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Stephen C Bain

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen C Bain.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Insulin glulisine: efficacy and safety compared with other rapid-acting insulin analogues.

Glulisine insulin is the latest addition to the class of rapid-acting insulin analogues. It is important that it is comparable in safety not only to human regular insulin, but also to the well established analogue insulins, aspart and lispro. In this summary the evidence comparing the safety and efficacy of glulisine with its counterpart insulins in various groups of diabetic patients is discussed.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

Safety and side effects of the insulin analogues.

The analogue insulins were developed to more clearly mimic the basal and prandial components of insulin secretion for subjects with diabetes mellitus. Analogues are now widely used and have largely taken over from the conventional human recombinant insulins. It is important that these insulins are not only as effective as their predecessors, but are also safe and well-tolerated. In this manuscript, the authors review the adverse effects reported with analogue insulins and make a comparison with standard insulin treatments.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

Angiotensin-receptor blockade versus converting-enzyme inhibition in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have directly compared the renoprotective effects of angiotensin II-receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in persons with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, double-blind, five-year study, we randomly assigned 250 subjects with type 2 diabetes and early nephropathy to receive either the angiotensin II-receptor blocker telmisartan (80 mg daily, in 120 subjects) or the ACE inhibitor enalapril (20 mg daily, in 130 subjects). The primary end point was the change in the glomerular filtration rate (determined by measuring the plasma clearance of iohexol) between the baseline value and the last available value during the five-year treatment period. Secondary end points included the annual changes in the glomerular filtration rate, serum creatinine level, urinary albumin excretion, and blood pressure; the rates of end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular events; and the rate of death from all causes. RESULTS: After five years, the change in the glomerular filtration rate was -17.5 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 (where the minus sign denotes a decrement) in the telmisartan-treated subjects, as compared with -15.0 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 in the enalapril-treated subjects; the treatment difference was thus -2.6 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 (95 percent confidence interval, -7.1 to 2.0 ml per minute per 1.73 m2)[corrected] The lower boundary of the confidence interval, in favor of enalapril, was greater than the predefined margin of -10.0 ml per minute per 1.73 m2, indicating that telmisartan was not inferior to enalapril. The effects of the two agents on the secondary end points were not significantly different after five years. CONCLUSIONS: Telmisartan is not inferior to enalapril in providing long-term renoprotection in persons with type 2 diabetes. These findings do not necessarily apply to persons with more advanced nephropathy, but they support the clinical equivalence of angiotensin II-receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors in persons with conditions that place them at high risk for cardiovascular events.

Adult↗

Cost-effective strategies in the prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

A significant subgroup of patients with diabetes mellitus are predisposed to developing diabetic nephropathy and it is in this subgroup that other diabetes- related complications, and in particular greatly increased cardiovascular disease risk, are concentrated. The high personal, social and financial costs of managing end-stage renal failure and the other complications associated with diabetic nephropathy make a powerful case for screening and effective intervention programmes to prevent the condition or retard its progression. As major breakthroughs in finding genetic susceptibility factors remain elusive, screening efforts continue to be based on microalbuminuria testing, despite increasing recognition of its limitations as a positive predictor of nephropathy. Interventions have been extensively studied, but results remain conflicting. Economic evaluations of such screening and intervention programmes are essential for health planners, yet models of the cost/benefit ratio of such interventions often rely on a rather slim evidence base. Where economic models are developed, they are frequently based on those papers that propound the greatest clinical benefits of a given intervention, leading to a possible over-estimation of the advantages of the chosen approach. Furthermore, the benefits of even such generally accepted interventions as ACE inhibitor treatment are less firmly established than generally appreciated. Lifestyle interventions are instinctively attractive, but are by no means a low-cost option (as is often assumed by both medical professionals and politicians). This review critically assesses the evidence for clinical efficacy and economic benefit of microalbuminuria screening and interventions such as intensive glycaemic control, antihypertensive treatment, ACE inhibition and angiotensin receptor blockade, dietary protein restriction and lipid-modifying therapy. The various costs associated with diabetic nephropathy are so great that even expensive interventions may have a favourable cost/benefit ratio, provided they are truly effective.

Albuminuria↗

Association studies between the HSD11B2 gene (encoding human 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2), type 1 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: Mutations in the HSD11B2 gene (encoding human 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2) explain the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess where cortisol acts as a mineralocorticoid. A microsatellite marker within the HSD11B2 gene associates with salt sensitivity and hypertension--phenotypes characterising diabetic nephropathy. Here, we evaluate the HSD11B2 gene as a susceptibility locus for diabetic nephropathy. DESIGN: 150 patients with type 1 diabetes and nephropathy (DN), 145 patients with type 1 diabetes with a long duration of non-nephropathy (LDNN) and 151 normal controls were studied. METHODS: We determined allele frequencies for the (CA)n repeat marker within intron I of the HSD11B2 gene. Duration of type 1 diabetes, diabetic status and renal function were recorded. RESULTS: 11 alleles (138-158) for the marker were observed. Allele 152 was significantly increased in controls compared with LDNN (70.5% vs 57.6%, P(c)<0.05 where P(c) is the P value corrected for multiple comparisons) but no difference was observed between DN and LDNN subjects. Allele 154 was significantly increased in the LDNN compared with the DN subjects (15.9% vs 7.0%, P(c)<0.01) but no difference was observed between DN and controls. A greater proportion of subjects carried at least 1 allele <152 in DN compared with control subjects (47.3% vs 28.5%, P(c)<0.01), but no difference was observed in LDNN compared with control and DN subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Weak associations are reported between the HSD11B2 gene, type 1 diabetes mellitus and nephropathy. The increased frequency of HSD11B2 short alleles in the diabetic groups may reflect reduced renal 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) activity and may, in part, explain the enhanced salt sensitivity observed in patients with type 1 diabetes.

11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2↗