Retraction Note to: Different Aspects of Sartan + Calcium Antagonist Association Compared to the Single Therapy on Inflammation and Metabolic Parameters in Hypertensive Patients

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Prevalence of hepatic steatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes and response to glucose-lowering treatments. A multicenter retrospective study in Italian specialist care

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which is becoming the commonest cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. We estimated MAFLD prevalence among patients with T2D using the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and validated it against liver ultrasound. We also examined whether glucose-lowering medications (GLM) beneficially affected HSI

Similar effectiveness of dapagliflozin and GLP-1 receptor agonists concerning combined endpoints in routine clinical practice: A multicentre retrospective study

Aims According to cardiovascular outcome trials, some sodium-glucose contransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are recommended for secondary cardiovascular prevention in type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this real-world study, we compared the simultaneous reductions in HbA1c, body weight and systolic blood pressure after initiation of dapagliflozin or GLP-1RA as second or a more advanced line of therapy. Materials and methods DARWIN-T2D was a retrospective multi-centre study conducted at diabetes specialist clinics in Italy that compared T2D patients who initiated dapagliflozin or GLP-1RA (exenatide once weekly or liraglutide). Data were collected at baseline and at the first follow-up visit after 3 to 12 months. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving a simultaneous reduction in HbA1c, body weight and systolic blood pressure. To reduce confounding, we used multivariable adjustment (MVA) or propensity score matching (PSM). Results Totals of 473 patients initiating dapagliflozin and 336 patients initiating GLP-1RA were included. The two groups differed in age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, weight and concomitant medications. The median follow-up was 6 months in both groups. Using MVA or PSM, the primary endpoint was observed in 30% to 32% of patients, with no difference between groups. Simultaneous reduction of HbA1c, BP and SBP by specific threshold, as well as achievement of final goals, did not differ between groups. GLP-1RA reduced HbA1c by 0.3% more than the reduction achieved with dapagliflozin. Conclusion In routine specialist care, initiation of dapagliflozin can be as effective as initiation of a GLP-1RA for attainment of combined risk factor goals

Asset encumbrance in banks: Is systemic risk affected?

The growing reliance on secured funding by banks has increased the relevance of collateralization and asset encumbrance (AE). This paper examines the main determinants of AE and verify its effects on banks’ systemic risk, which threatens financial stability. Using a novel dataset including hand-collected data on AE from banks’ Pillar III reports, we perform a panel regression analysis for European listed banks from 2014 to 2019. We find that the AE ratio is driven mainly by the bank business model, capitalization and sovereign funding conditions. Our empirical results highlight that it is not the AE level per se that influences banks’ systemic risk, but rather the change in encumbered assets. Nevertheless, bank capitalization plays a strong moderating role in this relationship. According to our results, supervisors and policy makers should pay specific attention to the combined phenomena involved in the increasing encumbrance in less capitalized banks

Asset Encumbrance e rischio sistemico: il ruolo delle attivit\ue0 vincolate nei bilanci delle banche

Il paper esamina gli effetti prodotti da un elevato livello di asset encumbrance (Ae) sul contributo delle banche al rischio sistemico, misurato dall\u2019indice Srisk. Si considera un panel di 45 banche europee quotate, osservate nel periodo 2014-2017. I risultati empirici dell\u2019analisi mostrano l\u2019esistenza di una relazione inversa tra Ae e Srisk. Prevalgono quindi, in linea generale, gli effetti benefici di un\u2019alta quota di asset vincolati. Tuttavia, se un elevato livello di Ae si accompagna a un alto grado di indebitamento o a un elevato Roe della banca, l\u2019impatto sul rischio sistemico risulta negativo. Una particolare attenzione da parte delle Autorit\ue0 di vigilanza dovrebbe essere quindi rivolta alle situazioni di crescente encumbrance nelle banche a bassa capitalizzazione, condizione in grado di impattare sia sul leverage che sul Roe, con conseguente forte effetto di moderazione nella relazione tra Ae e Srisk

Comparison of the effects of barnidipine+losartan compared with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide on several parameters of insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of barnidipine+losartan compared with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide on several parameters of insulin sensitivity in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We enrolled 148 normocholesterolemic patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were treated with barnidipine, 20 mg day(-1), in combination with losartan, 100 mg day(-1), or with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide, 80/12.5 mg day(-1), for 6 months. We assessed blood pressure (BP) on a monthly basis; additionally, blood samples were collected to assess, at baseline and after 6 months, the following parameters: fasting plasma glucose; glycated hemoglobin; fasting plasma insulin; HOMA index; and some adipocytokines, such as adiponectin (ADN), resistin, leptin, visfatin and vaspin. Patients were also subjected to an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp to assess the M value and glucose infusion rate to ascertain their insulin sensitivity. One hundred and forty-one patients completed the study. The BP was reduced in both groups, although the reduction was greater with barnidipine+losartan (P<0.001 vs. baseline and P<0.01 vs. telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide). Barnidipine+losartan increased the M value and glucose infusion rate during the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (P<0.05 vs. baseline and vs. telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide). With respect to the levels of adipocytokines, ADN was increased (P<0.05), and resistin and leptin were reduced from baseline with barnidipine+losartan (P<0.05 vs. baseline), but they were not reduced with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide. Visfatin and vaspin were reduced by barnidipine+losartan compared with baseline (P<0.05). The adipocytokine levels obtained with barnidipine+losartan were significantly better than those obtained with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide (P<0.05 for all parameters). In addition to providing a greater BP reduction, barnidipine+losartan improved the insulin sensitivity, as assessed by an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, and improved some of the adipocytokines related to insulin resistance

Barnidipine or Lercanidipine on Echocardiographic Parameters in Hypertensive, Type 2 Diabetics with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lercanidipine or barnidipine on echocardiographic parameters, in hypertensive, type 2 diabetics with left ventricular hypertrophy. One hundred and forty-four patients were randomized to lercanidipine, 20 mg/day, or barnidipine, 20 mg/day, in addition to losartan, 100 mg/day, for 6 months. We evaluated: blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), lipid profile, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), sodium, potassium, and acid uric. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and after 6 months. Both lercanidipine and barnidipine decreased blood pressure. Left ventricular mass index was reduced to a greater extent with barnidipine + losartan. Interventricular septal thickness in diastole was reduced by barnidipine + losartan. Posterior wall thickness in diastole was decreased by both treatments, even if barnidipine + losartan were more effective. Ratio of peak early diastolic filling velocity to peak filling velocity at atrial contraction was increased by barnidipine + losartan, but not by lercanidipine + losartan. Finally, isovolumetric relaxation and time and left atrial volume index were reduced by barnidipine + losartan, while lercanidipine + losartan did not affect them. In conclusion, barnidipine + losartan provided a greater improvement of echocardiographic parameters compared to lercanidipine + losartan

Enrolment criteria for diabetes cardiovascular outcome trials do not inform on generalizability to clinical practice: The case of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists

Aim To evaluate the generalizability of cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), we assessed what proportion of real-world patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) constitute true CVOT-like populations.Materials and Methods We applied inclusion/exclusion (I/E) criteria of each GLP-1RA CVOT to a cross-sectional database of 281 380 T2D patients from Italian diabetes outpatient clinics. We calculated the proportion of patients eligible for each CVOT and compared their clinical characteristics with those of trial patients. In addition, we used a Bayesian network-based method to sample the greatest subsets of real-world patients yielding true CVOT-like populations.Results Between 98 725 and 124 164 T2D patients could be evaluated for CVOT eligibility. After excluding patients who were already on GLP-1RAs and applying I/E criteria, 35.8% of patients would be eligible for REWIND, 34.1% for PIONEER-6, 13.4% for EXSCEL, 10.1% for SUSTAIN-6, 9.5% for HARMONY and 9.4% for LEADER. Overall, 45.4% of patients could be eligible for at least one of the CVOTs. These patients, however, were extremely different to trial patients in most of the clinical characteristics, including demographics, concomitant medications and complications. The greatest CVOT-like subsets of real-world patients were 0.5% for SUSTAIN-6, 1.0% for EXSCEL, 1.2% for LEADER, 1.8% for PIONEER-6 and 7.9% for REWIND.Conclusions A very small proportion of real-world patients constitute true CVOT-like populations. These findings question whether any meaningful information can be drawn from applying trial enrolment criteria to real-world T2D patients

Effects of a combination of sitagliptin plus metformin vs metformin monotherapy on glycemic control, \u3b2-cell function and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients

Aims: To evaluate the impact on glycemic control, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion of sitagliptin. +. metformin compared to metformin in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: Patients were instructed to take metformin for 8 \ub1 2 months, then they were randomly assigned to sitaglipin 100. mg or placebo for 12 months. We evaluated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months: body mass index (BMI), glycemic control, fasting plasma insulin (FPI), HOMA-IR, HOMA-\u3b2, fasting plasma proinsulin (FPPr), proinsulin/fasting plasma insulin ratio (Pr/FPI ratio), C-peptide, glucagon, adiponectin (ADN), and high sensitivity-C reactive protein (Hs-CRP). Before, and after 12 months since the addition of sitagliptin, patients underwent a combined euglycemic hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic clamp, with subsequent arginine stimulation. Results: Both treatments similarly decreased body weight, and BMI; on the other hand, they both improved glycemic control, glucagon and HOMA-IR, but sitagliptin. +. metformin were more effective in reducing these parameters. Sitagliptin. +. metformin, but not placebo. +. metformin, decreased FPPr, FPPR/FPI ratio, and increased C-peptide values, even if no differences between the groups were recorded. Sitaglitin. +. metformin gave also a greater increase of HOMA-\u3b2, M value, C-peptide response to arginine and disposition index compared to placebo. +. metformin group. Conclusions: Other than improving glycemic control, sitagliptin. +. metformin also improved \u3b2-cell function better than metformin alone. \ua9 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd