Population-based incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis in type 2 diabetes: medical claims data analysis in Japan

Does Treatment with Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors Affect Adherence to International Society Criteria for Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes? A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

Design

Retrospective observational study. Setting. Inpatients at two teaching hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Primary Outcome Measure(s). The number of patients meeting the Joint British Diabetes Society (JBDS) and American Association of Clinical Endocrinology/American College of Endocrinology (AACE/ACE) diagnostic criteria for DKA. Patients were divided into two groups by treatment with SGLT2i at the time of diagnosis. Participants. Adult patients (>18 years old) with type 2 diabetes diagnosed with DKA from April 2015 to January 2022. Patients without type 2 diabetes were excluded.

Results

One hundred and sixty-five patients were included in this study-comprising 94 patients in the SGLT2i cohort and 70 in the non-SGLT2i cohort. A significantly smaller proportion of patients in the SGLT2i vs. non-SGLT2i cohorts met both JBDS (56% vs. 72%, p = 0.035) and AACE/ACE (63% vs. 82%, p = 0.009) criteria for diagnosis of DKA.

Conclusion

Patients with type 2 diabetes treated with SGLT2i may be more likely to be diagnosed with DKA despite not meeting the criteria. Despite recent adjustments to account the physiological effects of SGLT2i, significant variation in criteria between major society guidelines presents ongoing challenges to clinicians. The proportion of patients diagnosed using both JDBS and AACE/ACE were comparable, suggesting a reasonable degree of agreement.

Complications associated with the use of enzyme-inducing and non-enzyme-inducing anti-seizure medications in the Japanese population: A retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Enzyme-inducing anti-seizure medications (EIASMs) may contribute to the development of complications such as fracture and cardiovascular disease. The objective of the study was to determine whether the use of EIASMs is associated with a higher risk of fracture and cardiovascular outcome in young Japanese patients with epilepsy.

METHOD

Adult patients diagnosed with epilepsy and initiated a monotherapy with an anti-seizure medication (ASM) between 2008 and 2018 were included in the study. The primary outcomes were the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or stroke. The secondary outcome was fracture. We performed a propensity score-matched analysis (1:1) to control for imbalances in patient characteristics, and the matched hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULT

Of the 7115 eligible patients, 626 (8.79%) initiated treatment with EIASMs. The median age of the patients was 44 years (interquartile range: 31-54 years), and 56.2% were male. Propensity score matching generated 626 matched pairs of patients treated with EIASMs and non-EIASMs. There were no significant differences in the risk of stroke (EIASM group: n = 28[4.47%], non-EIASM group: n = 22[3.51%], HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 0.79-2.72, p = 0.22) or fracture (EIASM group: n = 7[1.12%], non-EIASM group: n = 5[0.80%], HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.29-3.45, p = 1.00) between the two groups. The hazard ratio for the occurrence of AMI could not be calculated due to the small number of events (EIASM group: n = 0[0.00], non-EIASM group: n = 2[0.32]).

SIGNIFICANCE

Our cohort study did not find increased risk of the occurrence of stroke, AMI, or fracture hospitalization with the use of enzyme-inducing ASMs. Although the findings suggested that exposure to EIASMs does not appear to increase the risk of complications in young patients, caution should be taken as patients with epilepsy tend to take medication in the long run.

Clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology studies with real-world databases

Hospital-based registry data, including patients' information collected by academic societies or government based research groups, were previously used for clinical research in Japan. Now, real-world data routinely obtained in healthcare settings are being used in clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology. Real-world data include a database of claims originating from health insurance associations for reimbursement of medical fees, diagnosis procedure combinations databases for acute inpatient care in hospitals, a drug prescription database, and electronic medical records, including patients' medical information obtained by doctors, derived from electronic records of hospitals. In the past ten years, much evidence of clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology studies using real-world data has been accumulated. The purpose of this review was to introduce clinical epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology approaches and studies using real-world data in Japan.

Acute Metabolic Emergencies in Diabetes: DKA, HHS and EDKA

Emergency admissions due to acute metabolic crisis in patients with diabetes remain some of the most common and challenging conditions. DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), HHS (Hyperglycaemic Hyperosmolar State) and recently focused EDKA (Euglycaemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis) are life-threatening different entities. DKA and HHS have distinctly different pathophysiology but basic management protocols are the same. EDKA is just like DKA but without hyperglycaemia. T1D, particularly children are vulnerable to DKA and T2D, particularly elderly with comorbidities are vulnerable to HHS. But these are not always the rule, these acute conditions are often occur in different age groups with diabetes. It is essential to have a coordinated care from the multidisciplinary team to ensure the timely delivery of right treatment. DKA and HHS, in many instances can present as a mixed entity as well. Mortality rate is higher for HHS than DKA but incidences of DKA are much higher than HHS. The prevalence of HHS in children and young adults are increasing due to exponential growth of obesity and increasing T2D cases in this age group. Following introduction of SGLT2i (Sodium-GLucose co-Transporter-2 inhibitor) for T2D and off-label use in T1D, some incidences of EDKA has been reported. Healthcare professionals should be more vigilant during acute illness in diabetes patients on SGLT2i without hyperglycaemia to rule out EDKA. Middle aged, mildly obese and antibody negative patients who apparently resemble as T2D without any precipitating causes sometime end up with DKA which is classified as KPD (Ketosis-prone diabetes). Many cases can be prevented by following 'Sick day rules'. Better access to medical care, structured diabetes education to patients and caregivers are key measures to prevent acute metabolic crisis.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes at varying cardiovascular and renal risk.

DESIGN

Network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL up to 11 August 2020.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Randomised controlled trials comparing SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists with placebo, standard care, or other glucose lowering treatment in adults with type 2 diabetes with follow up of 24 weeks or longer. Studies were screened independently by two reviewers for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Frequentist random effects network meta-analysis was carried out and GRADE (grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation) used to assess evidence certainty. Results included estimated absolute effects of treatment per 1000 patients treated for five years for patients at very low risk (no cardiovascular risk factors), low risk (three or more cardiovascular risk factors), moderate risk (cardiovascular disease), high risk (chronic kidney disease), and very high risk (cardiovascular disease and kidney disease). A guideline panel provided oversight of the systematic review.

RESULTS

764 trials including 421 346 patients proved eligible. All results refer to the addition of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists to existing diabetes treatment. Both classes of drugs lowered all cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and kidney failure (high certainty evidence). Notable differences were found between the two agents: SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced admission to hospital for heart failure more than GLP-1 receptor agonists, and GLP-1 receptor agonists reduced non-fatal stroke more than SGLT-2 inhibitors (which appeared to have no effect). SGLT-2 inhibitors caused genital infection (high certainty), whereas GLP-1 receptor agonists might cause severe gastrointestinal events (low certainty). Low certainty evidence suggested that SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists might lower body weight. Little or no evidence was found for the effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists on limb amputation, blindness, eye disease, neuropathic pain, or health related quality of life. The absolute benefits of these drugs vary substantially across patients from low to very high risk of cardiovascular and renal outcomes (eg, SGLT-2 inhibitors resulted in 3 to 40 fewer deaths in 1000 patients over five years; see interactive decision support tool (https://magicevidence.org/match-it/200820dist/#!/) for all outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with type 2 diabetes, SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists reduced cardiovascular and renal outcomes, with some differences in benefits and harms. Absolute benefits are determined by individual risk profiles of patients, with clear implications for clinical practice, as reflected in the BMJ Rapid Recommendations directly informed by this systematic review.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019153180.

Effects of family history of diabetes on pancreatic β-cell function and diabetic ketoacidosis in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in China

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between a parental and/or sibling history of diabetes and clinical characteristics.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The data were collected from the endocrinology department of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from June 2017 to October 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 894 newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited. Data on clinical characteristics were collected from patient medical records. Pancreatic β-cell function and insulin resistance were calculated with the homeostatic model assessment. SPSS V.25.0 was used to perform the analysis.

RESULTS

The percentages of patients with parental and sibling histories of diabetes were 14.8% and 9.8%, respectively. The prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was 3.9%. Compared with those with no parental history of diabetes, patients with a parental history of diabetes were characterised by early-onset disease (41.70±10.88 vs 51.17±14.09 years), poor glycaemic control of fasting blood glucose (10.84±5.21 vs 8.91±4.38 mmol/L) and a high prevalence of DKA (7.6% vs 3.3%). The patients with a sibling history of diabetes had later disease onset (56.05±9.86 vs 49.09±14.29 years) and lower BMI (24.49±3.48 vs 25.69±3.86 kg/m²) than those with no sibling history of diabetes. Univariate regression suggested that both parental history (p=0.037) and sibling history (p=0.011) of diabetes were associated with β-cell function; however, multiple regression analysis showed that only a sibling history of diabetes was associated with β-cell function (p=0.038). Univariate regression revealed a positive correlation between parental history of diabetes (p=0.023, OR=2.416, 95% CI 1.132 to 5.156) and DKA. Unfortunately, this correlation was not statistically significant for either patients with a parental history (p=0.234, OR=1.646, 95% CI 0.724 to 3.743) or those with a sibling history (p=0.104, OR=2.319, 95% CI 0.841 to 6.389) after adjustments for confounders.

CONCLUSION

A sibling history of diabetes was associated with poor β-cell function, and a parental history of diabetes was associated with poor glycaemic control and a high prevalence of DKA.

Comparison of adherence, persistence, and clinical outcome of generic and brand-name statin users: A retrospective cohort study using the Japanese claims database

BACKGROUND

Non-adherence to statin treatment results in an increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. This study compared adherence, persistence, and clinical outcomes of patients who initiated brand-name and generic statins in the Japanese population.

METHODS

The retrospective cohort study included adult patients who initiated statins between 2014 and 2016. Primary adherence was measured as the proportion of days covered (PDC) within 1 year. Persistence was assessed using the proportion of non-persistent users. Any major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) was assessed as a clinical outcome. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for confounding factors.

RESULTS

Among 47,770 patients who met inclusion criteria in the study, 32,130 (67.3%) initiated generic statins. The median age of the patients was 53 (interquartile range: 46-59) years and 60.2% were male. A higher proportion of patients with PDC ≥80% [60.2% vs. 57.1%; odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.19; p<0.001] and a higher PDC value (median, 90.2% vs. 87.9%; difference, 2.3%; p<0.001) were observed in the generic group. Similarly, fewer patients discontinued statins in the generic group [24.2% vs. 27.7%; hazard ratio (HR), 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95; p<0.001]. Differences in MACCE occurrence were not significant between the groups (4.3% vs. 4.2%; HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.93-1.17; p=0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence and persistence were higher among generic statin recipients; nevertheless, no significant differences in clinical outcomes were noted between the two groups, suggesting that generic medication did not impair treatment benefits and may improve patient adherence.

Oral anticoagulants usage in Japanese patients aged 18-74 years with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a retrospective analysis based on insurance claims data

BACKGROUND

Oral anticoagulants use has increased rapidly, internationally. Here we look at risks and benefits, based on Japanese data, of therapy with low risk non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients.

OBJECTIVES

Using a health insurance claims data set we assessed: (i) oral anticoagulants usage in Japan, and (ii) efficacy and safety of dabigatran compared with warfarin, in Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, aged 18-74 years.

METHODS

We identified 4380 non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients treated with anticoagulants between 1 January 2005, and 28 February 2014, and estimated the adjusted hazard ratio for stroke or systemic embolism, and any hemorrhagic event (Cox proportional hazards regression model with stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting).

RESULTS

The data included 101 989 anticoagulant prescriptions for 4380 patients, of which direct oral anticoagulants increased to 40.0% of the total by the end of the study. After applying exclusion criteria, 1536 new non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients were identified, including 1071 treated with warfarin and 465 with dabigatran. Mean ages were 56.11 ± 9.70 years for warfarin, and 55.80 ± 9.65 years for dabigatran. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), comparing dabigatran with warfarin, was 0.48 (0.25-0.91) for stroke or systemic embolism, and 0.91 (0.60-1.39) for any hemorrhage including intracranial and gastrointestinal.

CONCLUSIONS

Number of patients prescribed direct oral anticoagulants steadily increased, and incidence of all-cause bleeding related to dabigatran was similar to warfarin, in our study population of younger non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients. Dabigatran, compared with warfarin, generally reduced risk of all-cause stroke and systemic embolism.

SGLT2 Inhibitors Increase the Risk of Diabetic Ketoacidosis Developing in the Community and During Hospital Admission

CONTEXT

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has been associated with the use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is).

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of DKA in SGLT2i users vs nonusers with type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN

Retrospective, multicenter, controlled cohort study.

SETTING

All public hospitals in Melbourne and Geelong (combined population of 5 million), Australia, from 1 September 2015 to 31 October 2017.

PATIENTS

Consecutive cases of DKA that developed in the community, or during the course of hospital admission, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

In SGLT2i users vs nonusers: (i) OR of DKA developing during hospital admission, and (ii) incidence of DKA.

RESULTS

There were 162 cases of DKA (37 SGLT2i users and 125 non-SGLT2i users) with a physician-adjudicated diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Of these, DKA developed during the course of inpatient admission in 14 (38%) SGLT2i users vs 2 (2%) non-SGLT2i users (OR, 37.4; 95% CI, 8.0 to 175.9; P < 0.0001). The incidence of DKA was 1.02 per 1000 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.41 per 1000) in SGLT2i users vs 0.69 per 1000 (95% CI, 0.58 to 0.82 per 1000) in non-SGLT2i users (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.15; P = 0.037). Fifteen SGLT2i users (41%) had peak blood glucose <250 mg/dL (14 mmol/L) compared with one (0.8%) non-SGLT2i user (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

SGLT2i users were more likely to develop DKA as an inpatient compared with non-SGLT2i users. SGLT2i use was associated with a small but significant increased risk of DKA.