Changes in incidence of severe hypoglycaemia in people with type 2 diabetes from 2006 to 2016: analysis based on health insurance data in Germany considering the anti-hyperglycaemic medication

Impacts of medication adherence and home healthcare on the associations between polypharmacy and the risk of severe hypoglycemia among elderly diabetic patients in Taiwan from 2002 to 2012: A nationwide case-crossover study

AIM

To assess how medication adherence and home healthcare support influence the role of polypharmacy in induced hypoglycemia events among elderly diabetic patients.

METHODS

This case-crossover study retrieved records on diabetic patients >=65 years with severe hypoglycemia from 2002 to 2012 in Taiwan. Case period defined as 1-3 days before severe hypoglycemia was compared with a preceding control period of the same length, with an all-washout period of 30 days. Moreover, the modifiable effects of medication adherence and home healthcare service use were evaluated by stratified analysis.

RESULTS

Totally 2,237 patients were identified. Polypharmacy use was associated with the risk of severe hypoglycemia. Patients receiving polypharmacy without home healthcare services (aOR: 1.34; 95 % CI: 1.16-1.54) and those with poor adherence to anti-diabetic medications (aOR: 1.48; 95 % CI: 1.24-1.77) were significantly associated with an elevated risk of severe hypoglycemia. In patients with good adherence, non-home healthcare users being prescribed with polypharmacy had a higher risk of severe hypoglycemia. In the group that received home healthcare services, patients with poor adherence using polypharmacy had a higher risk of severe hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Good adherence and receiving home healthcare services were associated with a decreased odds of severe hypoglycemic events in elderly diabetic patients, regardless of the fact whether they were prescribed with polypharmacy.

Ongoing burden and recent trends in severe hospitalised hypoglycaemia events in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Scotland: A nationwide cohort study 2016-2022

AIMS

We examined severe hospitalised hypoglycaemia (SHH) rates in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Scotland during 2016-2022, stratifying by sociodemographics.

METHODS

Using the Scottish National diabetes register (SCI-Diabetes), we identified people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes alive anytime during 2016-2022. SHH events were determined through linkage to hospital admission and death registry data. We calculated annual SHH rates overall and by age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Summary estimates of time and stratum effects were obtained by fitting adjusted generalised additive models using R package mgcv.

RESULTS

Rates for those under 20 with type 1 diabetes reached their minimum at the 2020-2021 transition, 30% below the study period average. A gradual decline over time also occurred among 20-49-year-olds with type 1 diabetes. Overall, females had 15% higher rates than males with type 2 diabetes (rate ratio 1.15, 95% CI 1.08-1.22). People in the most versus least deprived quintile experienced 2.58 times higher rates (95% CI 2.27-2.93) in type 1 diabetes and 2.33 times higher (95% CI 2.08-2.62) in type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advances in care, SHH remains a significant problem in diabetes. Future efforts must address the large socioeconomic disparities in SHH risks.

Medication-Related Hospital Admissions and Emergency Department Visits in Older People with Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Limited data are available regarding adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medication-related hospitalisations or emergency department (ED) visits in older adults with diabetes, especially since the emergence of newer antidiabetic agents. This systematic review aimed to explore the nature of hospital admissions and ED visits that are medication-related in older adults with diabetes. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies in English that reported on older adults (mean age ≥ 60 years) with diabetes admitted to the hospital or presenting to ED due to medication-related problems and published between January 2000 and October 2023 were identified using Medline, Embase, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases. Thirty-five studies were included. Medication-related hospital admissions and ED visits were all reported as episodes of hypoglycaemia and were most frequently associated with insulins and sulfonylureas. The studies indicated a decline in hypoglycaemia-related hospitalisations or ED presentations in older adults with diabetes since 2015. However, the associated medications remain the same. This finding suggests that older patients on insulin or secretagogue agents should be closely monitored to prevent potential adverse events, and newer agents should be used whenever clinically appropriate.

Birkenfeld A, Sponholz C, A. Müller U, von Loeffelholz C. Blood Sugar Targets in Surgical Intensive Care—Management and Special Considerations in Patients With Diabetes

BACKGROUND

30-80% of patients being treated in intensive care units in the perioperative period develop hyperglycemia. This stress hyperglycemia is induced and maintained by inflammatory-endocrine and iatrogenic stimuli and generally requires treatment. There is uncertainty regarding the optimal blood glucose targets for patients with diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Patients in intensive care with pre-existing diabetes do not benefit from blood sugar reduction to the same extent as metabolically healthy individuals, but they, too, are exposed to a clinically relevant risk of hypoglycemia. A therapeutic range from 4.4 to 6.1 mmol/L (79-110 mg/dL) cannot be justified for patients with diabetes mellitus. The primary therapeutic strategy in the perioperative setting should be to strictly avoid hypoglycemia. Neurotoxic effects and the promotion of wound-healing disturbances are among the adverse consequences of hyperglycemia. Meta-analyses have shown that an upper blood sugar limit of 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) is associated with better outcomes for diabetic patients than an upper limit of less than this value. The target range of 7.8-10 mmol/L (140-180 mg/dL) proposed by specialty societies for hospitalized patients with diabetes seems to be the best compromise at present for optimizing clinical outcomes while avoiding hypoglycemia. The method of choice for achieving this goal in intensive care medicine is the continuous intravenous administration of insulin, requirng standardized, high-quality monitoring conditions.

CONCLUSION

Optimal blood sugar control for diabetic patients in intensive care meets the dual objectives of avoiding hypoglycemia while keeping the blood glucose concentration under 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL). Nutrition therapy in accordance with the relevant guidelines is an indispensable pre - requisite.

Out-of-Hospital Management of Diabetic Emergencies in Germany: Structural and Process Quality

AIMS

To collect and analyse representative data of structural and process quality in the management of diabetic emergencies in Germany in 2020.

METHODS

A standardised questionnaire comprising detailed items concerning clinically relevant parameters on the structural and process quality of out-of-hospital management of diabetic emergencies was sent nationwide to medical directors of emergency medical service districts (EMSDs). Results were compared with those from a similar study conducted in 2001.

RESULTS

The return rate of the questionnaires represented 126 EMSDs, serving a total population of > 40.1 million. Only 4% of ambulances carried glucagon (6% in 2001). In 2020, blood glucose determination increased significantly to 71% of all emergency interventions and to 29% of suspected cardiac emergencies (24% and 15%, respectively, in 2001). In 100% of EMSDs severe hypoglycaemia (SH) was treated by paramedics by administering intravenous dextrose before the arrival of a doctor compared to 63% in 2001. The potential value of nasal glucagon was acknowledged by 43% of responders. In selected patients, treatment of SH was conducted without hospital admission in 78% of EMDs (60% in 2001). Fifty-three percent of medical directors acknowledged the need for further training in diabetic emergencies (47% in 2001). Cooperation for medical education between emergency teams and a diabetes centre was reported by 14% (41% in 2001).

CONCLUSION

Structural and process quality of the management of diabetic emergencies in Germany has improved considerably since 2001. Persisting deficiencies could be improved by providing better medical equipment in ambulances and ongoing education to the entire emergency teams.

Hypoglycaemia and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients with Diabetes

Hypoglycaemia represents an important side effect of insulin therapy and insulin secretagogues. It can occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Also, some associations between hypoglycaemia and cardiovascular (CV) risk have been reported. Several mechanisms may be involved, including the sympathoadrenal system, hypokalaemia, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation, platelets, inflammation, atherothrombosis and impaired autonomic cardiac reflexes. This narrative review discusses the associations of hypoglycaemia with CV diseases, including coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiac arrhythmias, stroke, carotid disease and peripheral artery disease (PAD), as well as with dementia. Severe hypoglycaemia has been related to CHD, CV and all-cause mortality. Furthermore, there is evidence supporting an association between hypoglycaemia and cardiac arrhythmias, potentially predisposing to sudden death. The data linking hypoglycaemia with stroke, carotid disease and PAD is limited. Several factors may affect the hypoglycaemia-CV relationships, such as the definition of hypoglycaemia, patient characteristics, co-morbidities (including chronic kidney disease) and antidiabetic drug therapy. However, the association between hypoglycaemia and dementia is bilateral. Both the disorders are more common in the elderly; thus, glycaemic goals should be carefully selected in older patients. Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of hypoglycaemia on CV disease.

Hundert Jahre – Insulin bleibt aktuell und notwendig

In der Behandlung des Typ-1-Diabetes ist die Therapie mit Insulin auch 100 Jahre nach seiner Entdeckung weiterhin eine lebensnotwendige Therapie. Der pharmakologische Fortschritt hat die Behandlung erheblich erleichtert und nähert sich der physiologischen Insulin-Sekretion zunehmend an. In der Behandlung des Typ-2-Diabetes hingegen ist die Insulin-Therapie bei den meisten Patienten zunächst nicht notwendig. Lebensstil-Interventionen und moderne Nicht-Insulin Antidiabetika können häufig zu einer lang andauernden Kontrolle der Erkrankung führen. Die Heterogenität des Typ-2-Diabetes führt jedoch dazu, dass einige Patienten früh von einer Insulin-Therapie profitieren. Auch beim Typ-2-Diabetes können moderne Insulin Präparate die Insulin-Behandlung deutlich erleichtern, auch in Kombination mit anderen Antidiabetika. Einleitung und Begleitung einer Insulin-Therapie gehören somit weiterhin zu den Kernaufgaben der Diabetologie.