Sex differences in the association of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes with microvascular complications and function: the Maastricht Study

Background Women with type 2 diabetes are disproportionally affected by macrovascular complications; we here investigated whether this is also the case for microvascular complications and retinal microvascular measures. Methods In a population-based cohort study of individuals aged 40-75 years (n = 3410; 49% women, 29% type 2 diabetes (oversampled by design)), we estimated sex-specific associations, and differences therein, of (pre)diabetes (reference: normal glucose metabolism), and of continuous measures of glycemia with microvascular complications and retinal measures (nephropathy, sensory neuropathy, and retinal arteriolar and venular diameters and dilatation). Sex differences were analyzed using regression models with interaction terms (i.e. sex-by- (pre)diabetes and sex-by-glycemia) and were adjusted for potential confounders. Results Men with type 2 diabetes (but not those with prediabetes) compared to men with normal glucose metabolism, (and men with higher levels of glycemia), had significantly higher prevalences of nephropathy (odds ratio: 1.58 95% CI (1.01;2.46)) and sensory neuropathy (odds ratio: 2.46 (1.67;3.63)), larger retinal arteriolar diameters (difference: 4.29 mu m (1.22;7.36)) and less retinal arteriolar dilatation (difference: - 0.74% (- 1.22; - 0.25)). In women, these associations were numerically in the same direction, but generally not statistically significant (odds ratios: 1.71 (0.90;3.25) and 1.22 (0.75;1.98); differences: 0.29 mu m (- 3.50;4.07) and: - 0.52% (- 1.11;0.08), respectively). Interaction analyses revealed no consistent pattern of sex differences in the associations of either prediabetes or type 2 diabetes or glycemia with microvascular complications or retinal measures. The prevalence of advanced-stage complications was too low for evaluation. Conclusions Our findings show that women with type 2 diabetes are not disproportionately affected by early microvascular complications.Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD)Public Health and primary car

Reduced seasickness by an artificial 3d earth-fixed visual reference

Motion sickness is generally caused by not being able to correctly estimate one’s self-motion. In the case of crew in, e.g., the command centre of a naval vessel, a nauseating conflict exists between what they see (the stable interior of the ship) and what they feel (the motion of the ship). To reduce the conflict, we designed and tested an ‘anti-seasickness display’ presenting visual motion in the opposite direction of the ship’s motion, thus effectively presenting an Earth-fixed frame of reference. Fourteen subjects completed a number of 20-minute trials in TNO’s motion simulator Desdemona, which reproduced a realistic ship motion. The anti-seasickness display consisted of a three-dimensional virtual world of stars. It was presented on a laptop monitor in the background of a partially transparent demanding computer task in a number of conditions, and on a panoramic screen in front of the participant in another. The task was added to also study a possible effect on task performance, either negatively by interference of the stars with the computer task, or positively by the anticipated reduction of motion sickness. Sickness severity was rated at fixed intervals. Results show that the anti-seasickness display reduced sickness due to ship motion, whether presented on the computer monitor or on the panoramic screen. No effect on task performance was found, thus the graphics of the anti-seasickness display did not interfere with the task used in this experiment. We conclude that anti-seasickness displays providing a spatial Earth-fixed reference to correctly estimate one’s self-motion, appear to be a promising solution to reduce seasickness

Adoptie (projectnummer 01.042)

Evaluation of a programme developed for prospective parents of an adoptive child. This programme was executed by 'Stichting Bureau Voorlichting Interlandelijke Adoptie' (VIA). The research has been carried out from August 2001 to August 2002. The research goal was to evaluate the programme concerning the process of information transfer and its outcomes, and to make recommendations for improvement