Circulating and adipose tissue immune cells in tissue-specific insulin resistance in humans with overweight and obesity.

Objective: A proinflammatory adipose tissue (AT) microenvironment and systemic low-grade inflammation may differentially affect tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. This study investigated the relationships of abdominal subcutaneous AT (aSAT) and circulating immune cells, aSAT gene expression, and circulating inflammatory markers with liver and skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in people with overweight and obesity.

Methods: Individuals with overweight and obesity from the PERSonalized Glucose Optimization Through Nutritional Intervention (PERSON) Study (n = 219) and the Maastricht Study (replication cohort; n = 1256) underwent a seven-point oral glucose tolerance test to assess liver and muscle insulin sensitivity, and circulating inflammatory markers were determined.

Drug utilization in the Maastricht Study: A comparison with nationwide data.

Within the southern region of the Netherlands, the Maastricht Study is an on-going observational prospective population-based cohort study that focuses on the etiology of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Representativeness of the participating population is a crucial but often an unknown factor in population-based cohort studies such as the Maastricht Study. We therefore aimed to assess the representativeness of the study population by comparing drug utilization of the participants of the Maastricht Study with the general population of the Netherlands.

White Matter Connectivity Abnormalities in Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: The Maastricht Study.

Objective: Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with structural brain abnormalities, often observed in cognitive disorders. Besides visible lesions, (pre)diabetes might also be associated with alterations of the intrinsic organization of the white matter. In this population-based cohort study, the association of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes with white matter network organization was assessed.

Association of artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened soft drinks with β-cell function, insulin sensitivity, and type 2 diabetes: the Maastricht Study.

Purpose: Artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverage consumptions have both been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) risk. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential underlying associations with dynamic pancreatic β-cell function (BCF) and insulin sensitivity.

Methods: We evaluated cross-sectional associations in 2240 individuals (mean ± SD age 59.

Sex differences in cardiovascular risk management for people with diabetes in primary care: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Diabetes is a stronger risk factor for cardiovascular complications in women than men.

Aim: To evaluate whether there are sex differences in cardiovascular risk management in patients with diabetes in primary care.

Design & Setting: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using data from 12 512 individuals with diabetes within the Dutch Julius General Practitioners Network (JGPN) from 2013.

Prediabetes Is Associated With Structural Brain Abnormalities: The Maastricht Study.

Objective: Structural brain abnormalities are key risk factors for brain diseases, such as dementia, stroke, and depression, in type 2 diabetes. It is unknown whether structural brain abnormalities already occur in prediabetes. Therefore, we investigated whether both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with lacunar infarcts (LIs), white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and brain atrophy.

Carotid circumferential wall stress is not associated with cognitive performance among individuals in late middle age: The Maastricht Study.

Background And Aims: Arterial remodelling aims at normalising circumferential wall stress (CWS). Greater CWS in the carotid artery has previously been associated with the prevalence and severity of cerebral small vessel disease, a major cause of ageing-related cognitive decline. Here we test the hypothesis that greater carotid CWS is associated with poorer cognitive performance.

Reliability of HR-pQCT Derived Cortical Bone Structural Parameters When Using Uncorrected Instead of Corrected Automatically Generated Endocortical Contours in a Cross-Sectional Study: The Maastricht Study.

Most HR-pQCT studies examining cortical bone use an automatically generated endocortical contour (AUTO), which is manually corrected if it visually deviates from the apparent endocortical margin (semi-automatic method, S-AUTO). This technique may be prone to operator-related variability and is time consuming. We examined whether the AUTO instead of the S-AUTO method can be used for cortical bone analysis.

Prospective associations of dietary carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake with β-cell function in the CODAM study.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by both impaired pancreatic β-cell function (BCF) and insulin resistance. In the etiology of T2DM, BCF basically determines whether a person with a certain degree of insulin resistance develops T2DM, as β-cells are able to compensatorily increase insulin secretion. The effects of dietary intake on BCF are largely unknown.

Arterial stiffness is associated with depression in middle-aged men - the Maastricht Study.

Background: Arterial stiffening may underlie the association between depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but reported data are inconsistent. We investigated the associations between aortic stiffness and major depressive disorder (MDD) and depressive symptoms, and whether these differed by sex and age.

Methods: We measured carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using applanation tonometry, and we assessed depression using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in a cohort of participants from The Maastricht Study.

Circulating Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Biomarkers for Dietary Intake across Subgroups: The CODAM and Hoorn Studies.

Aims: To evaluate whether participant characteristics and way of expressing circulating fatty acids (FA) influence the strengths of associations between self-reported intake and circulating levels of linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were performed in pooled data from the CODAM (n = 469) and Hoorn (n = 702) studies. Circulating FA were measured by gas liquid chromatography and expressed as proportions (% of total FA) and concentrations (µg/mL).

Dietary intake of advanced glycation endproducts is associated with higher levels of advanced glycation endproducts in plasma and urine: The CODAM study.

Background & Aims: Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are formed by the reaction between reducing sugars and proteins. AGEs in the body have been associated with several age-related diseases. High-heat treated and most processed foods are rich in AGEs.

Differences in biopsychosocial profiles of diabetes patients by level of glycaemic control and health-related quality of life: The Maastricht Study.

Aims: Tailored, patient-centred innovations are needed in the care for persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), in particular those with insufficient glycaemic control. Therefore, this study sought to assess their biopsychosocial characteristics and explore whether distinct biopsychosocial profiles exist within this subpopulation, which differ in health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: Cross-sectional study based on data from The Maastricht Study, a population-based cohort study focused on the aetiology, pathophysiology, complications, and comorbidities of T2DM.

Associations of Dietary Glucose, Fructose, and Sucrose with β-Cell Function, Insulin Sensitivity, and Type 2 Diabetes in the Maastricht Study.

The associations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose intake with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been inconsistent. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies focusing on early markers of T2DM that provide insight into the process of T2DM progression: impaired pancreatic β-cell function (BCF) and insulin sensitivity. This study evaluated associations cross-sectionally in a population-based cohort consisting of 2818 individuals (mean ± SD age 59.

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and Albuminuria Are Associated with Biomarkers of Cardiac Injury in a Population-Based Cohort Study: The Maastricht Study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease mortality risk. It is, however, less clear at what point in the course from normal kidney function to CKD the association with cardiovascular disease appears. Studying the associations of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria with biomarkers of (subclinical) cardiac injury in a population without substantial CKD may clarify this issue.

BclI Glucocorticoid Receptor Polymorphism in Relation to Arterial Stiffening and Cardiac Structure and Function: The Hoorn and CODAM Studies.

Background: Chronic glucocorticoid excess is associated with arterial stiffening and cardiac dysfunction. The BclI glucocorticoid receptor (GR) polymorphism increases GR sensitivity and is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and some proxies for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether BclI influences arterial stiffening and cardiac dysfunction is currently unknown.

Discriminatory ability of simple OGTT-based beta cell function indices for prediction of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: the CODAM study.

Aims/hypothesis: The hyperglycaemic clamp technique and the frequently sampled IVGTT are unsuitable techniques to assess beta cell function (BCF) in large cohorts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the discriminatory ability of simple OGTT-based BCF indices for prediction of prediabetes (meaning impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance) and type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Glucose metabolism status was assessed by 2 h 75 g OGTT at baseline (n = 476, mean age 59.

Disease variants alter transcription factor levels and methylation of their binding sites.

Most disease-associated genetic variants are noncoding, making it challenging to design experiments to understand their functional consequences. Identification of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) has been a powerful approach to infer the downstream effects of disease-associated variants, but most of these variants remain unexplained. The analysis of DNA methylation, a key component of the epigenome, offers highly complementary data on the regulatory potential of genomic regions.

Identification of context-dependent expression quantitative trait loci in whole blood.

Genetic risk factors often localize to noncoding regions of the genome with unknown effects on disease etiology. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) help to explain the regulatory mechanisms underlying these genetic associations. Knowledge of the context that determines the nature and strength of eQTLs may help identify cell types relevant to pathophysiology and the regulatory networks underlying disease.

Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Are Associated With Generalized Microvascular Dysfunction: The Maastricht Study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This can be partly explained by large-artery dysfunction, which already occurs in prediabetes ("ticking clock hypothesis"). Whether a similar phenomenon also applies to microvascular dysfunction is not known.

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as a Screening Tool for Depression in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Maastricht Study.

Objectives: To assess the psychometric properties and identify the best cutoff value of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design: Observational population-based cohort study.

Setting: The Maastricht Study.

A Common Gene Variant in Glucokinase Regulatory Protein Interacts With Glucose Metabolism on Diabetic Dyslipidemia: the Combined CODAM and Hoorn Studies.

Objective: Small molecules that disrupt the binding between glucokinase and glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) are potential new glucose-lowering targets. They stimulate hepatic glucose disposal by increasing glucokinase activity in the liver. It can, however, be anticipated that increased hepatic glucokinase activity might be accompanied by the development of hypertriglyceridemia, particularly in type 2 diabetes.