Glycated Haemoglobin A1c Variability Score Elicits Kidney Function Decline in Chinese People Living with Type 2 Diabetes

Our aim was to investigate the association of glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) variability score (HVS) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope in Chinese adults living with type 2 diabetes. This cohort study included adults with type 2 diabetes attending outpatient clinics between 2011 and 2019 from a large electronic medical record-based database of diabetes in China (WECODe). We estimated the individual-level visit-to-visit HbA1c variability using HVS, a proportion of changes in HbA1c of ≥0.5% (5.5 mmol/mol). We estimated the odds of people experiencing a rapid eGFR annual decline using a logistic regression and differences across HVS categories in the mean eGFR slope using a mixed-effect model. The analysis involved 2397 individuals and a median follow-up of 4.7 years. Compared with people with HVS ≤ 20%, those with HVS of 60% to 80% had 11% higher odds of experiencing rapid eGFR annual decline, with an extra eGFR decline of 0.93 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year on average; those with HVS > 80% showed 26% higher odds of experiencing a rapid eGFR annual decline, with an extra decline of 1.83 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year on average. Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes and HVS > 60% could experience a more rapid eGFR decline

Values and Preferences of Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Primary and Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: a Mixed-methods Study

Background Pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), but the values and preferences of community patients for pharmacotherapy remain unclear. Objective To understand the values and preferences surrounding pharmacotherapy among community patients at risk of or undergoing treatment for ASCVD, which would help clarify the individualized treatment burden and provide patient-centered clinical practice. Methods This study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. Firstly, we recruited eligible patients in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Yulin Community Health Service Center in Wuhou District, Chengdu City from November 2021 to January 2022. for a focus group discussion, aiming to collect qualitative insights into their experience, values, and preferences for medication use. The software MAXQDA 2020 was used to support qualitative data analysis, and Colaizzi's seven-step approach was further used to identify themes. After completing the qualitative phase, a questionnaire was designed based on the emergent themes to further quantitatively analyze the values and preferences regarding pharmacotherapy. Results Four themes emerged from the qualitative data, including knowledge and use of medications, barriers of medication use, facilitators of medication use, and need for medical services. A total of 186 valid questionnaires were collected in the quantitative study (response rate of 93.5%). The quantitative data showed a commonality in missed dose and confirmed the existence of social stigma and treatment burden in this group of participants. Although preferences in medication use were highly heterogeneous, participants generally preferred taking fewer medications with less frequency, and were less likely to use injectable medications. Conclusion The study suggests that it may be appropriate to increase the use of compound preparations, and make treatment plans in accordance with patients' daily lives and work to reduce the treatment burden of pharmacotherapy. In addition, we should be active in managing the misconceptions and improper practices in pharmacotherapy in order to improve patients' medication adherence

Evolution of lasR mutants in polymorphic Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations facilitates chronic infection of the lung

Abstract Chronic infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa often leads to coexistence of heterogeneous populations carrying diverse mutations. In particular, loss-of-function mutations affecting the quorum-sensing regulator LasR are often found in bacteria isolated from patients with lung chronic infection and cystic fibrosis. Here, we study the evolutionary dynamics of polymorphic P. aeruginosa populations using isolates longitudinally collected from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We find that isolates deficient in production of different sharable extracellular products are sequentially selected in COPD airways, and lasR mutants appear to be selected first due to their quorum-sensing defects. Polymorphic populations including lasR mutants display survival advantages in animal models of infection and modulate immune responses. Our study sheds light on the multistage evolution of P. aeruginosa populations during their adaptation to host lungs