The Importance Of Macroprolactin In The Diagnosis Of Hyperprolactinemia

This article provides a brief review of macroprolactin (MPRL) – what, why, how, and when. Prolactin (PRL) secretion is uniquely controlled by tonic dopamine inhibition. Circulating PRL is a heterogeneous mixture of different sized proteins – monomer, dimer, and a large PRL-immunoglobulin aggregate also known as MPRL. Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL), which affects male sexual function and female reproduction, is a common endocrine disorder. Elevated PRL may be physiologic, pharmacologic, or pathologic. However, MPRL is quite common (ranging from 13–30%) and should be excluded before inappropriate investigations and therapy for HPRL are initiated. MPRL can be precipitated by mixing serum with polyethylene glycol (PEG) followed by centrifugation; monomeric PRL remains in the supernatant. MPRL is considered present if the PRL recovery is less than 40% or if the post-precipitation PRL concentration is low. The use of both measures for MPRL provides greater clarity. Different immunoassay platforms recognize MPRL differently necessitating assay-specific reference ranges. All HPRL samples should be screened for MPRL.

Low-Carb/High-Fat/Fried-Food Diet: The Surprising Effects in Triglycerides, Lipid Profile, and Glycemia in a Patient with a Metabolic Syndrome

We continuously underestimate the eating process: food and cooking methods play a pivotal role in our health. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), more than 117 million American adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases, many of which are related to poor quality eating patterns and physical inactivity. Despite the usual belief about fat in the diet, it has shown that fat has a uniquely positive effect on blood lipid concentrations and cardiovascular risk factors. A low-carb/high-fat/fried-food (LCHFFF) diet has shown to be one of the best natural treatments in lipid profile and glycemia in a patient with metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular Adverse Outcomes as Challenges on Glycemic Variability Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes on Intensive Insulin Therapy: The Role of Medical Nutrition Therapy with Automatic Snacking

The glycemic variability (GV) is the fluctuation of the blood glucose (BG) in relation to the daily mean BG or mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). BG oscillations can be influenced by the type of food and timing of intake, activity, psychological condition (fear of hypoglycemia), and systemic hormonal cross-talking between insulin and glucagon. Pharmacologically, these BG oscillations can be affected by the regulators of insulin secretion like sulfonylurea and insulin. The increase in GV with very high and very low BG excursions has been associated with the development of macrovascular and microvascular complications among type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Increased mortality has been demonstrated in the past among elderly patients on intensive insulin therapy due to severe hypoglycemia. Prompt intake of glucose has obviously compromised glycemic control and worsens the GV. Automatic snacking (AS) as a part of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the provision of snacks 2 h after meals which are taken even in the absence of hunger. This review will showcase our published papers among patients with type 2 DM where AS was instituted to obtain long-term glycemic control and prevent the occurrence of fatal postprandial hypoglycemia. Although, further research is needed, AS is a promising dietary management to address GV in type 2 DM patients on intensive insulin therapy.

Patients’ Preferences’ Impact on Decision Making for Clinical Solitary Thyroid Nodule in a Global Healthcare Setting: A Clinical Study

Objective: Evaluation of patients’ preferences (PP) impact on decision-making for solitary thyroid nodule management. Study Design: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data in patients with clinical solitary nodules admitted for thyroid surgery. PP survey in various management strategies included determinants of surgery, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), frozen section (FS), and PP for total thyroidectomy (TT) or total lobectomy (TL) compared to guidelines concordance. Results: Thyroid surgery was performed for 558 patients, 75.8% were females and 43.7% were international. FNAC was done in 79.8% and refused by 20.2% due to the misperception that it spreads cancer. The risk of malignancy was the reason for choosing surgery in 35.1%. FS was preferred by 87% of the patients for decision-making (TT vs TL) in our setting with available pathology resources and low FS cost. FS based decisions were more guideline-concordant (79%) with TT performed in 41% patients compared to 74.4% in PP based decisions alone (P < 0.001). 57.9% of the patients preferred surgeon authorization for decision-making when FS was unavailable. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) occurred in 85.3%. FS diagnosed PTC in 79% of the patients with malignant nodules in inconclusive FNACs (Bethesda I, III, IV, and V). Conclusion: Decisions (TT vs TL) based on PP and beliefs compared to FS based decisions were less guideline-concordant (21% vs 79%) with more TT performed (74.4% vs 41%) (P < 0.001). Advancing patients’ knowledge on their disease, guidelines, and equipoise awareness is needed for better-shared decision-making.

Multiple Drugs and Health Consequences in Diabetes Mellitus Type II

Aim and Objective: To find the association between polypharmacy and health consequences in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: 50 patients with multiple drugs (two or more) and morbidity, glycemic control, macrovascular complications, hospitalization, gastrointestinal disorders, cost of medicine were studied. History, physical examination, relevant investigation, and consequences of drugs were also studied. Results: Male to female: 32:18; average age: 44 years. Findings were: hyperglycemia is seen in 34 patients, hypoglycemia in 2, retinopathy in 10, coronary artery disease (CAD) by electrocardiogram (ECG) and 2D echo in 12, old myocardial infarction in 3, renal function test abnormality in 6, stroke in 2, hypertension in 15, dyslipidemia in 13, hypothyroidism in 3, and hospitalization due to any of the above in 5. Conclusion: Diabetes, a metabolic disorder, due to chronicity leads to macrovascular and microvascular complications which in turn are compelled to increase the number of medications due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia. More than two-third of patients in our study showed uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Diabetes has multiple sites and mechanisms of altered physiological and pathological processes. It is practical to have the requirement of more than two drugs when blood sugar in diabetes is not controlled. Also, it is obvious that the simultaneous use of more than one drug-having different mechanism of action appears to have an impact on treatments to control hyperglycemia. Sometimes, multiple drugs/therapy may give rise to undesirable side effects and it may be due to drug-drug or disease drug interaction. Furthermore, the activity of multiple targets by multiple drugs requires additional study. Multiple drugs in diabetes were seen more in males with geriatric age groups. Main reasons being comorbidities, which may be the main cause of morbidity and mortality, especially CAD, heart failure and diabetic cardiomyopathy. There is an indirect relationship between the glycemic control and the development and progression of clinical manifestations of comorbidities. Various comorbid diseases in diabetes require concomitant medications, that increases pill burden. Tailoring medical therapies to the patient’s biological characteristics may help to optimize disease treatment, thereby improving overall prognosis and decreasing comorbidities’ risk. Appropriate exercise and diet may reduce hyperglycemia with reduction in pill burden.

Cognitive Status in COVID-19 Survivors with Metabolic Syndrome

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, co-morbid metabolic syndromes are identified as important risk factors. The presence of metabolic syndrome not only increases mortality rate and probability of hospitalization but is also predicted to have a long-term impact on cognition. A decline in cognitive functioning and functional abilities can be seen in the COVID-19 survivors and it became accelerated by metabolic syndromes that include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, low HDL cholesterol, abdominal obesity, etc. In the present study, it was aimed to explore the cognitive status in COVID-19 survivors with and without metabolic syndrome. For this purpose, total 36 COVID-19 survivors participated who were divided into two groups, one with existing metabolic syndrome and the other without any significant co-morbidities. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Brief Cognitive Rating Scale (BCRS) were administered to assess the cognitive status of the participants. Results suggest a significant difference between the groups in the domains of concentration and memory along with functioning and self-care.

Impact of Age on Cognitive and Psychological Functioning in Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and non-communicable disease which is also termed as “sugar” emerged as one of the leading causes of global health deterioration. It is associated with decreased physiological and psychological functioning. Age is a significant predictor to evolve diabetes mellitus. Cognitive changes due to diabetes and psychosocial distress are prominent among the population and the risk is high with increasing age range. The aim of the present study is to find out any association between age and cognitive and psychological functioning of patients with diabetes. In the present study, age range of the sample was selected as 40–60 years. A total of 60 individuals of both genders were selected; 30 individuals with diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and equal number of normal controls were included. The cognitive functioning was measured by neuropsychological tools and the psychological functioning was measured by Psychological General Well-being Index. The results indicate that in case of diabetes patients, age was found to be mostly significant and negatively correlated with cognitive and psychological functioning in comparison to normal controls. Findings from the present study suggest that age could be a predictor in changed cognitive and psychological functioning of patients with diabetes and increased age showed poorer cognitive and psychological functioning.

Long Term Follow-Up of Patients with Nontoxic Benign Nodular Goiter Treated with 131Iodine Therapy

Background: With the advancement of diagnostic modalities, there is an increase in the number of individuals detected with thyroid nodules. There are multiple treatment options for the management of nontoxic benign nodular goiter. Radioactive iodine results in effective goiter size reduction which can be administered as out-patient basis and is an appropriate alternative for patients with higher risk for surgery. Our group have shown the effectiveness of 131Iodine therapy for nodular nontoxic goiters. We aim to determine the long-term effectiveness of radioactive iodine therapy among patients with nodular nontoxic goiter. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with nontoxic benign nodular goiter, negative for malignancy on biopsy who underwent radioactive therapy with a follow-up of ≥36months using ultrasound studies. Thyroid size, number of nodules and size of nodules pre-treatment and ≥36months post-treatment were compared. Results: 63 patients were included with an average follow-up of 73.14 ± 34.87 months. Mean age during radioactive therapy and last follow-up was 41 ± 14 and 47 ± 14 respectively. Significant thyroid size reduction was noted in 92.06% of patients (right thyroid lobe: 47.54 ± 31.25%, left thyroid lobe 47.44 ± 31.82%) while significant reduction in number and size of nodules were noted in 96.82% and 98.41% of patients respectively. No increase in the number of nodules and no development of new nodules were noted among all patients. Conclusion: Radioactive iodine therapy for nontoxic benign nodular goiter produces a sustained reduction in thyroid size, number and size of nodules even after a long follow-up period. Hence, it is a viable alternative to surgical removal of the thyroid offering a lower risk for complication especially among patients who refuse surgery or has a contraindication to surgical management.

Does COVID-19 Cause New-Onset Diabetes or Unmask Pre-Existing Diabetes?

Background: Many cases of newly diagnosed diabetes were reported in association with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Objective: To clarify whether COVID-19 triggers new diabetes or unmask pre-existing undiagnosed diabetes. Methods: PubMed search of literature up to February 3, 2021. Search terms included diabetes, COVID-19, diagnosis, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetes ketoacidosis, pancreatitis. Case reports, case series, retrospective studies, reviews, and pertinent in-vitro investigations were reviewed. Results: Retrospective studies and case series suggest that COVID-19 can worsen diabetes control and precipitate hyperglycemic crises in patients admitted to the hospital. Majority of these patients had pre-existing undiagnosed type 2 diabetes as reflected by elevated HbA1c levels on admission. Many patients presenting with hyperglycemia and normal HbA1c levels may have transient stress hyperglycemia. This group of patients are misclassified as new-onset diabetes despite lack of patient follow-up after discharge. Only one case report of possible new-onset diabetes described a patient with pre-diabetes who progressed to severe diabetes 6 weeks following COVID-19 pneumonia. Mechanisms of worsening glycemic control by COVID-19 infection include increased release of cytokines and insulin counter-regulatory hormones. Binding of SARS-CoV-2 to pancreatic β-cells and their subsequent destruction by the virus as another mechanism requires further studies. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection commonly unmasks pre-existing diabetes. Follow-up of patients presenting with new-onset hyperglycemia after hospital discharge is essential to distinguish between stress hyperglycemia and new-onset diabetes.