Exploring the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on diabetes control in diabetes patients: a prospective observational study in general practice

Background:Little is known about the association between COPD and diabetes control parameters.Aims:To explore the association between comorbid COPD and longitudinal glycaemic control (HbA 1C) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in a primary care cohort of diabetes patients.Methods:This is a prospective cohort study of type 2 diabetes patients in the Netherlands. In a mixed model analysis, we tested differences in the 5-year longitudinal development of HbA 1C and SBP according to COPD comorbidity (present/absent). We corrected for relevant covariates. In subgroup effect analyses, we tested whether potential differences between diabetes patients with/without COPD were modified by age, sex, socio-economic status (SES) and body mass index (BMI).Results:We analysed 610 diabetes patients. A total of 63 patients (10.3%) had comorbid COPD. The presence of COPD was not significantly associated with the longitudinal development of HbA 1C (P=0.54) or SBP (P=0.33), but subgroup effect analyses showed significant effect modification by SES (P<0.01) and BMI (P=0.03) on SBP. Diabetes patients without COPD had a flat SBP trend over time, with higher values in patients with a high BMI. For diabetes patients with COPD, SBP gradually increased over time in the middle-And high-SES groups, and it decreased over time in those in the low-SES group.Conclusions:The longitudinal development of HbA 1C was not significantly associated with comorbid COPD in diabetes patients. The course of SBP in diabetes patients with COPD is significantly associated with SES (not BMI) in contrast to those without COPD. Comorbid COPD was associated with longitudinal diabetes control parameters, but it has complex interactions with other patient characteristics. Further research is needed

The effect of comorbidity on glycemic control and systolic blood pressure in type 2 diabetes: A cohort study with 5 year follow-up in primary care

To explore the longitudinal effect of chronic comorbid diseases on glycemic control (HbA1C) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods In a representative primary care cohort of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in The Netherlands (n = 610), we tested differences in the five year trend of HbA1C and SBP according to comorbidity profiles. In a mixed model analysis technique we corrected for relevant covariates. Influence of comorbidity (a chronic disease already present when diabetes was diagnosed) was tested as total number of comorbid diseases, and as presence of specific disease groups, i.e. cardiovascular, mental, and musculoskeletal disease, malignancies, and COPD. In subgroup effect analyses we tested if potential differences were modified by age, sex, socioeconomic status, and BMI. Results The number of comorbid diseases significantly influenced the SBP trend, with highest values after five years for diabetes patients without comorbidity (p = 0.005). The number of diseases did not influence the HbA1C trend (p = 0.075). Comorbid musculoskeletal disease resulted in lower HbA1C at the time of diabetes diagnosis, but in higher values after five years (p = 0.044). Patients with cardiovascular diseases had sustained elevated levels of SBP (p = 0.014). Effect modification by socioeconomic status was observed in some comorbidity subgroups. Conclusions Presence of comorbidity in type 2 diabetes patients affected the long-term course of HbA1C and SBP in this primary care cohort. Numbers and types of comorbidity showed differential effects: not the simple sum of diseases, but specific types of comorbid disease had a negative influence on long-term diabetes control parameters. The complex interactions between comorbidity, diabetes control and effect modifiers require further investigation and may help to personalize treatment goals

Transmural collaborative care model for the review of antipsychotics: a feasibility study of a complex intervention

General practitioners (GPs) are often unaware of antipsychotic (AP)-induced cardiovascular risk (CVR) and therefore patients using atypical APs are not systematically monitored. We evaluated the feasibility of a complex intervention designed to review the use of APs and advise on CVR-lowering strategies in a transmural collaboration. A mixed methods prospective cohort study in three general practices in the Netherlands was conducted in 2021. The intervention comprised three steps: a digital information meeting, a multidisciplinary meeting, and a shared decision-making visit to the GP. We assessed patient recruitment and retention rates, advice given and adopted, and CVR with QRISK3 score and mental state with MHI-5 at baseline and three months post-intervention. GPs invited 57 of 146 eligible patients (39%), of whom 28 (19%) participated. The intervention was completed by 23 (82%) and follow-up by 18 participants (64%). At the multidisciplinary meeting, 22 (78%) patients were advised to change AP use. Other advice concerned medication (other than APs), lifestyle, monitoring, and psychotherapy. At 3-months post-intervention, 41% (28/68) of this advice was adopted. Our findings suggest that this complex intervention is feasible for evaluating health improvement in patients using AP in a trial

Patient characteristics do not predict the individual response to antihypertensive medication: A cross-over trial

Background. International guidelines on hypertension management do not agree on whether patient characteristics can be used for the first choice of treatment of uncomplicated essential hypertension. Objective. We wanted to identify predictive patient characteristics to the response of two different classes of antihypertensive drugs in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension in primary care. Methods. We conducted a prospective, open label, blinded endpoint cross-over trial in 120 patients with a new diagnosis of hypertension from 10 family practices. Patients received 4 weeks of 12.5 mgr hydrochlorothiazide once daily and 4 weeks of 80 mgr valsartan once daily, each followed by a 4-week washout. The sequence of drugs was randomized. Age, sex and menopausal state were recorded at run in and 24 h ambulatory blood pressure, office blood pressure, plasma renin concentration, NT-proBNP, potassium, estimated glomerular filtration rate, urinary albumin, body mass index and waist circumference at each regimen change. The difference in systolic blood pressure response between both study drugs, calculated from mean daytime ambulatory blood pressures, was the main outcome measure. Results. Ninety-eight patients (52% female; median age 53 years) were eligible for per-protocolanalysis. None of the studied variables were predictive for the difference in systolic blood pressure response. Individual systolic blood pressure responses ranged from an increase by 18 mmHg to a decrease of 39 mmHg. Conclusion. In a relevant group of primary care patients with newly diagnosed hypertension, we were unable to detect predictors of treatment response. This study rather supports the United States and European guidelines than the United Kingdom and Dutch guidelines on hypertension.This study was funded by the department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud university medical center and by an unconditional grant of Novartis to cover the material costs of the stud

Decreasing incidence of adenotonsillar problems in Dutch general practice: real or artefact?

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Therapeutic inertia in the management of hypertension in primary care

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic inertia is considered to be an obstacle to effective blood pressure (BP) control. AIMS: To identify patient characteristics associated with therapeutic inertia in patients with hypertension managed in primary care and to assess reasons not to intensify therapy. METHODS: A Dutch cohort study was conducted using electronic health record data of patients registered in the Julius General Practitioners' Network (n = 530 564). Patients with a diagnosis of hypertension, SBP at least 140 and/or DBP at least 90 mmHg, and one or two BP-lowering drug(s) were included. Therapeutic inertia was defined as not undertaking therapeutic action in follow-up despite uncontrolled BP. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify characteristics associated with inertia. Furthermore, an exploratory survey was performed in which general practitioners of 114 patients were asked for reasons not to intensify treatment. RESULTS: We identified 6400 (10% of all patients with hypertension) uncontrolled patients on one or two BP-lowering drugs. Therapeutic inertia was 87%, similar in men and women. Older age, lower systolic, diastolic and near-target SBP, and diabetes were positively associated, while renal insufficiency and heart failure were inversely related to inertia. General practitioners did not intensify therapy because they first, considered office BP measurements as nonrepresentative (27%); second, waited for next BP readings (21%); third, wanted to optimize lifestyle first (19%). Eleven percent of patients explicitly did not want to change treatment. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic inertia is common in primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Older age, and closer to target BP, but also concurrent diabetes were associated with inertia

Patients and partners illness perceptions in screen-detected versus clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes: partners matter!

In type 2 diabetes, educational interventions that target differences between patients and partners illness perceptions have been advocated. To investigate how the route to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (through screening versus clinical symptoms) affects illness perceptions of patients and their partners. In a cross-sectional study, we enrolled patients aged 4075 years from general practices in the Netherlands with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (3 years), detected by either screening (n 77) or clinical symptoms (n 32). Patients and their partners each completed a postal Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ), and up-to-date clinical data were obtained from their GP. The Brief IPQ scores of the screening and clinical diagnosis groups were compared for both patients and partners, and multiple variable linear regression models with Brief IPQ scores as outcomes were developed. The route to diagnosis did not appear to have a strong influence on patients illness perceptions but did influence illness perceptions of their partners. Partners of patients diagnosed through screening perceived greater consequences for their own life, had a stronger feeling that their patient-partners had control over their diabetes, were more concerned about their partners diabetes, and believed that their patient-partners experienced more diabetes symptoms, compared with partners of patients who were diagnosed through clinical symptoms. The route to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has a greater impact on the illness perceptions of partners than that of patients. Professionals in diabetes education and treatment should consider these differences in their approach to patient care