Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM_2.5) is linked to a higher risk for infertility in men. Exposure to road traffic noise is associated with a higher risk for infertility in women aged > 35 years and possibly in men aged > 37 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• This nationwide prospective cohort study evaluated the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and PM_2.5 and infertility in 526,056 men (mean age, 33.6 years) and 377,850 women (mean age, 32.7 years) who were cohabiting or married, had fewer than two children, and lived in Denmark between 2000 and 2017.
• Residential exposure to road traffic noise (most exposed facade of the home) and PM_2.5 was estimated using validated models and linked to data from national registers.
• Diagnoses of infertility were identified in men and women from the Danish National Patient Register over a mean follow-up of 4.3 years and 4.2 years, respectively.

TAKEAWAY:

• Each 2.9 µg/m³ increase in the 5-year average exposure to PM_2.5 was associated with a 24% increase in the risk for infertility in men aged 30-45 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24).
• No significant association was found between exposure to PM_2.5 and infertility in women.
• Each 10.2 dB increase in the 5-year average exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a 14% increase in infertility (aHR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18) in women aged 35-45 years.
• Exposure to noise was associated with a reduced risk for infertility in men aged 30.0-36.9 years (aHR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96) and an increased risk in those aged 37-45 years (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11).

IN PRACTICE:

“As many Western countries are facing declining birth rates and increasing maternal age at the birth of a first child, knowledge on environmental pollutants affecting fertility is crucial,” the authors of the study wrote. “It suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birth rates in the Western world,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Mette Sorensen, of the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, was published online in The BMJ.

LIMITATIONS:

The study’s reliance on register data meant information on lifestyle factors such as alcohol use, body mass index, and smoking was unavailable. The lack of data on exposure to noise and PM_2.5 at work and during leisure activities may affect the size and statistical precision of risk estimates.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM_2.5) is linked to a higher risk for infertility in men. Exposure to road traffic noise is associated with a higher risk for infertility in women aged > 35 years and possibly in men aged > 37 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• This nationwide prospective cohort study evaluated the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and PM_2.5 and infertility in 526,056 men (mean age, 33.6 years) and 377,850 women (mean age, 32.7 years) who were cohabiting or married, had fewer than two children, and lived in Denmark between 2000 and 2017.
• Residential exposure to road traffic noise (most exposed facade of the home) and PM_2.5 was estimated using validated models and linked to data from national registers.
• Diagnoses of infertility were identified in men and women from the Danish National Patient Register over a mean follow-up of 4.3 years and 4.2 years, respectively.

TAKEAWAY:

• Each 2.9 µg/m³ increase in the 5-year average exposure to PM_2.5 was associated with a 24% increase in the risk for infertility in men aged 30-45 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24).
• No significant association was found between exposure to PM_2.5 and infertility in women.
• Each 10.2 dB increase in the 5-year average exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a 14% increase in infertility (aHR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18) in women aged 35-45 years.
• Exposure to noise was associated with a reduced risk for infertility in men aged 30.0-36.9 years (aHR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96) and an increased risk in those aged 37-45 years (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11).

IN PRACTICE:

“As many Western countries are facing declining birth rates and increasing maternal age at the birth of a first child, knowledge on environmental pollutants affecting fertility is crucial,” the authors of the study wrote. “It suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birth rates in the Western world,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Mette Sorensen, of the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, was published online in The BMJ.

LIMITATIONS:

The study’s reliance on register data meant information on lifestyle factors such as alcohol use, body mass index, and smoking was unavailable. The lack of data on exposure to noise and PM_2.5 at work and during leisure activities may affect the size and statistical precision of risk estimates.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM_2.5) is linked to a higher risk for infertility in men. Exposure to road traffic noise is associated with a higher risk for infertility in women aged > 35 years and possibly in men aged > 37 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• This nationwide prospective cohort study evaluated the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and PM_2.5 and infertility in 526,056 men (mean age, 33.6 years) and 377,850 women (mean age, 32.7 years) who were cohabiting or married, had fewer than two children, and lived in Denmark between 2000 and 2017.
• Residential exposure to road traffic noise (most exposed facade of the home) and PM_2.5 was estimated using validated models and linked to data from national registers.
• Diagnoses of infertility were identified in men and women from the Danish National Patient Register over a mean follow-up of 4.3 years and 4.2 years, respectively.

TAKEAWAY:

• Each 2.9 µg/m³ increase in the 5-year average exposure to PM_2.5 was associated with a 24% increase in the risk for infertility in men aged 30-45 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24).
• No significant association was found between exposure to PM_2.5 and infertility in women.
• Each 10.2 dB increase in the 5-year average exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a 14% increase in infertility (aHR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18) in women aged 35-45 years.
• Exposure to noise was associated with a reduced risk for infertility in men aged 30.0-36.9 years (aHR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96) and an increased risk in those aged 37-45 years (aHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11).

IN PRACTICE:

“As many Western countries are facing declining birth rates and increasing maternal age at the birth of a first child, knowledge on environmental pollutants affecting fertility is crucial,” the authors of the study wrote. “It suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birth rates in the Western world,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Mette Sorensen, of the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, was published online in The BMJ.

LIMITATIONS:

The study’s reliance on register data meant information on lifestyle factors such as alcohol use, body mass index, and smoking was unavailable. The lack of data on exposure to noise and PM_2.5 at work and during leisure activities may affect the size and statistical precision of risk estimates.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A study found significant associations between melasma and several comorbidities, including hypertension and hormonal contraception use, which were the most common.

METHODOLOGY:

• Melasma predominantly affects young women of color and often worsens in hyperestrogen states; understanding the association with comorbidities can improve surveillance and treatment strategies.
• Researchers evaluated 41,283 patients with melasma (mean age, 48.8 years; 93% women) from the TriNetX database and an equal number of matched control individuals.
• The main outcome was comorbidities including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, anticonvulsants, diabetes, hormonal contraceptives, hypothyroidism, hypertension, lupus, rosacea, skin cancer, and malignancy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among those with melasma, 25% had hypertension and 24% used hormonal contraception, the two most commonly associated risk factors identified.
• Rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 5.1), atopic dermatitis (OR, 3.3), lupus (OR, 2.5), history of skin cancer (OR, 2.5), and history of internal malignancy (OR, 2.1) were associated with the highest risk of developing melasma (P < .01 for all).
• Asian (OR, 2.0; P < .01) and “other/unknown” races (OR, 1.7; P < .01) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.3; P < .01) were also significantly associated with melasma, while the odds were slightly lower among White, Black/African American, and “not Hispanic” groups (ORs, 0.8; P < .01 for all groups).

IN PRACTICE:

“Understanding the potential associations between these risk factors and melasma will better improve the management and monitoring of the most susceptible patients,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ajay N. Sharma, MD, MBA, of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Irvine, was published online in Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study limitations included the retrospective design, potential misclassification of diagnoses, and the inability to establish causality.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not disclose any funding sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A study found significant associations between melasma and several comorbidities, including hypertension and hormonal contraception use, which were the most common.

METHODOLOGY:

• Melasma predominantly affects young women of color and often worsens in hyperestrogen states; understanding the association with comorbidities can improve surveillance and treatment strategies.
• Researchers evaluated 41,283 patients with melasma (mean age, 48.8 years; 93% women) from the TriNetX database and an equal number of matched control individuals.
• The main outcome was comorbidities including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, anticonvulsants, diabetes, hormonal contraceptives, hypothyroidism, hypertension, lupus, rosacea, skin cancer, and malignancy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among those with melasma, 25% had hypertension and 24% used hormonal contraception, the two most commonly associated risk factors identified.
• Rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 5.1), atopic dermatitis (OR, 3.3), lupus (OR, 2.5), history of skin cancer (OR, 2.5), and history of internal malignancy (OR, 2.1) were associated with the highest risk of developing melasma (P < .01 for all).
• Asian (OR, 2.0; P < .01) and “other/unknown” races (OR, 1.7; P < .01) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.3; P < .01) were also significantly associated with melasma, while the odds were slightly lower among White, Black/African American, and “not Hispanic” groups (ORs, 0.8; P < .01 for all groups).

IN PRACTICE:

“Understanding the potential associations between these risk factors and melasma will better improve the management and monitoring of the most susceptible patients,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ajay N. Sharma, MD, MBA, of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Irvine, was published online in Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study limitations included the retrospective design, potential misclassification of diagnoses, and the inability to establish causality.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not disclose any funding sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A study found significant associations between melasma and several comorbidities, including hypertension and hormonal contraception use, which were the most common.

METHODOLOGY:

• Melasma predominantly affects young women of color and often worsens in hyperestrogen states; understanding the association with comorbidities can improve surveillance and treatment strategies.
• Researchers evaluated 41,283 patients with melasma (mean age, 48.8 years; 93% women) from the TriNetX database and an equal number of matched control individuals.
• The main outcome was comorbidities including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, anticonvulsants, diabetes, hormonal contraceptives, hypothyroidism, hypertension, lupus, rosacea, skin cancer, and malignancy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among those with melasma, 25% had hypertension and 24% used hormonal contraception, the two most commonly associated risk factors identified.
• Rosacea (odds ratio [OR], 5.1), atopic dermatitis (OR, 3.3), lupus (OR, 2.5), history of skin cancer (OR, 2.5), and history of internal malignancy (OR, 2.1) were associated with the highest risk of developing melasma (P < .01 for all).
• Asian (OR, 2.0; P < .01) and “other/unknown” races (OR, 1.7; P < .01) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.3; P < .01) were also significantly associated with melasma, while the odds were slightly lower among White, Black/African American, and “not Hispanic” groups (ORs, 0.8; P < .01 for all groups).

IN PRACTICE:

“Understanding the potential associations between these risk factors and melasma will better improve the management and monitoring of the most susceptible patients,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ajay N. Sharma, MD, MBA, of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Irvine, was published online in Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study limitations included the retrospective design, potential misclassification of diagnoses, and the inability to establish causality.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not disclose any funding sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Mental health disorders increase the likelihood of developing chronic diabetic complications and vice versa across all age groups in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Understanding the relative timing and association between chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders may aid in improving diabetes screening and care.
• Researchers used a US national healthcare claims database (data obtained from 2001 to 2018) to analyze individuals with and without T1D and T2D, who had no prior mental health disorder or chronic diabetic complication.
• The onset and presence of chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders were identified to determine their possible association.
• Individuals were stratified by age: 0-19, 20-39, 40-59, and ≥ 60 years.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers analyzed 44,735 patients with T1D (47.5% women) and 152,187 with T2D (46.0% women), who were matched with 356,630 individuals without diabetes (51.8% women).
• The presence of chronic diabetic complications increased the risk for a mental health disorder across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged ≥ 60 years (hazard ratio [HR], 2.9).
• Similarly, diagnosis of a mental health disorder increased the risk for chronic diabetic complications across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged 0-19 years (HR, 2.5).
• Patients with T2D had a significantly higher risk for a mental health disorder and a lower risk for chronic diabetic complications than those with T1D across all age groups, except those aged ≥ 60 years.
• The bidirectional association between mental health disorders and chronic diabetic complications was not affected by the diabetes type (P > .05 for all interactions).

IN PRACTICE:

“Clinicians and healthcare systems likely need to increase their focus on MHDs [mental health disorders], and innovative models of care are required to optimize care for both individuals with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Maya Watanabe, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

The study relied on International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th revision codes, which might have led to misclassification of mental health conditions, chronic diabetes complications, and diabetes type. The data did not capture the symptom onset and severity. The findings may not be generalizable to populations outside the United States.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (now Breakthrough T1D). Some authors reported receiving speaker or expert testimony honoraria and research support, and some declared serving on medical or digital advisory boards or as consultants for various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Mental health disorders increase the likelihood of developing chronic diabetic complications and vice versa across all age groups in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Understanding the relative timing and association between chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders may aid in improving diabetes screening and care.
• Researchers used a US national healthcare claims database (data obtained from 2001 to 2018) to analyze individuals with and without T1D and T2D, who had no prior mental health disorder or chronic diabetic complication.
• The onset and presence of chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders were identified to determine their possible association.
• Individuals were stratified by age: 0-19, 20-39, 40-59, and ≥ 60 years.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers analyzed 44,735 patients with T1D (47.5% women) and 152,187 with T2D (46.0% women), who were matched with 356,630 individuals without diabetes (51.8% women).
• The presence of chronic diabetic complications increased the risk for a mental health disorder across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged ≥ 60 years (hazard ratio [HR], 2.9).
• Similarly, diagnosis of a mental health disorder increased the risk for chronic diabetic complications across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged 0-19 years (HR, 2.5).
• Patients with T2D had a significantly higher risk for a mental health disorder and a lower risk for chronic diabetic complications than those with T1D across all age groups, except those aged ≥ 60 years.
• The bidirectional association between mental health disorders and chronic diabetic complications was not affected by the diabetes type (P > .05 for all interactions).

IN PRACTICE:

“Clinicians and healthcare systems likely need to increase their focus on MHDs [mental health disorders], and innovative models of care are required to optimize care for both individuals with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Maya Watanabe, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

The study relied on International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th revision codes, which might have led to misclassification of mental health conditions, chronic diabetes complications, and diabetes type. The data did not capture the symptom onset and severity. The findings may not be generalizable to populations outside the United States.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (now Breakthrough T1D). Some authors reported receiving speaker or expert testimony honoraria and research support, and some declared serving on medical or digital advisory boards or as consultants for various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Mental health disorders increase the likelihood of developing chronic diabetic complications and vice versa across all age groups in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Understanding the relative timing and association between chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders may aid in improving diabetes screening and care.
• Researchers used a US national healthcare claims database (data obtained from 2001 to 2018) to analyze individuals with and without T1D and T2D, who had no prior mental health disorder or chronic diabetic complication.
• The onset and presence of chronic diabetic complications and mental health disorders were identified to determine their possible association.
• Individuals were stratified by age: 0-19, 20-39, 40-59, and ≥ 60 years.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers analyzed 44,735 patients with T1D (47.5% women) and 152,187 with T2D (46.0% women), who were matched with 356,630 individuals without diabetes (51.8% women).
• The presence of chronic diabetic complications increased the risk for a mental health disorder across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged ≥ 60 years (hazard ratio [HR], 2.9).
• Similarly, diagnosis of a mental health disorder increased the risk for chronic diabetic complications across all age groups, with the highest risk seen in patients aged 0-19 years (HR, 2.5).
• Patients with T2D had a significantly higher risk for a mental health disorder and a lower risk for chronic diabetic complications than those with T1D across all age groups, except those aged ≥ 60 years.
• The bidirectional association between mental health disorders and chronic diabetic complications was not affected by the diabetes type (P > .05 for all interactions).

IN PRACTICE:

“Clinicians and healthcare systems likely need to increase their focus on MHDs [mental health disorders], and innovative models of care are required to optimize care for both individuals with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Maya Watanabe, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

The study relied on International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th revision codes, which might have led to misclassification of mental health conditions, chronic diabetes complications, and diabetes type. The data did not capture the symptom onset and severity. The findings may not be generalizable to populations outside the United States.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (now Breakthrough T1D). Some authors reported receiving speaker or expert testimony honoraria and research support, and some declared serving on medical or digital advisory boards or as consultants for various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantially higher risk for all-cause dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Studies suggest a potential link between AF and dementia in the broader population, but evidence is scarce in people with diabetes, who are at increased risk for both conditions.
• This longitudinal observational study assessed the association between new-onset AF and dementia in 22,989 patients with T2D (median age at enrollment, 61.0 years; 62.3% men; 86.3% White individuals).
• New-onset AF was identified through hospital admission records using the International Classification of Diseases – 9th Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 codes, and dementia cases were identified using an algorithm developed by the UK Biobank.
• Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the association between incident dementia and new-onset AF.

TAKEAWAY:

• Over a median follow-up duration of about 12 years, 844 patients developed all-cause dementia, 342 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and 246 had vascular dementia.
• Patients with incident AF had a higher risk of developing all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.80-2.57), Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.96), and vascular dementia (HR, 3.11; 95% CI, 2.32-4.17) than those without incident AF.
• The results are independent of common dementia risk factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors.
• The mean time intervals from the onset of AF to all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia were 2.95, 2.81, and 3.37 years, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“AF is a significant risk factor for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting the importance of timely and effective treatment of AF, such as early rhythm control strategies and anticoagulant use, in preventing dementia among this demographic,” the authors wrote.
 

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ying Zhou, PhD, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, was published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

LIMITATIONS:

The study could not explore the link between different AF subtypes and dementia owing to its small sample size. The effects of AF treatment on the risk for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes were not considered because of lack of information. The mostly White study population limits the generalizability of the findings to other races and ethnicities.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantially higher risk for all-cause dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Studies suggest a potential link between AF and dementia in the broader population, but evidence is scarce in people with diabetes, who are at increased risk for both conditions.
• This longitudinal observational study assessed the association between new-onset AF and dementia in 22,989 patients with T2D (median age at enrollment, 61.0 years; 62.3% men; 86.3% White individuals).
• New-onset AF was identified through hospital admission records using the International Classification of Diseases – 9th Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 codes, and dementia cases were identified using an algorithm developed by the UK Biobank.
• Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the association between incident dementia and new-onset AF.

TAKEAWAY:

• Over a median follow-up duration of about 12 years, 844 patients developed all-cause dementia, 342 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and 246 had vascular dementia.
• Patients with incident AF had a higher risk of developing all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.80-2.57), Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.96), and vascular dementia (HR, 3.11; 95% CI, 2.32-4.17) than those without incident AF.
• The results are independent of common dementia risk factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors.
• The mean time intervals from the onset of AF to all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia were 2.95, 2.81, and 3.37 years, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“AF is a significant risk factor for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting the importance of timely and effective treatment of AF, such as early rhythm control strategies and anticoagulant use, in preventing dementia among this demographic,” the authors wrote.
 

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ying Zhou, PhD, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, was published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

LIMITATIONS:

The study could not explore the link between different AF subtypes and dementia owing to its small sample size. The effects of AF treatment on the risk for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes were not considered because of lack of information. The mostly White study population limits the generalizability of the findings to other races and ethnicities.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantially higher risk for all-cause dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Studies suggest a potential link between AF and dementia in the broader population, but evidence is scarce in people with diabetes, who are at increased risk for both conditions.
• This longitudinal observational study assessed the association between new-onset AF and dementia in 22,989 patients with T2D (median age at enrollment, 61.0 years; 62.3% men; 86.3% White individuals).
• New-onset AF was identified through hospital admission records using the International Classification of Diseases – 9th Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 codes, and dementia cases were identified using an algorithm developed by the UK Biobank.
• Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to determine the association between incident dementia and new-onset AF.

TAKEAWAY:

• Over a median follow-up duration of about 12 years, 844 patients developed all-cause dementia, 342 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and 246 had vascular dementia.
• Patients with incident AF had a higher risk of developing all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.15; 95% CI, 1.80-2.57), Alzheimer’s disease (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.96), and vascular dementia (HR, 3.11; 95% CI, 2.32-4.17) than those without incident AF.
• The results are independent of common dementia risk factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors.
• The mean time intervals from the onset of AF to all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia were 2.95, 2.81, and 3.37 years, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“AF is a significant risk factor for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting the importance of timely and effective treatment of AF, such as early rhythm control strategies and anticoagulant use, in preventing dementia among this demographic,” the authors wrote.
 

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ying Zhou, PhD, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, was published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

LIMITATIONS:

The study could not explore the link between different AF subtypes and dementia owing to its small sample size. The effects of AF treatment on the risk for dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes were not considered because of lack of information. The mostly White study population limits the generalizability of the findings to other races and ethnicities.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Emergency department (ED) visits in the United States for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm show an increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, with visits being most common among adolescents and the largest increase in visits being seen in adults aged 65 years or older.

METHODOLOGY:

• This study used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, an annual nationwide cross-sectional survey, to track trends in ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm in the United States from 2011 to 2020.
• Researchers identified visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, along with diagnoses of any co-occurring mental health conditions, using discharge diagnosis codes or reason-for-visit codes.
• The focus was to identify the percentages of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, with analyses done per 100,000 persons and for changes possibly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020.

TAKEAWAY:

• The number of ED visits owing to suicide attempts and intentional self-harm increased from 1.43 million in 2011-2012 to 5.37 million in 2019-2020 (average annual percent change, 19.5%; 95% confidence interval, 16.9-22.2).
• The rate of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm was higher among adolescents and young adults, particularly women, and lower among children.
• Despite a surge in ED visits for self-harm, less than 16% included a mental health evaluation, with visits among patients with mood disorders decreasing by 5.5% annually and those among patients with drug-related disorders increasing by 6.8% annually.
• In 2019-2020, those aged 15-20 years had the highest rate of ED visits (1552 visits per 100,000 persons), with a significant increase seen across all age groups; the largest increase was among those aged 65 years or older.

IN PRACTICE:

“Given that suicide attempts are the single greatest risk factor for suicide, evidence-based management of individuals presenting to emergency departments with suicide attempts and intentional self-harm is a critical component of comprehensive suicide prevention strategies,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The investigation, led by Tanner J. Bommersbach, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, was published online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS:

Visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm were identified based on discharge diagnostic and reason-for-visit codes, which may have led to an underestimation of visits for suicide attempts. ED visits for suicidal vs nonsuicidal self-injury could not be distinguished due to reliance on discharge diagnostic codes. Visits for suicidal ideation, which was not the focus of the study, may have been miscoded as suicide attempts and intentional self-harm.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding source was reported for the study. Some authors received funding grants from various institutions, and one author disclosed receiving honoraria for service as a review committee member and serving as a stakeholder/consultant and as an advisory committee member for some institutes and agencies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Emergency department (ED) visits in the United States for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm show an increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, with visits being most common among adolescents and the largest increase in visits being seen in adults aged 65 years or older.

METHODOLOGY:

• This study used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, an annual nationwide cross-sectional survey, to track trends in ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm in the United States from 2011 to 2020.
• Researchers identified visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, along with diagnoses of any co-occurring mental health conditions, using discharge diagnosis codes or reason-for-visit codes.
• The focus was to identify the percentages of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, with analyses done per 100,000 persons and for changes possibly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020.

TAKEAWAY:

• The number of ED visits owing to suicide attempts and intentional self-harm increased from 1.43 million in 2011-2012 to 5.37 million in 2019-2020 (average annual percent change, 19.5%; 95% confidence interval, 16.9-22.2).
• The rate of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm was higher among adolescents and young adults, particularly women, and lower among children.
• Despite a surge in ED visits for self-harm, less than 16% included a mental health evaluation, with visits among patients with mood disorders decreasing by 5.5% annually and those among patients with drug-related disorders increasing by 6.8% annually.
• In 2019-2020, those aged 15-20 years had the highest rate of ED visits (1552 visits per 100,000 persons), with a significant increase seen across all age groups; the largest increase was among those aged 65 years or older.

IN PRACTICE:

“Given that suicide attempts are the single greatest risk factor for suicide, evidence-based management of individuals presenting to emergency departments with suicide attempts and intentional self-harm is a critical component of comprehensive suicide prevention strategies,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The investigation, led by Tanner J. Bommersbach, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, was published online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS:

Visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm were identified based on discharge diagnostic and reason-for-visit codes, which may have led to an underestimation of visits for suicide attempts. ED visits for suicidal vs nonsuicidal self-injury could not be distinguished due to reliance on discharge diagnostic codes. Visits for suicidal ideation, which was not the focus of the study, may have been miscoded as suicide attempts and intentional self-harm.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding source was reported for the study. Some authors received funding grants from various institutions, and one author disclosed receiving honoraria for service as a review committee member and serving as a stakeholder/consultant and as an advisory committee member for some institutes and agencies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Emergency department (ED) visits in the United States for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm show an increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, with visits being most common among adolescents and the largest increase in visits being seen in adults aged 65 years or older.

METHODOLOGY:

• This study used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, an annual nationwide cross-sectional survey, to track trends in ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm in the United States from 2011 to 2020.
• Researchers identified visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, along with diagnoses of any co-occurring mental health conditions, using discharge diagnosis codes or reason-for-visit codes.
• The focus was to identify the percentages of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm, with analyses done per 100,000 persons and for changes possibly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020.

TAKEAWAY:

• The number of ED visits owing to suicide attempts and intentional self-harm increased from 1.43 million in 2011-2012 to 5.37 million in 2019-2020 (average annual percent change, 19.5%; 95% confidence interval, 16.9-22.2).
• The rate of ED visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm was higher among adolescents and young adults, particularly women, and lower among children.
• Despite a surge in ED visits for self-harm, less than 16% included a mental health evaluation, with visits among patients with mood disorders decreasing by 5.5% annually and those among patients with drug-related disorders increasing by 6.8% annually.
• In 2019-2020, those aged 15-20 years had the highest rate of ED visits (1552 visits per 100,000 persons), with a significant increase seen across all age groups; the largest increase was among those aged 65 years or older.

IN PRACTICE:

“Given that suicide attempts are the single greatest risk factor for suicide, evidence-based management of individuals presenting to emergency departments with suicide attempts and intentional self-harm is a critical component of comprehensive suicide prevention strategies,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The investigation, led by Tanner J. Bommersbach, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, was published online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS:

Visits for suicide attempts and intentional self-harm were identified based on discharge diagnostic and reason-for-visit codes, which may have led to an underestimation of visits for suicide attempts. ED visits for suicidal vs nonsuicidal self-injury could not be distinguished due to reliance on discharge diagnostic codes. Visits for suicidal ideation, which was not the focus of the study, may have been miscoded as suicide attempts and intentional self-harm.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding source was reported for the study. Some authors received funding grants from various institutions, and one author disclosed receiving honoraria for service as a review committee member and serving as a stakeholder/consultant and as an advisory committee member for some institutes and agencies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is associated with higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and an increased type 2 diabetes risk, significantly contributing to the diabetes-related health burden among women of reproductive age.

METHODOLOGY:

• Exposure to fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but its effect on women of reproductive age, who undergo hormonal fluctuations during reproductive events, is not well studied.
• Researchers evaluated the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 with FBG levels and diabetes risk in 20,076,032 eligible women of reproductive age (average age, 27.04 years) across 350 cities in China between 2010 and 2015.
• They assessed PM2.5 exposure at the participants’ residential addresses and calculated average long-term exposure at 1 (lag 1 year), 2 (lag 2 years), and 3 years (lag 3 years) before the survey date, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The primary outcomes were FBG levels and diabetes prevalence (FBG, ≥ 7 mmol/L, classified as diabetes; FBG, 6.1-7 mmol/L, classified as prediabetes).
• The study also evaluated the diabetes burden attributed to long-term PM2.5 exposure as per the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standards (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 35 µg/m³) and the WHO air quality guideline (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 5 µg/m³).

TAKEAWAY:

• The median PM2.5 exposure levels over lag periods of 1, 2, and 3 years were 67, 67, and 66 µg/m³, respectively, exceeding the WHO limit by more than 13-fold.
• Each interquartile range increase in the 3-year average PM2.5 exposure by 27 μg/m³ raised FBG levels by 0.078 mmol/L (P < .05), risk for diabetes by 18% (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.19), and risk for prediabetes by 5% (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.05).
• Long-term exposure to PM2.5 > 5 µg/m³ and 35 µg/m³ in the previous 3 years corresponded to an additional 41.7 (95% CI, 39.3-44.0) and 78.6 (95% CI, 74.5-82.6) thousand cases of diabetes nationwide, respectively.
• A higher PM2.5 exposure increased FBG levels and risk for diabetes in women with overweight or obesity vs those without and in those aged ≥ 35 years vs < 35 years (P < .001).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings carry significant public health implications for formulating effective intervention strategies and environmental policies to better protect women’s health, particularly in countries with relatively high levels of air pollution and a large population with diabetes, such as China,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Yang Shen, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

An error in the measurement of particulate matter exposure may have been possible as residential address estimates were used as a proxy for actual personal exposure. Questionnaires were used to retrospectively collect information on parameters such as smoking and alcohol consumption, which may have introduced recall bias. Data on potential confounders, such as diet and physical activity, were not included. Distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes was not reported owing to data collection–related limitations.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, Henan Key Research and Development Program, State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, and Three-Year Public Health Action Plan of Shanghai. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is associated with higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and an increased type 2 diabetes risk, significantly contributing to the diabetes-related health burden among women of reproductive age.

METHODOLOGY:

• Exposure to fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but its effect on women of reproductive age, who undergo hormonal fluctuations during reproductive events, is not well studied.
• Researchers evaluated the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 with FBG levels and diabetes risk in 20,076,032 eligible women of reproductive age (average age, 27.04 years) across 350 cities in China between 2010 and 2015.
• They assessed PM2.5 exposure at the participants’ residential addresses and calculated average long-term exposure at 1 (lag 1 year), 2 (lag 2 years), and 3 years (lag 3 years) before the survey date, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The primary outcomes were FBG levels and diabetes prevalence (FBG, ≥ 7 mmol/L, classified as diabetes; FBG, 6.1-7 mmol/L, classified as prediabetes).
• The study also evaluated the diabetes burden attributed to long-term PM2.5 exposure as per the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standards (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 35 µg/m³) and the WHO air quality guideline (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 5 µg/m³).

TAKEAWAY:

• The median PM2.5 exposure levels over lag periods of 1, 2, and 3 years were 67, 67, and 66 µg/m³, respectively, exceeding the WHO limit by more than 13-fold.
• Each interquartile range increase in the 3-year average PM2.5 exposure by 27 μg/m³ raised FBG levels by 0.078 mmol/L (P < .05), risk for diabetes by 18% (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.19), and risk for prediabetes by 5% (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.05).
• Long-term exposure to PM2.5 > 5 µg/m³ and 35 µg/m³ in the previous 3 years corresponded to an additional 41.7 (95% CI, 39.3-44.0) and 78.6 (95% CI, 74.5-82.6) thousand cases of diabetes nationwide, respectively.
• A higher PM2.5 exposure increased FBG levels and risk for diabetes in women with overweight or obesity vs those without and in those aged ≥ 35 years vs < 35 years (P < .001).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings carry significant public health implications for formulating effective intervention strategies and environmental policies to better protect women’s health, particularly in countries with relatively high levels of air pollution and a large population with diabetes, such as China,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Yang Shen, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

An error in the measurement of particulate matter exposure may have been possible as residential address estimates were used as a proxy for actual personal exposure. Questionnaires were used to retrospectively collect information on parameters such as smoking and alcohol consumption, which may have introduced recall bias. Data on potential confounders, such as diet and physical activity, were not included. Distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes was not reported owing to data collection–related limitations.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, Henan Key Research and Development Program, State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, and Three-Year Public Health Action Plan of Shanghai. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is associated with higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and an increased type 2 diabetes risk, significantly contributing to the diabetes-related health burden among women of reproductive age.

METHODOLOGY:

• Exposure to fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but its effect on women of reproductive age, who undergo hormonal fluctuations during reproductive events, is not well studied.
• Researchers evaluated the association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 with FBG levels and diabetes risk in 20,076,032 eligible women of reproductive age (average age, 27.04 years) across 350 cities in China between 2010 and 2015.
• They assessed PM2.5 exposure at the participants’ residential addresses and calculated average long-term exposure at 1 (lag 1 year), 2 (lag 2 years), and 3 years (lag 3 years) before the survey date, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The primary outcomes were FBG levels and diabetes prevalence (FBG, ≥ 7 mmol/L, classified as diabetes; FBG, 6.1-7 mmol/L, classified as prediabetes).
• The study also evaluated the diabetes burden attributed to long-term PM2.5 exposure as per the Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standards (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 35 µg/m³) and the WHO air quality guideline (annual mean PM2.5 exposure limit, > 5 µg/m³).

TAKEAWAY:

• The median PM2.5 exposure levels over lag periods of 1, 2, and 3 years were 67, 67, and 66 µg/m³, respectively, exceeding the WHO limit by more than 13-fold.
• Each interquartile range increase in the 3-year average PM2.5 exposure by 27 μg/m³ raised FBG levels by 0.078 mmol/L (P < .05), risk for diabetes by 18% (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.19), and risk for prediabetes by 5% (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.05).
• Long-term exposure to PM2.5 > 5 µg/m³ and 35 µg/m³ in the previous 3 years corresponded to an additional 41.7 (95% CI, 39.3-44.0) and 78.6 (95% CI, 74.5-82.6) thousand cases of diabetes nationwide, respectively.
• A higher PM2.5 exposure increased FBG levels and risk for diabetes in women with overweight or obesity vs those without and in those aged ≥ 35 years vs < 35 years (P < .001).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings carry significant public health implications for formulating effective intervention strategies and environmental policies to better protect women’s health, particularly in countries with relatively high levels of air pollution and a large population with diabetes, such as China,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Yang Shen, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

An error in the measurement of particulate matter exposure may have been possible as residential address estimates were used as a proxy for actual personal exposure. Questionnaires were used to retrospectively collect information on parameters such as smoking and alcohol consumption, which may have introduced recall bias. Data on potential confounders, such as diet and physical activity, were not included. Distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes was not reported owing to data collection–related limitations.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, Henan Key Research and Development Program, State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, and Three-Year Public Health Action Plan of Shanghai. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

The addition of bupropion/naltrexone to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists leads to a further 4%-5% total body weight loss (TBWL) in patients with obesity, including those who show a poor response to initial GLP-1 monotherapy.

METHODOLOGY:

• Some patients with obesity experience suboptimal weight loss with GLP-1 monotherapy; however, adding treatments targeting multiple pathways may offer synergistic effects and improve outcomes.
• Researchers retrospectively evaluated adult patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 who attended an obesity clinic in Vancouver, Canada, and received a GLP-1 receptor agonist (liraglutide or semaglutide) for at least 6 months.
• They compared patients who continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy with those who received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy).
• The percent TBWL was compared between the groups from the initiation of the GLP-1 or the addition of bupropion/naltrexone over a period of 6 and 12 months.
• Patients prescribed combination therapy were stratified into responders (≥ 5% TBWL) and nonresponders (< 5% TBWL) based on their initial response to GLP-1 monotherapy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers included 415 patients with BMI ≥ 30 (mean age, 47.3 years; 75.6% women), of whom 320 continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy and 95 received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy); the mean follow-up period was 510.9 days.
• At 12 months, there was no significant difference in the percent TBWL among patients receiving the GLP-1 monotherapy or combination therapy (9.6% TBWL in both).
• However, when patients were stratified by their initial GLP-1 response, combination therapy led to a greater percent TBWL than monotherapy in both responders (P = .002) and nonresponders (P < .0001).
• After the addition of bupropion/naltrexone, the mean percent TBWL was 4.3% (P < .001) and 5.3% (P = .009) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the responders, and 3.7% (P = .009) and 4.0% (P = .02) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the nonresponders.

IN PRACTICE:

“Specific characteristics of individuals who benefit from the bupropion/naltrexone augmentation should be examined to identify patient populations wherein this may be of greatest benefit,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study, led by James Naude, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

LIMITATIONS:

Virtual care and self-reported weights by patients owing to the COVID-19 pandemic could have introduced bias. Some of the data on weight and medication adherence were missing. Moreover, there was no placebo control; hence, there may be confounding by indication.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was not supported by any specific funding. Two of the authors reported receiving educational grants and speaker fees, with one currently being an advisory board member to various pharma companies and the other an advisory board member to a pharma company in the past.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

The addition of bupropion/naltrexone to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists leads to a further 4%-5% total body weight loss (TBWL) in patients with obesity, including those who show a poor response to initial GLP-1 monotherapy.

METHODOLOGY:

• Some patients with obesity experience suboptimal weight loss with GLP-1 monotherapy; however, adding treatments targeting multiple pathways may offer synergistic effects and improve outcomes.
• Researchers retrospectively evaluated adult patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 who attended an obesity clinic in Vancouver, Canada, and received a GLP-1 receptor agonist (liraglutide or semaglutide) for at least 6 months.
• They compared patients who continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy with those who received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy).
• The percent TBWL was compared between the groups from the initiation of the GLP-1 or the addition of bupropion/naltrexone over a period of 6 and 12 months.
• Patients prescribed combination therapy were stratified into responders (≥ 5% TBWL) and nonresponders (< 5% TBWL) based on their initial response to GLP-1 monotherapy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers included 415 patients with BMI ≥ 30 (mean age, 47.3 years; 75.6% women), of whom 320 continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy and 95 received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy); the mean follow-up period was 510.9 days.
• At 12 months, there was no significant difference in the percent TBWL among patients receiving the GLP-1 monotherapy or combination therapy (9.6% TBWL in both).
• However, when patients were stratified by their initial GLP-1 response, combination therapy led to a greater percent TBWL than monotherapy in both responders (P = .002) and nonresponders (P < .0001).
• After the addition of bupropion/naltrexone, the mean percent TBWL was 4.3% (P < .001) and 5.3% (P = .009) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the responders, and 3.7% (P = .009) and 4.0% (P = .02) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the nonresponders.

IN PRACTICE:

“Specific characteristics of individuals who benefit from the bupropion/naltrexone augmentation should be examined to identify patient populations wherein this may be of greatest benefit,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study, led by James Naude, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

LIMITATIONS:

Virtual care and self-reported weights by patients owing to the COVID-19 pandemic could have introduced bias. Some of the data on weight and medication adherence were missing. Moreover, there was no placebo control; hence, there may be confounding by indication.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was not supported by any specific funding. Two of the authors reported receiving educational grants and speaker fees, with one currently being an advisory board member to various pharma companies and the other an advisory board member to a pharma company in the past.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

The addition of bupropion/naltrexone to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists leads to a further 4%-5% total body weight loss (TBWL) in patients with obesity, including those who show a poor response to initial GLP-1 monotherapy.

METHODOLOGY:

• Some patients with obesity experience suboptimal weight loss with GLP-1 monotherapy; however, adding treatments targeting multiple pathways may offer synergistic effects and improve outcomes.
• Researchers retrospectively evaluated adult patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 who attended an obesity clinic in Vancouver, Canada, and received a GLP-1 receptor agonist (liraglutide or semaglutide) for at least 6 months.
• They compared patients who continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy with those who received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy).
• The percent TBWL was compared between the groups from the initiation of the GLP-1 or the addition of bupropion/naltrexone over a period of 6 and 12 months.
• Patients prescribed combination therapy were stratified into responders (≥ 5% TBWL) and nonresponders (< 5% TBWL) based on their initial response to GLP-1 monotherapy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers included 415 patients with BMI ≥ 30 (mean age, 47.3 years; 75.6% women), of whom 320 continued receiving GLP-1 monotherapy and 95 received add-on bupropion/naltrexone (combination therapy); the mean follow-up period was 510.9 days.
• At 12 months, there was no significant difference in the percent TBWL among patients receiving the GLP-1 monotherapy or combination therapy (9.6% TBWL in both).
• However, when patients were stratified by their initial GLP-1 response, combination therapy led to a greater percent TBWL than monotherapy in both responders (P = .002) and nonresponders (P < .0001).
• After the addition of bupropion/naltrexone, the mean percent TBWL was 4.3% (P < .001) and 5.3% (P = .009) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the responders, and 3.7% (P = .009) and 4.0% (P = .02) at 6 and 12 months, respectively, among the nonresponders.

IN PRACTICE:

“Specific characteristics of individuals who benefit from the bupropion/naltrexone augmentation should be examined to identify patient populations wherein this may be of greatest benefit,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study, led by James Naude, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

LIMITATIONS:

Virtual care and self-reported weights by patients owing to the COVID-19 pandemic could have introduced bias. Some of the data on weight and medication adherence were missing. Moreover, there was no placebo control; hence, there may be confounding by indication.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was not supported by any specific funding. Two of the authors reported receiving educational grants and speaker fees, with one currently being an advisory board member to various pharma companies and the other an advisory board member to a pharma company in the past.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

In women with gestational diabetes (GD), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) shows elevated glycemic metrics earlier in pregnancy compared with the standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

METHODOLOGY:

• Earlier diagnosis and treatment of GDM may mitigate some perinatal risks, but the traditional OGTT at 24-28 weeks’ gestation delivers inconsistent results in early pregnancy, potentially leading to missed cases or overdiagnosis.
• This prospective noninterventional observational study conducted at two US academic-based clinical sites from June 2020 to December 2021 assessed CGM-derived glycemic patterns in 768 participants (mean age, 33 years; 77% White) enrolled prior to 17 weeks’ gestation with singleton pregnancy and an initial A1c level < 6.5%.
• Participants were encouraged to wear a blinded Dexcom G6 Pro CGM System sensor continuously until the day of delivery, with a median CGM wear duration of 67 days prior to OGTT.
• GDM was diagnosed using an OGTT conducted between 24 and 34 weeks’ gestation, which sorted women into those with GDM (n = 58) or without GDM (n = 710).
• CGM-derived glycemic patterns were compared between the participants with and without GDM.

TAKEAWAY:

• Women with GDM had a higher mean glucose (109 ± 13 vs 100 ± 8 mg/dL; P < .001) and greater glucose SD (23 ± 4 vs 19 ± 3; P < .001) than those without GDM throughout the gestational period prior to OGTT.
• Women with GDM spent lesser time in glycemic ranges of 63-140 mg/dL (87% ± 11% vs 94% ± 4%; P < .001) and 63-120 mg/dL (70% ± 17% vs 84% ± 8%; P < .001) throughout gestation than those without GDM prior to OGTT.
• The daytime and overnight mean glucose levels were higher in those with vs without GDM and attributed to increased hyperglycemia rather than decreased hypoglycemia, with those with GDM spending more time > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL and less time < 63 mg/dL and < 54 mg/dL.
• Mean glucose and percent time in the > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL ranges were higher in those with GDM as early as 13-14 weeks of gestation, which persisted at each 2-week period prior to OGTT.

IN PRACTICE:

“CGM could be used in addition to or instead of OGTT to screen individuals at risk for hyperglycemia during pregnancy, even as early as the first trimester,” the authors wrote, adding that “CGM could potentially play a pivotal role in providing timely identification of distinct glycemic patterns indicative of early dysglycemia.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Celeste Durnwald, MD, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

To include participants with possible early GDM, the study allowed the inclusion of up to 14 days of CGM data after OGTT in the overall gestational period and up to 10 days in the first and second trimesters. A detailed analysis of glycemia at the earliest timepoint of pregnancy could not be conducted as the first trimester data were limited. The findings may not be generalizable to a population with gestational hyperglycemia, as only 58 participants were identified with GDM using OGTT.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and UnitedHealth Group. Some authors reported performing advisory work, receiving research support and consultancy fees, and being on scientific advisory boards through their employer, while several authors reported that their institution received funds on their behalf from various pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

In women with gestational diabetes (GD), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) shows elevated glycemic metrics earlier in pregnancy compared with the standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

METHODOLOGY:

• Earlier diagnosis and treatment of GDM may mitigate some perinatal risks, but the traditional OGTT at 24-28 weeks’ gestation delivers inconsistent results in early pregnancy, potentially leading to missed cases or overdiagnosis.
• This prospective noninterventional observational study conducted at two US academic-based clinical sites from June 2020 to December 2021 assessed CGM-derived glycemic patterns in 768 participants (mean age, 33 years; 77% White) enrolled prior to 17 weeks’ gestation with singleton pregnancy and an initial A1c level < 6.5%.
• Participants were encouraged to wear a blinded Dexcom G6 Pro CGM System sensor continuously until the day of delivery, with a median CGM wear duration of 67 days prior to OGTT.
• GDM was diagnosed using an OGTT conducted between 24 and 34 weeks’ gestation, which sorted women into those with GDM (n = 58) or without GDM (n = 710).
• CGM-derived glycemic patterns were compared between the participants with and without GDM.

TAKEAWAY:

• Women with GDM had a higher mean glucose (109 ± 13 vs 100 ± 8 mg/dL; P < .001) and greater glucose SD (23 ± 4 vs 19 ± 3; P < .001) than those without GDM throughout the gestational period prior to OGTT.
• Women with GDM spent lesser time in glycemic ranges of 63-140 mg/dL (87% ± 11% vs 94% ± 4%; P < .001) and 63-120 mg/dL (70% ± 17% vs 84% ± 8%; P < .001) throughout gestation than those without GDM prior to OGTT.
• The daytime and overnight mean glucose levels were higher in those with vs without GDM and attributed to increased hyperglycemia rather than decreased hypoglycemia, with those with GDM spending more time > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL and less time < 63 mg/dL and < 54 mg/dL.
• Mean glucose and percent time in the > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL ranges were higher in those with GDM as early as 13-14 weeks of gestation, which persisted at each 2-week period prior to OGTT.

IN PRACTICE:

“CGM could be used in addition to or instead of OGTT to screen individuals at risk for hyperglycemia during pregnancy, even as early as the first trimester,” the authors wrote, adding that “CGM could potentially play a pivotal role in providing timely identification of distinct glycemic patterns indicative of early dysglycemia.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Celeste Durnwald, MD, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

To include participants with possible early GDM, the study allowed the inclusion of up to 14 days of CGM data after OGTT in the overall gestational period and up to 10 days in the first and second trimesters. A detailed analysis of glycemia at the earliest timepoint of pregnancy could not be conducted as the first trimester data were limited. The findings may not be generalizable to a population with gestational hyperglycemia, as only 58 participants were identified with GDM using OGTT.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and UnitedHealth Group. Some authors reported performing advisory work, receiving research support and consultancy fees, and being on scientific advisory boards through their employer, while several authors reported that their institution received funds on their behalf from various pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

In women with gestational diabetes (GD), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) shows elevated glycemic metrics earlier in pregnancy compared with the standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

METHODOLOGY:

• Earlier diagnosis and treatment of GDM may mitigate some perinatal risks, but the traditional OGTT at 24-28 weeks’ gestation delivers inconsistent results in early pregnancy, potentially leading to missed cases or overdiagnosis.
• This prospective noninterventional observational study conducted at two US academic-based clinical sites from June 2020 to December 2021 assessed CGM-derived glycemic patterns in 768 participants (mean age, 33 years; 77% White) enrolled prior to 17 weeks’ gestation with singleton pregnancy and an initial A1c level < 6.5%.
• Participants were encouraged to wear a blinded Dexcom G6 Pro CGM System sensor continuously until the day of delivery, with a median CGM wear duration of 67 days prior to OGTT.
• GDM was diagnosed using an OGTT conducted between 24 and 34 weeks’ gestation, which sorted women into those with GDM (n = 58) or without GDM (n = 710).
• CGM-derived glycemic patterns were compared between the participants with and without GDM.

TAKEAWAY:

• Women with GDM had a higher mean glucose (109 ± 13 vs 100 ± 8 mg/dL; P < .001) and greater glucose SD (23 ± 4 vs 19 ± 3; P < .001) than those without GDM throughout the gestational period prior to OGTT.
• Women with GDM spent lesser time in glycemic ranges of 63-140 mg/dL (87% ± 11% vs 94% ± 4%; P < .001) and 63-120 mg/dL (70% ± 17% vs 84% ± 8%; P < .001) throughout gestation than those without GDM prior to OGTT.
• The daytime and overnight mean glucose levels were higher in those with vs without GDM and attributed to increased hyperglycemia rather than decreased hypoglycemia, with those with GDM spending more time > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL and less time < 63 mg/dL and < 54 mg/dL.
• Mean glucose and percent time in the > 120 mg/dL and > 140 mg/dL ranges were higher in those with GDM as early as 13-14 weeks of gestation, which persisted at each 2-week period prior to OGTT.

IN PRACTICE:

“CGM could be used in addition to or instead of OGTT to screen individuals at risk for hyperglycemia during pregnancy, even as early as the first trimester,” the authors wrote, adding that “CGM could potentially play a pivotal role in providing timely identification of distinct glycemic patterns indicative of early dysglycemia.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Celeste Durnwald, MD, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, was published online in Diabetes Care.

LIMITATIONS:

To include participants with possible early GDM, the study allowed the inclusion of up to 14 days of CGM data after OGTT in the overall gestational period and up to 10 days in the first and second trimesters. A detailed analysis of glycemia at the earliest timepoint of pregnancy could not be conducted as the first trimester data were limited. The findings may not be generalizable to a population with gestational hyperglycemia, as only 58 participants were identified with GDM using OGTT.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and UnitedHealth Group. Some authors reported performing advisory work, receiving research support and consultancy fees, and being on scientific advisory boards through their employer, while several authors reported that their institution received funds on their behalf from various pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical device companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE: 

Individuals with overweight and obesity who reach a weight-loss plateau at around 6 months on a healthy weight-loss diet may not achieve further weight reduction after switching to a different weight-loss diet.

METHODOLOGY:

• Dietary and lifestyle interventions initially result in rapid weight loss, followed by a weight-loss plateau after a few months and weight regain within a year or two, and diet fatigue has been proposed as a cause but not studied.
• This secondary analysis of a randomized trial assessed weight-loss trajectories before and after switching from a healthy low-carbohydrate (LC) diet to a healthy low-fat (LF) diet (or vice versa) in individuals with overweight and obesity.
• Overall, 42 participants (mean age, 42 years; 64% women; 87% White individuals) recruited from a local community in Palo Alto, California, were assigned to the LF or LC diet for the first 6 months, after which they were switched to the other diet for the remaining 6 months.
• Data from the DIETFITS trial, wherein participants remained either on the LF or LC diet for 12 months, were used as historical control.

The primary outcome was percent weight change at 3-6 months vs that observed at 6-9 months.

TAKEAWAY:

• The combined average weight loss was 7% (95% CI, 8%-6%) during the first 3 months, declining to 2% (95% CI, 3%-1%) between 3 and 6 months. On switching diets, the weight loss further slowed to 1% (95% CI, 2%-0.4%) between 6 and 9 months, with a modest increase in weight of 0.6% (95% CI, −0.1% to 1.3%) between 9 and 12 months.
• By diet order, participants in the LF first arm did not plateau and experienced a similar weight loss from 6 to 9 months as they had experienced from 3 to 6 months (relative change, −0.1%; 95% CI, −1.5% to 1.3%), while the LC first arm essentially nullified the 3-6 month weight loss during the 6-9 month LF phase (relative change, 2.2%; 95% CI, 0.7%-3.6%).
• For the LC first arm, low-density lipoprotein increased at 3 months and decreased when the participants switched to LF at 6 months, whereas the opposite effect was seen for the transition from LF to LC. Triglyceride levels decreased in both intervention arms.
• Insulin levels decreased in both dietary intervention arms between baseline and 6 months and plateaued following the 6-month dietary switch.

IN PRACTICE:

“This suggests that the weight-loss plateau typically seen at 6 months is physiological and cannot be overcome by simply switching to a different weight-loss diet,” wrote the authors. “As a person transitions from a weight loss to weight maintenance phase, a shift in the approach used may be required.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Matthew J. Landry, Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, was published in Scientific Reports.

LIMITATIONS:

The study results showed some possible differential trends but also highlighted the small sample size and large variability. Participants may have been unable to provide accurate estimates of self-reported energy intake. The authors also acknowledged that regular physical activity may have contributed to the maintenance of weight loss observed in this study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Hass Avocado Board; Human Health Service grant (General Clinical Research Centers and National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Stanford Diabetes Research Center. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE: 

Individuals with overweight and obesity who reach a weight-loss plateau at around 6 months on a healthy weight-loss diet may not achieve further weight reduction after switching to a different weight-loss diet.

METHODOLOGY:

• Dietary and lifestyle interventions initially result in rapid weight loss, followed by a weight-loss plateau after a few months and weight regain within a year or two, and diet fatigue has been proposed as a cause but not studied.
• This secondary analysis of a randomized trial assessed weight-loss trajectories before and after switching from a healthy low-carbohydrate (LC) diet to a healthy low-fat (LF) diet (or vice versa) in individuals with overweight and obesity.
• Overall, 42 participants (mean age, 42 years; 64% women; 87% White individuals) recruited from a local community in Palo Alto, California, were assigned to the LF or LC diet for the first 6 months, after which they were switched to the other diet for the remaining 6 months.
• Data from the DIETFITS trial, wherein participants remained either on the LF or LC diet for 12 months, were used as historical control.

The primary outcome was percent weight change at 3-6 months vs that observed at 6-9 months.

TAKEAWAY:

• The combined average weight loss was 7% (95% CI, 8%-6%) during the first 3 months, declining to 2% (95% CI, 3%-1%) between 3 and 6 months. On switching diets, the weight loss further slowed to 1% (95% CI, 2%-0.4%) between 6 and 9 months, with a modest increase in weight of 0.6% (95% CI, −0.1% to 1.3%) between 9 and 12 months.
• By diet order, participants in the LF first arm did not plateau and experienced a similar weight loss from 6 to 9 months as they had experienced from 3 to 6 months (relative change, −0.1%; 95% CI, −1.5% to 1.3%), while the LC first arm essentially nullified the 3-6 month weight loss during the 6-9 month LF phase (relative change, 2.2%; 95% CI, 0.7%-3.6%).
• For the LC first arm, low-density lipoprotein increased at 3 months and decreased when the participants switched to LF at 6 months, whereas the opposite effect was seen for the transition from LF to LC. Triglyceride levels decreased in both intervention arms.
• Insulin levels decreased in both dietary intervention arms between baseline and 6 months and plateaued following the 6-month dietary switch.

IN PRACTICE:

“This suggests that the weight-loss plateau typically seen at 6 months is physiological and cannot be overcome by simply switching to a different weight-loss diet,” wrote the authors. “As a person transitions from a weight loss to weight maintenance phase, a shift in the approach used may be required.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Matthew J. Landry, Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, was published in Scientific Reports.

LIMITATIONS:

The study results showed some possible differential trends but also highlighted the small sample size and large variability. Participants may have been unable to provide accurate estimates of self-reported energy intake. The authors also acknowledged that regular physical activity may have contributed to the maintenance of weight loss observed in this study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Hass Avocado Board; Human Health Service grant (General Clinical Research Centers and National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Stanford Diabetes Research Center. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE: 

Individuals with overweight and obesity who reach a weight-loss plateau at around 6 months on a healthy weight-loss diet may not achieve further weight reduction after switching to a different weight-loss diet.

METHODOLOGY:

• Dietary and lifestyle interventions initially result in rapid weight loss, followed by a weight-loss plateau after a few months and weight regain within a year or two, and diet fatigue has been proposed as a cause but not studied.
• This secondary analysis of a randomized trial assessed weight-loss trajectories before and after switching from a healthy low-carbohydrate (LC) diet to a healthy low-fat (LF) diet (or vice versa) in individuals with overweight and obesity.
• Overall, 42 participants (mean age, 42 years; 64% women; 87% White individuals) recruited from a local community in Palo Alto, California, were assigned to the LF or LC diet for the first 6 months, after which they were switched to the other diet for the remaining 6 months.
• Data from the DIETFITS trial, wherein participants remained either on the LF or LC diet for 12 months, were used as historical control.

The primary outcome was percent weight change at 3-6 months vs that observed at 6-9 months.

TAKEAWAY:

• The combined average weight loss was 7% (95% CI, 8%-6%) during the first 3 months, declining to 2% (95% CI, 3%-1%) between 3 and 6 months. On switching diets, the weight loss further slowed to 1% (95% CI, 2%-0.4%) between 6 and 9 months, with a modest increase in weight of 0.6% (95% CI, −0.1% to 1.3%) between 9 and 12 months.
• By diet order, participants in the LF first arm did not plateau and experienced a similar weight loss from 6 to 9 months as they had experienced from 3 to 6 months (relative change, −0.1%; 95% CI, −1.5% to 1.3%), while the LC first arm essentially nullified the 3-6 month weight loss during the 6-9 month LF phase (relative change, 2.2%; 95% CI, 0.7%-3.6%).
• For the LC first arm, low-density lipoprotein increased at 3 months and decreased when the participants switched to LF at 6 months, whereas the opposite effect was seen for the transition from LF to LC. Triglyceride levels decreased in both intervention arms.
• Insulin levels decreased in both dietary intervention arms between baseline and 6 months and plateaued following the 6-month dietary switch.

IN PRACTICE:

“This suggests that the weight-loss plateau typically seen at 6 months is physiological and cannot be overcome by simply switching to a different weight-loss diet,” wrote the authors. “As a person transitions from a weight loss to weight maintenance phase, a shift in the approach used may be required.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Matthew J. Landry, Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, was published in Scientific Reports.

LIMITATIONS:

The study results showed some possible differential trends but also highlighted the small sample size and large variability. Participants may have been unable to provide accurate estimates of self-reported energy intake. The authors also acknowledged that regular physical activity may have contributed to the maintenance of weight loss observed in this study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Hass Avocado Board; Human Health Service grant (General Clinical Research Centers and National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Stanford Diabetes Research Center. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a decreased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease (CD).

METHODOLOGY:

• Because previous observational studies on the association between physical activity and IBD risk have yielded a wide range of results and conclusions, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the aggregate effect of physical activity on IBD risk across various demographics.
• The analysis included three large population-based cohort studies and seven small and large case-control studies from several global regions that were published before April 2023.
• The cohort studies included 1182 patients with CD, 2361 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 860,992 individuals without IBD. The case-control studies involved 781 patients with CD and 2636 individuals without CD, and 1127 patients with UC and 3752 individuals without UC.
• The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to determine the quality of evidence in the included studies.

TAKEAWAY:

• Individuals with high physical activity levels had a 22% and 38% reduced risk of developing CD in the cohort studies and case-control studies, respectively, compared with individuals with low physical activity levels.
• The risk for incident UC was 13% lower in the high vs low physical activity level groups in the cohort studies, but the reduction in the case-control studies did not reach statistical significance.
• The quality-of-evidence assessment found no serious limitations in the cohort studies but serious limitations in the case-control studies due to a high risk for bias and significant heterogeneity.

IN PRACTICE:

“There could be a role of physical activity as a prevention strategy against developing IBD. In addition to implementing public health interventions to increase physical activity level, there may be a place for physicians to advise increased physical activity level, especially to individuals at high risk of developing IBD, such as those with a strong family history of IBD,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ho Tuan Tiong, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, was published online in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis.

LIMITATIONS:

There may be a risk for residual confounding owing to the observational nature of the studies. There may also be a risk for reverse causality, as the individuals who had IBD symptoms before diagnosis may have been less physically active due to the disease. Except in two studies that measured physical activity directly, questionnaires were used to assess physical activity, possibly leading to misclassification of activity levels.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. Two authors reported receiving grants and consulting fees from several pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a decreased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease (CD).

METHODOLOGY:

• Because previous observational studies on the association between physical activity and IBD risk have yielded a wide range of results and conclusions, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the aggregate effect of physical activity on IBD risk across various demographics.
• The analysis included three large population-based cohort studies and seven small and large case-control studies from several global regions that were published before April 2023.
• The cohort studies included 1182 patients with CD, 2361 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 860,992 individuals without IBD. The case-control studies involved 781 patients with CD and 2636 individuals without CD, and 1127 patients with UC and 3752 individuals without UC.
• The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to determine the quality of evidence in the included studies.

TAKEAWAY:

• Individuals with high physical activity levels had a 22% and 38% reduced risk of developing CD in the cohort studies and case-control studies, respectively, compared with individuals with low physical activity levels.
• The risk for incident UC was 13% lower in the high vs low physical activity level groups in the cohort studies, but the reduction in the case-control studies did not reach statistical significance.
• The quality-of-evidence assessment found no serious limitations in the cohort studies but serious limitations in the case-control studies due to a high risk for bias and significant heterogeneity.

IN PRACTICE:

“There could be a role of physical activity as a prevention strategy against developing IBD. In addition to implementing public health interventions to increase physical activity level, there may be a place for physicians to advise increased physical activity level, especially to individuals at high risk of developing IBD, such as those with a strong family history of IBD,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ho Tuan Tiong, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, was published online in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis.

LIMITATIONS:

There may be a risk for residual confounding owing to the observational nature of the studies. There may also be a risk for reverse causality, as the individuals who had IBD symptoms before diagnosis may have been less physically active due to the disease. Except in two studies that measured physical activity directly, questionnaires were used to assess physical activity, possibly leading to misclassification of activity levels.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. Two authors reported receiving grants and consulting fees from several pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a decreased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease (CD).

METHODOLOGY:

• Because previous observational studies on the association between physical activity and IBD risk have yielded a wide range of results and conclusions, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the aggregate effect of physical activity on IBD risk across various demographics.
• The analysis included three large population-based cohort studies and seven small and large case-control studies from several global regions that were published before April 2023.
• The cohort studies included 1182 patients with CD, 2361 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 860,992 individuals without IBD. The case-control studies involved 781 patients with CD and 2636 individuals without CD, and 1127 patients with UC and 3752 individuals without UC.
• The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to determine the quality of evidence in the included studies.

TAKEAWAY:

• Individuals with high physical activity levels had a 22% and 38% reduced risk of developing CD in the cohort studies and case-control studies, respectively, compared with individuals with low physical activity levels.
• The risk for incident UC was 13% lower in the high vs low physical activity level groups in the cohort studies, but the reduction in the case-control studies did not reach statistical significance.
• The quality-of-evidence assessment found no serious limitations in the cohort studies but serious limitations in the case-control studies due to a high risk for bias and significant heterogeneity.

IN PRACTICE:

“There could be a role of physical activity as a prevention strategy against developing IBD. In addition to implementing public health interventions to increase physical activity level, there may be a place for physicians to advise increased physical activity level, especially to individuals at high risk of developing IBD, such as those with a strong family history of IBD,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study, led by Ho Tuan Tiong, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, was published online in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis.

LIMITATIONS:

There may be a risk for residual confounding owing to the observational nature of the studies. There may also be a risk for reverse causality, as the individuals who had IBD symptoms before diagnosis may have been less physically active due to the disease. Except in two studies that measured physical activity directly, questionnaires were used to assess physical activity, possibly leading to misclassification of activity levels.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. Two authors reported receiving grants and consulting fees from several pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.