Polish Multicenter Study on Diabetes Epidemiology (PMSDE)--1998-2000

Diabetes mellitus is a growing health problem at all ages in all countries. The Saint Vincent Declaration signed by the representatives of all European countries--among them by Poland--indicated the main goals to reduce this burden. This may be achieved by elaboration and initiation of the nation-wide programme for early detection and control of diabetes on the population level. The Polish Task Force for Diabetes Management worked out and put into operation in 1998 the project commissioned by the Ministry of Health funded by the Polish State Committee for Research (PBZ-018-11). The urgent need for the implementation of this programme was a result of the increasing number of diabetic patients on the primary health care level, diabetic complications and hospitalisations. The programme was based on the assumption that primary and secondary prevention of NIDDM may eliminate or reduce its risk factors and therefore decrease its prevalence and morbidity and should integrate epidemiology, identification of risk factors, education, intervention models and economics of diabetes. This issue of the Polish Archives of Internal Medicine contains the main results of the programme and reflects an actual situation of diabetes in Poland creating a rational basis for intervention on the population level. Evaluation of the incidence rate of the diabetes type 1 in 10 selected areas (population basis 30% of age group 0-29) revealed values from 8.4 to 14.7/100,000 in the age group 1-14 and from 4.4 to 11.2/100,000 in the age group 15-29. It accounts for the 2-3 fold increase in comparison with the results achieved in 1986 (Z. Szybinski). However an ascertainment of the register in the age group 15-29 dropped down during the last 10 years and additional sources of data must be involved in the survey. Prevalence of diabetes type 2 in 3 selected areas Krakow 10.77% (M. Szurkowska), Lublin 15.6% (J. ?opatynski) and ?ód? 15.7% (J. Drzewoski) based on the population random sample over 35 years of age, constitutes over 90% of all patients with diabetes. When standardized to the Polish population the prevalence of diabetes type 2 accounts for 5.37% and reflects a true endemic state. With comparison to a similar survey carried out in 1986 in Wroc?aw the prevalence 3.71% of the diabetes type 2 increased 2-3 times. It allowed to calculate an actual number of patients with diabetes type 2--over 2 million and around 50% of them represents "unknown" diabetes. Such high contribution of the unknown non-diagnosed diabetes has been confirmed in the survey carried out in Poznań on the non-randomized professional group of persons (B. Wierusz-Wysocka) in investigation on the first-degree relatives of patients with known diabetes in Warsaw (T. Kasperska-Czyzyk) and in Wroclaw (R. Wasikowa). This raises the question about the criteria of diagnosis for unknown diabetes. Comparative analysis carried out in Krakow revealed that fasting glycemia 7.0 mmol/L allowed to diagnose diabetes with 50% with respect to the 2 hours oral glucose tolerance test (WHO 1985) and shouldn't be use as a tool for early diagnosis of diabetes type 2 (Z. Szybinski, M. Szurkowska) Identification of the risk factors in PMSDE for diabetes type 2 allowed to introduce the term "global risk factors", divided into two groups primary (obesity, age, pregnancy and genetic background) and secondary (hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension). In the multifactor analysis obesity and hyperinsulinemia are the strongest predictors and modifiable risk factors of the development of diabetes type 2 and late complications. Especially hyperinsulinemia as an independent secondary risk factor for hypertension, dyslipidemia--in consequences late diabetic complications and perhaps carcinogenesis may play an important role as a predictor of diabetes type 2 and biochemical marker of effectiveness of non-pharmacological and pharmacological approach in the global concept of diabetes type 2 treatment (Z. Szybinski). Analysis of the late complications of diabetes were focussed on visual disability and lower extremity amputation due to diabetic foot development. Analysis of prevalence (PR) of visual disability due to diabetes in Krakow (J. Pantoflinski) and Olsztyn (E. Bandurska-Stankiewicz) revealed similar values, in the both areas around 6% of general visual disability in population. Monitoring of the visual disability in diabetic patients seems to be a good indicator of the quality level of the diabetic care. Analysis of the lower extremity amputation carried out in Krakow district (A. Nazim) revealed that incidence rate of amputation in diabetics was 15 times higher than in non-diabetics and in 10.8% of cases amputation was performed in unknown diabetes type 2. The preventive measures and non-pharmacological and pharmacological management approximately in diabetes should be solved with education based on the separate post of a diabetic educator within a diabetic team and on the primary health care level. The articles presenting elaborated educational model in diabetes are published in "Diabetologia Polska" (A. Czyzyk). Intervention model was tested in Krakow in the groups of obese patients with newly diagnosed "unknown" diabetes and was based on the 12 weeks supervised dietician education with standardized physical activity programme. In obese diabetic patients the weight loss less than 10% of the initial body weight can markedly improve biochemical parameters like hyperglycemia dyslipidemia and hyperinsulinemia without pharmacological therapy and 45% of patients has been transferred to the group of Impaired Glucose Tolerance (A. Gilis-Januszewska). Another model of intervention may be applied in menopausal women (J. Nadel, K. Cypryk) treated with hormonal replacement therapy as a complementary factor to education and if necessary to anti-diabetic drugs. Increase number of diabetic patients especially of the "unknown" type 2 has serious economic aspect by increasing a burden of patients, theirs families, society and health care system. Within PMSDE programme elaboration of the model for calculation the direct costs about of diabetes and burden in terms of years of life lost using DALY measure was performed (K. Kissimova-Skarbek). Average diabetes type 1 patients costs 7 times and type 2 over 3 times higher than average health care cost and 95% of total time lost due to disability is caused by diabetes type 2. Therefor primary and secondary prevention of diabetes typ 2 have highest priority among strategic preventive targets. The Review Conference held in Warsaw at 24-25 February 2001 in the presence of WHO Experts formulated the recommendations focused on: 1. Elaboration of high risk strategy for early diagnosis of unknown diabetes type 2 based on the 2-hours OGTT (WHO 1985) 2. Continuation of the epidemiologic study in diabetes 3. Instituting the professional post for diabetes educator on the specialized and primary health care levels. 4. Further research are recommended for evaluation of the role of fasting glycemia and hyperinsulinemia as predictors and risk factors of diabetes type 2, for development of preventive models in diabetes type 2 and for development of the economical models to asses the costs of diabetes (Recommendations).     

Incidence of congenital heart disease in navarra (1989-1998)

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Congenital cardiopathies are the most common forms of congenital malformation. They occur in between 5.2 and 12.5 in every thousand live births. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and nature of congenital heart disease in the Spanish region of Navarra during a specified time period (1989-1998). PATIENTS AND METHOD: The study involved all children with congenital heart disease among the 47 783 born in the region in the specified time period. RESULTS: The incidence was 8.96 per thousand live births, with 90% having one of the 10 most common types of cardiac malformation. The accumulative percentage diagnosed was 25.3% in the first 24 hours of life, 45% in the first week, 65% in the first month, and 83.1% during the first year. Some 30.8% of cases of congenital heart disease required invasive treatment: 25.4% underwent surgery and 6.4%, cardiac catheterization. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of congenital heart disease in Navarra falls within the range reported for developed countries. The level of care provided in this region is good, as demonstrated by existing diagnostic capabilities and treatment provision.     

Microsomal Ethanol-Oxidizing System (MEOS): The First 30 Years (1968-1998)–A Review

Oxidation of ethanol via alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) explains various metabolic effects of ethanol but does not account for the tolerance and a number of associated disorders that develop in the alcoholic. These were elucidated by the discovery of the microsomal metabolism of ethanol. The physiologic role of this system comprises gluconeogenesis from ketones, fatty acid metabolism, and detoxification of xenobiotics, including ethanol. After chronic ethanol consumption, the activity of the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS) increases, with an associated rise in cytochromes P-450, especially CYP2E1. This induction is associated with proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum, both in experimental animals and in humans. The role of MEOS in vivo and its increase after chronic ethanol consumption was shown most conclusively in alcohol dehydrogenase-negative deer mice. Enhanced ethanol oxidation is associated with cross-induction of the metabolism of other drugs, resulting in drug tolerance. Furthermore, there is increased conversion of known hepatotoxic agents (such as CCl₄) to toxic metabolites, which may explain the enhanced susceptibility of alcoholics to the adverse effects of industrial solvents. CYP2E1 also has a high capacity to activate some commonly used drugs, such as acetaminophen, to their toxic metabolites, and to promote carcinogenesis (e.g., from dimethylnitrosamine). Moreover, catabolism of retinol is accelerated and there also is induction of microsomal enzymes involved in lipoprotein production, resulting in hyperlipemia. Contrasting with the chronic effects of ethanol consumption, acute ethanol intake inhibits the metabolism of other drugs through competition for the at least partially shared microsomal pathway. In addition, metabolism by CYP2E1 results in a significant free radical release and acetaldehyde production which, in turn, diminish reduced glutathione (GSH) and other defense systems against oxidative stress. Acetaldehyde also forms adducts with proteins, thereby altering the functions of mitochondria and of repair enzymes. Increases of CYP2E1 and its mRNA prevail in the perivenular zone, the area of maximal liver damage. CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, two other perivenular P-450s, can also sustain the metabolism of ethanol, thereby contributing to MEOS activity and possibly liver injury. By contrast, CYP2E1 inhibitors oppose alcohol-induced liver damage, but heretofore available compounds were too toxic for clinical use. Recently, however, polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC), an innocuous mixture of polyunsaturated lecithins extracted from soybeans, was discovered to decrease CYP2E1 activity. PPC (and its active component dilino-leoylphosphatidylcholine) also oppose hepatic oxidative stress and fibrosis. PPC is now being tested clinically for the prevention and treatment of liver disease in the alcoholic.     

Sleeping sickness in West Africa (1906-2006): changes in spatial repartition and lessons from the past

Objective To review the geography and history of sleeping sickness (Human African trypanosomiasis; HAT) over the past 100 years in West Africa, to identify priority areas for sleeping sickness surveillance and areas where HAT no longer seems active. Method History and geography of HAT were summarized based on a review of old reports and recent publications and on recent results obtained from medical surveys conducted in West Africa up to 2006. Results/conclusions Active HAT foci seem to have moved from the North to the South. Endemic HAT presently appears to be limited to areas where annual rainfall exceeds 1200 mm, although the reasons for this remain unknown. There has also been a shift towards the south of the isohyets and of the northern distribution limit of tsetse. Currently, the most severely affected countries are Guinea and Ivory Coast, whereas the northern countries seem less affected. However, many parts of West Africa still lack information on HAT and remain to be investigated. Of particular interest are the consequences of the recent political crisis in Ivory Coast and the resulting massive population movements, given the possible consequences on HAT in neighbouring countries.