Shinji Kamei

Objective Insulin glargine [300 U/mL (Gla-300)] achieved better glycemic control and reduced the risk of hypoglycemia in comparison to glargine [100 U/mL; (Gla-100)] in phase 3 trials. This is the first study to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of Gla-300 in Japanese type 1 and 2 diabetes patients in a routine clinical setting. Methods We analyzed 20 type 1 diabetes patients and 62 type 2 diabetes patients who switched from Gla-100 to the same dose of Gla-300. Sixty type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100 during the study were included as controls. Results At three months after switching, the HbA1c levels were decreased in the patients with type 1 diabetes, but not to a significant extent. In the type 2 diabetes patients, the HbA1c levels were significantly decreased after switching (p<0.01). In contrast, there was no change in the HbA1c levels of the type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100 over the same period. The BMI values of the type 1 diabetes patients tended to decrease (p=0.06) and there was a significant decrease in the BMI values of the type 2 diabetes patients (p<0.05). There was no change in the BMI values of the type 2 diabetes patients who continued the use of Gla-100. The rates of hypoglycemia and adverse events did not change during the follow-up period. Conclusion In the clinical setting, switching from Gla-100 to the same dose of Gla-300 had a favorable effect on glycemic control and body weight control in Japanese type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, without any increase in adverse events; however, a prospective study should be performed to confirm these findings.

It is known that chylomicronemia is caused by several pathologies and is classified as primary and secondary chylomicronemia. Since hypertriglycemia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and severe pancreatitis, it is very important to make a proper diagnosis of the cause of hypertriglycemia. We herein present the case of a 40-year-old male who developed severe hypertriglycemia accompanied with acute exacerbation of type 2 diabetes mellitus. On admission, his blood glucose level was 306 mg/dl and HbA1c was 12.5 %. Moreover, serum triglyceride level was elevated up to 5661 mg/dl. When blood was drawn, it presented strawberry milk-like color. After receiving insulin treatment, he obtained good glycemic control and the serum became back to normal transparent color. Insulin resistance reduces triglyceride clearance and also increases triglyceride release from adipocyte. It is known that glucose toxicity and strong insulin resistance induce inactivation of LPL, which results in chylomicronemia. This case report suggests that when serum triglyceride level is markedly elevated due to diabetic lipemia, it is extremely important to obtain good glycemic control.

Objective To examine the association between glycemic control and the new onset of macroangiopathy in Japanese subjects with type 2 diabetes. Methods We examined seven-year follow-up data for 572 patients. We divided the subjects by the average of seven-year glycemic control based on the guidelines. First, we excluded the subjects with a past history of macroangiopathy and then examined the incidence of the new onset of macroangiopathy. Results The incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) was 1.0% per year, and that of cerebral vascular disease (CVD) was 1.0% per year. However, IHD events were not observed at all for five years in the most intensive glycemic control group (HbA1c<6%). Similarly, CVD events were not observed at all for seven years in the most intensive glycemic control group (HbA1c<6%). In addition, the cumulative incidence rate of IHD tended to increase as the glycemic control became poorer (HbA1c<6%, 4.5%; 6%≤HbA1c<7%, 6.0%; 7%≤HbA1c<8%, 7.2%; HbA1c≥8%, 10.7%). Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of diabetes and HbA1c level were independent risk factors contributing to the onset of IHD, but not to the onset of CVD. Conclusion This seven-year observational study showed the possible association between glycemic control and the onset of macroangiopathy in a total of 572 Japanese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Primary pyomyositis is a pyogenic and uncommon infection of skeletal muscle, which is mainly observed in tropical areas and/or human immunodeficiency virus patients. In non‐human immunodeficiency virus infected patients, the most common cause is diabetes mellitus. Because of its rarity, the accurate diagnosis is often challenging. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative bacteria. According to the severity, pyomyositis is divided into three stages, and the late stage is occasionally lethal. The present case was compatible with the most advanced stage. Therefore, it was very difficult to save her life without precise and timely diagnosis. Furthermore, in the invasive stage, surgical drainage and broad‐spectrum antibiotics should be given for a long enough period. Here, we report a case of a Japanese woman who developed disseminated abscesses under poorly controlled diabetic conditions accompanied by ketoacidosis, but was successfully treated without any sequelae.