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Biomedical subjects

I Mühlhauser

Publications and source records attributed to I Mühlhauser.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Smoking and diabetes.

The frequency of smoking in diabetic patients is not appreciably different from that in the general population. As in non-diabetic subjects, smoking is a major cardiovascular risk factor in diabetic patients. For young diabetic patients, smoking has been identified as a risk for macroproteinuric nephropathy. In respect of retinopathy, study results are more controversial. Recent studies also suggest smoking as a risk indicator for extra-articular connective tissue changes and neuropathy. Patients who already present with vascular complications, pregnant women, and women who use oral contraceptive drugs appear to run a particularly high risk by smoking. Stopping smoking reduces the risk of vascular morbidity and mortality in non-diabetic subjects. Although no comparable studies are available for diabetic populations, it should be assumed that the beneficial effects of stopping smoking are applicable to diabetic patients as well. Programmes to encourage diabetic patients to stop smoking are scarce and have not been successful.

Arteriosclerosis↗

Long-term safety, efficacy and side-effects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion treatment for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: a one centre experience.

A follow-up study of 116 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients on long-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion was conducted after 4.5 +/- 0.2 years. The average HbA1c-value of these patients decreased by 1% to 6.7 +/- 0.1% during this observation period. Typical side effects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion such as skin inflammation at the catheter insertion site occurred with similar frequency as has been reported previously by other authors. Diabetic ketoacidosis (0.14 per patient year) and disabling hypoglycaemia (0.1 per patient year, including 0.05 hypoglycaemic coma per patient-year) occurred at substantially lower rates than in other comparable studies with Type 1 diabetic patients at a similar degree of metabolic control. Subgroup evaluation suggested that a normal (less than 5.6%) HbA1c-value at follow-up was associated with increased incidence of disabling hypoglycaemia, whereas poor metabolic control (HbA1c greater than 7.5%) was associated with increased rates of skin complications and hospital treatment for ketoacidosis. Thus, under the policies of this diabetes centre, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has proved to be beneficial to a large proportion of experienced adult Type 1 diabetic patients, who voluntarily had opted for, and continued with, this particular mode of insulin treatment.

Blood Glucose↗

Evaluation of a structured treatment and teaching programme on non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

A structured treatment and teaching programme for non-insulin-treated non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes was evaluated prospectively in general practice. The four group sessions were mainly conducted by paramedical personnel. 65 patients from five general practices were assessed at the start of the programme and 50 (mean age 65 years, diabetes duration 7 years) completed the 1 year follow-up (intervention group). The control group consisted of 49 patients (mean age 63 years, diabetes duration 7 years) from three other general practices without the programme. In the intervention group the percentage of patients receiving sulfonylureas fell from 68% at the start of the study to 38% after 1 year (mean difference 30%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 16-44%); the mean weight loss was 2.7 kg (95% CI 1.6-3.8 kg), and non-fasting triglycerides were reduced by 0.77 mmol/1 (95% CI 0.35-1.19 mmol/l); and glycosylated haemoglobin remained unchanged (7.1% of total haemoglobin). In the control group none of these indices was changed during the study year, and 10% of patients started insulin treatment. The structured treatment and teaching programme improved the overall quality of patient care in elderly non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients treated by general practitioners.

Aged↗

Uncontrolled hypertension in type 1 diabetes: assessment of patients' desires about treatment and improvement of blood pressure control by a structured treatment and teaching programme.

Control of arterial blood pressure at near-normal levels is of importance for the prognosis of patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. In non-diabetic populations patient compliance to antihypertensive therapy is frequently poor, especially in young people. Thirty-seven consecutive eligible patients with longstanding Type 1 diabetes and persistently uncontrolled hypertension were questioned about their preferences regarding hypertension treatment. Throughout they expressed a strong desire for more information about hypertension and for active participation in monitoring of blood pressure and therapeutic decision-making. In addition, they showed considerable reluctance to accept a pharmacological intervention. Therefore, in order to improve blood pressure control, the patients participated in a structured outpatient hypertension treatment and teaching programme for groups of about 6 patients consisting of four teaching sessions at weekly intervals. The programme comprised home-monitoring of blood pressure and involvement of the patients in treatment decision-making. In 34 patients who had a complete follow-up examination after an average of 16 months, mean sitting arterial pressure had decreased from 111 to 101 mmHg (p less than 0.001) and 53% of the patients were below 140/90 mmHg. The number and dosage of prescribed antihypertensive agents remained unchanged by the intervention. Sodium intake was not reduced during the study, but pulse rate decreased significantly in patients treated with beta-adrenergic blockers and serum uric acid rose in patients on diuretic therapy, suggesting increased adherence of the patients to prescribed antihypertensive drug therapy. In 34 comparable Type 1 diabetic patients who were not subjected to a hypertension treatment and teaching programme mean arterial blood pressure remained unchanged during a 12-month period.

Adult↗

Evaluation of an intensified insulin treatment and teaching programme as routine management of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. The Bucharest-Düsseldorf Study.

It has been questioned whether aiming at near-normoglycaemia by intensified insulin treatment regimens is feasible and safe for the majority of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. In this study, intensified insulin injection therapy (including blood glucose self-monitoring and multiple insulin injections) based upon a 5-day inpatient group teaching programme was evaluated in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in the centralised health care system of Bucharest. One hundred patients (group A, initial HbA1 12.5%) were followed for 1 year on their standard therapy (individual teaching, no metabolic self-monitoring), and thereafter for 1 year on intensified therapy. Another 100 patients (group B, HbA1 12.3%) were followed for 2 years on intensified therapy. A third 100 patients (group C, HbA1 11.7%) were assigned to a basic 4-day inpatient group teaching programme with conventional insulin therapy (including self-monitoring of glucosuria and acetonuria) and followed for 1 year. Mean HbA1 remained unchanged after standard treatment (group A: 12.8% at 12 months), but decreased during intensified therapy (group A: 10.1% at 24 months; group B: 9.3% at 12 months, 9.5% at 24 months; p less than 0.0001). In group C, no change was found compared to standard treatment (i.e. group A at 12 months). Incidence rates of ketoacidosis were 0.16 episodes per patient per year during standard treatment, 0.01 during intensified treatment (p less than 0.01) and 0.04 in group C (p less than 0.025). Hospitalisation rates were reduced by 60% during intensified therapy and by 40% in group C. Frequency of severe hypoglycaemia was not significantly different between the three treatment regimens. Thus, under the condition that insulin treatment is based upon a structured and comprehensive training of the patient, intensified insulin injection therapy performed as routine treatment of Type 1 diabetes significantly lowers HbA1 levels without increasing the risk of severe hypoglycaemia.

Adolescent↗

[Length of stay and length of work incapacity in patients with Type I diabetes. Effects of a diabetes treatment and education program].

Objective data on duration of hospital stay and of incapacity to work were collected for 137 type I diabetics who had taken part in a structured diabetes treatment and training scheme. Before the training period the average hospital stay had been 0.76 per patient per year, duration per stay 21 days, number of episodes of work incapacity 1.6 per patient per year, duration of incapacity 23.6 days. For a subgroup of patients (62) the influence of the training programme could be demonstrated: hospital stay fell to 0.49 per patient per year, duration per stay to 12.0 days, number of incapacity episodes to 1.4 per patient per year, and the days lost from work to 12.1 per patient per year.

Absenteeism↗

Cigarette-smoking as a risk factor for macroproteinuria and proliferative retinopathy in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.

In a case control study 192 cigarette-smoking patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes were compared with 192 non-cigarette-smoking patients pair-matched for sex (90 females), duration of diabetes (mean 14 years), and age (mean 32 years). Macroproteinuria was found in 19.3% of the smoking and in 8.3% of the non-smoking patients (p less than 0.001). Proliferative retinopathy was present in 12.5% of the smoking and in 6.8% of the non-smoking patients (p less than 0.025). The percentages of patients with normal proteinuria or without retinopathy were comparable between the two groups. In addition, glycosylated haemoglobin values and the prevalence of hypertension were similar between smoking and non-smoking patients. Thus, cigarette-smoking appears to be a risk factor for the progression of incipient to overt nephropathy and of background to proliferative retinopathy in Type 1 diabetes.

Adult↗

[Quality control of the self-measurement of blood sugar in unselected type I diabetics. The importance of patient training].

Unselected type I diabetics were hospitalized for group training and treatment programme during which blood-sugar was self-monitored with the Haemo-Glukotest 20-800; quality of self-monitoring improved appropriately. The patients had taken part in either the standard training programme (67 patients) or in the "intensive" training programme (101 patients). At the beginning of the training week, after the first theoretical and practical instructions, the quality of blood-sugar self-monitoring was equally poor among patients of both programmes. At the end of the "standard" training week, self-monitoring results were still unsatisfactory, though slightly better than at the onset. Because of these poor results, the training programme was intensified. Optimal quality of self-monitoring was then achieved at the end of the training period. In 69 others, also unselected, type I diabetics the quality of self-monitoring was determined 14 months after their participation in the training programme. Using the Haemo-Glukotest 20-800 (57 patients), self-monitoring gave excellent results; using a blood-glucose measuring instrument (12 patients) it was slightly worse. Assuming intensive training, even unselected type I diabetics can obtain accurate blood-sugar measurements using test-strips.

Adult↗

[Evaluation of education of the diabetic. Quality control in diabetes therapy].

Any successful treatment of type-I diabetic patients has to be based upon a detailed education of the diabetic patient in order to enable him to selfmanage his disease as much as possible. The goals of diabetes-therapy (i.e. near-normalization of glycaemia in order to prevent diabetic microangiopathy at as high a quality of life as possible) can only be achieved by actively involving the patient in his/her therapy. Thus patient education becomes the cornerstone of modern diabetes-care. The evaluation of diabetes-education has--eventually--be based upon an assessment of the quality of metabolic control. A number of studies have proven that effective diabetes-education programmes can substantially improve long-term metabolic control and the incidence of acute complications in type I diabetic patients. At present, it appears that the most efficient way to improve the overall quality of diabetes-care is to improve diabetes-education delivered to the patients.

Blood Glucose↗