Management strategies for gastrointestinal, erectile, bladder, and sudomotor dysfunction in patients with diabetes

There are substantial advances in understanding disordered gastrointestinal autonomic dysfunction in diabetes. It occurs frequently. The underlying pathogenesis is complex involving defects in multiple interacting cell types of the myenteric plexus as well. These defects may be irreversible or reversible. Gastrointestinal symptoms represent a major and generally underestimated source of morbidity for escalating health care costs in diabetes. Acute changes in glycaemia are both determinants and consequences of altered gastrointestinal motility. 35–90% of diabetic men have moderate‐to‐severe erectile dysfunction (ED). ED shares common risk factors with CVD. Diagnosis is based on medical/sexual history, including validated questionnaires. Physical examination and laboratory testing must be tailored to patient's complaints and risk factors. Treatment is based on PDE5‐inhibitors (PDE5‐I). Other explorations may be useful in patients who do not respond to PDE5‐I. Patients at high cardiovascular risk should be stabilized by their cardiologists before sexual activity is considered or ED treatment is recommended. Estimates on bladder dysfunction prevalence are 43–87% of type 1 and 25% of type 2 diabetic patients, respectively. Common symptoms include dysuria, frequency, urgency, nocturia and incomplete bladder emptying. Diagnosis should use validated questionnaire for lower urinary tract symptoms. The type of bladder dysfunction is readily characterized with complete urodynamic testing. Sudomotor dysfunction is a cause of dry skin and is associated with foot ulcerations. Sudomotor function can be assessed by thermoregulatory sweat testing, quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test, sympathetic skin response, quantitative direct/indirect axon reflex testing and the indicator plaster. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87058/1/1223_ftp.pd

Glucocorticoids—All-Rounders Tackling the Versatile Players of the Immune System

Glucocorticoids regulate fundamental processes of the human body and control cellular functions such as cell metabolism, growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Moreover, endogenous glucocorticoids link the endocrine and immune system and ensure the correct function of inflammatory events during tissue repair, regeneration, and pathogen elimination via genomic and rapid non-genomic pathways. Due to their strong immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects on immune cells, tissues and organs, glucocorticoids significantly improve the quality of life of many patients suffering from diseases caused by a dysregulated immune system. Despite the multitude and seriousness of glucocorticoid-related adverse events including diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and infections, these agents remain indispensable, representing the most powerful, and cost-effective drugs in the treatment of a wide range of rheumatic diseases. These include rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and connective tissue diseases, as well as many other pathological conditions of the immune system. Depending on the therapeutically affected cell type, glucocorticoid actions strongly vary among different diseases. While immune responses always represent complex reactions involving different cells and cellular processes, specific immune cell populations with key responsibilities driving the pathological mechanisms can be identified for certain autoimmune diseases. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids on various leukocyte populations, exemplarily portraying different autoimmune diseases as heterogeneous targets of glucocorticoid actions: (i) Abnormalities in the innate immune response play a crucial role in the initiation and perpetuation of giant cell arteritis (GCA). (ii) Specific types of CD4+ T helper (Th) lymphocytes, namely Th1 and Th17 cells, represent important players in the establishment and course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), whereas (iii) B cells have emerged as central players in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). (iv) Allergic reactions are mainly triggered by several different cytokines released by activated Th2 lymphocytes. Using these examples, we aim to illustrate the versatile modulating effects of glucocorticoids on the immune system. In contrast, in the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders the pro-apoptotic action of glucocorticoids prevails, but their mechanisms differ depending on the type of cancer. Therefore, we will also give a brief insight into the current knowledge of the mode of glucocorticoid action in oncological treatment focusing on leukemia

Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Early-Stage Femoral Head Osteonecrosis

Objective. Femoral head osteonecrosis is a progressive clinical condition with significant morbidity and long-term disability. Several treatment modalities including both surgical and nonsurgical options have been used with variable levels of success. High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a nonoperative treatment option that has been described for early-stage disease. We aimed to assess the functional and radiological outcomes of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Methods. Thirty-three hips of 21 patients were included in this study. Adult patients with ONFH of any etiology and in the precollapse stage were included. Clinical (visual analogue scale [VAS] and Harris hip score [HHS]) and radiological (plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) evaluations were performed before and after intervention. We used 3000–4500 pulses in a single session performed under general anesthesia. Results. At an average of 8 months after ESWT, pain scores and HHS were significantly improved compared with the preintervention scores (p<0.001). The overall clinical outcomes were improved in 21 hips (63.3%), unchanged in 5 hips (15.15%), and worsened in 7 hips (21.2%). A trend toward a decrease in the size of the ONFH was observed although not of clinical significance (p=0.235). MRI revealed significant resolution of bone marrow edema (p<0.003). Regression was observed in 9 lesions (42.9%) and progression in 1 lesion (4.7%); no change was observed in the remaining 23 lesions (52.4%). Conclusion. ESWT is a viable noninvasive treatment option for early-stage ONFH. It significantly improves clinical outcomes and may halt or delay the radiographic progression of the disease in the precollapse stage

Myasthenia gravis : Presentation and outcome in 104 patients managed in a single institution

<b>Background and Objectives: </b> Few studies have attempted to delineate the clinical profile of myasthenia gravis (MG) among people of Arab ancestry. Therefore, we sought to clarify the clinical profile, the outcome of treatment and the role of thymectomy in non-thymomatous MG in Saudi Arabia. <b> Patients and Methods: </b> We retrospectively studied 104 patients followed over a mean period of 7.2 years (range, 1 to 22 years) at the King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Disease outcomes were compared among thymectomized and non-thymectomized patients according to the post-intervention status criteria of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA). <b> Results: </b> Age of onset was 22.5&#x00B1;9.3 years (mean&#x00B1;SD) in females and 28.2&#x00B1;15.9 years in males, with peaks in the second and third decades among females and the third and fourth decades among males. At diagnosis, a majority of patients had moderate generalized weakness, equivalent to MGFA class III severity. After medical treatment with or without thymectomy, 9.6&#x0025; of all patients had achieved complete stable remission, 3.8&#x0025; had pharmacological remission, 27.9&#x0025; had minimal manifestations, 23.1 &#x0025;were improved, 20.2&#x0025; were unchanged and 15.4&#x0025; were worse. Only thymectomized patients without a thymoma achieved remission, a significant benefit over those who had no thymectomy (P=.02). <b> Conclusion: </b> MG presents at a younger age among Saudi Arabs compared to other racial groups. Thymectomy conferred significant benefits towards achievement of remission

Cost of solar energy generated using PV panels

This paper utilizes monthly average daily global solar radiation and sunshine duration data to study the distribution of radiation and sunshine duration over Saudi Arabia. The analysis also includes the renewable energy production and economical evaluation of a 5 MW installed capacity photovoltaic based grid connected power plant for electricity generation. The study utilizes RetScreen software for energy production and economical assessment. It is found that the global solar radiation varies between a minimum of 1.63 MWh/m2 yr-1 at Tabuk and a maximum of 2.56 MWh/m2 yr-1 at Bisha while the mean remained as 2.06 MWh/m2 yr-1. The duration of sunshine varied between 7.4 and 9.4 h with an overall mean of 8.89 h. The specific yield was found to vary from 211.5 to 319.0 kWh/m2 with a mean of 260.83 kWh/m2. The renewable energy produced each year from 5 MWp installed capacity plant was varied between 8196 and 12,360 MWh while the mean remained as 10,077 MWh/yr-1. The economical indicators like internal rate of return, the simple payback period, the years to positive cash flows, the net present value, the annual life cycle savings, the profitability index and the cost of renewable energy production showed that Bishah was the best site for PV based power plant development and Tabuk the worst. From environmental point of view, it was found that on an average an approximate quantity of 8182 ton of green house gases can be avoided entering into the local atmosphere each year.Solar radiation Photovoltaic Electricity Solar energy Renewable energy Capacity Sunshine duration

Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Flow-Mediated Vasodilation as a Measure of Endothelial Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives. Flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) is a marker of endothelial function and its decline is related to increased cardiovascular risk. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the impact of bariatric surgery on FMD. Materials and methods. A systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science was performed to 1 May 2021. Meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) V2 software. All types of bariatric surgery were considered, with the inclusion that FMD had to have been tested before and after the surgical procedure. Meta-analysis was carried out using a random-effects model and the generic inverse variance approach. The leave-one-out approach was used for sensitivity analysis. To assess metabolic parameter confounders, a weighted random-effects meta-regression was used. Results. A meta-analysis and a systematic review of 23 studies (n = 891 individuals) demonstrated improvement in FMD following bariatric surgery (weighted mean difference (WMD): 5.867, 95% CI: 4.481, 7.252, p &lt; 0.001; I2: 96.70). Iteratively removing each item in the meta-analysis did not result in a significant alteration in the pooled estimate of effect size. There was an improvement in FMD for up to 6 months following bariatric surgery in a meta-analysis from 7 trials that included 356 subjects (WMD: 5.248, 95% CI: 2.361, 8.135, p &lt; 0.001; I2: 98.18). The meta-analysis from 9 trials (n = 414 subjects) showed an improvement in FMD 6 to 12 months after bariatric surgery (WMD: 5.451, 95% CI: 3.316, 7.587, p &lt; 0.001; I2: 94.18). The meta-analysis from 10 trials (n = 414 subjects) demonstrated an improvement in FMD 12 months after bariatric surgery (WMD: 2.401, 95% CI: 0.944, 3.859, p = 0.001; I2: 88.35). Random-effects meta-regression did not show any association between the alteration in FMD and percent body mass index (BMI) change (slope: 0.0258; 95% CI: &minus;0.323, 0.375; p = 0.884), or changes in blood pressure; however, there was an association between the changes in FMD and the duration of follow-up (slope: &minus;0.106; 95% CI: &minus;0.205, &minus;0.008; p = 0.033) with greater changes in FMD after 12 months. Conclusions. Bariatric surgery significantly improved FMD that increased with time, and the resultant improvement in endothelial function was independent of weight loss or a reduction in blood pressure