recalled in each centre. Treatment of shock ranged from 5 to 25 (median 20) ml kg-1 plasma (5 recommended 0.9% saline only) over 10-60 min. ⋯ Eight centres recalled having seen 1-5 (median 2) cases of cerebral oedema in the past 5 yr, 10 centres recalled none. Compared with the 10 centres without cerebral oedema, protocols from the 8 with cerebral oedema used more plasma to resuscitate (22 +/- 3 (mean +/- SD) vs 18 +/- 4 ml kg-1; p < 0.025), suggested larger maintenance fluid volumes for ages 6-9 yr (81 +/- 2 vs 70 +/- 11 ml kg-1 day-1; p < 0.005) and were more likely to change to 0.18% saline when blood glucose had fallen (8/8 vs 5/10) than 0.45% saline (0/8 vs. 5/10; p < 0.05). Free water overload may contribute to cerebral oedema.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Comparative Study
The value of the Neurometer in assessing diabetic neuropathy by measurement of the current perception threshold.
The Neurometer is a relatively new device for assessing neuropathy by measuring current perception threshold (CPT). The study aim was to assess the ability of the Neurometer to distinguish between different types of nerve fibre damage by using different frequencies (2000 Hz, 250 Hz, and 5 Hz) of electric stimulus (high frequencies for large fibres and low frequencies for small fibres) and comparing the results with standard sensory tests of vibration perception threshold (VPT) and thermal perception threshold (TPT). CPT was determined on index finger and great toe of 51 patients with diabetic neuropathy and 28 non-diabetic control subjects, age and sex matched. ⋯ CPT reproducibility was better in control (CV = 6.4-27.7%), than in neuropathic subjects (CV = 28.4-52.3%), although the coefficient of variation was comparable to that of standard tests of sensory function, VPT and TPT. The Neurometer is a simple instrument to use in clinical practice. It has a degree of neuroselectivity but like all subjective sensory tests has a large variability.