Publications by authors named "Hwu C"
Objectives: To evaluate the long-term effects of pay-for-performance (P4P) care in the geriatric population with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study.
Setting And Participants: A total of 6607 propensity score-matched pairs of patients with newly diagnosed T2D who received either P4P care or standard care as identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019.
Aims/introduction: The relationship between economic disadvantages and the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), as well as its impact on birth outcomes, remains uncertain.
Materials And Methods: From the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database, we identified 984,712 pregnant women between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2018. Using propensity score matching, we selected 5,068 pairs of women across four income levels: very low, low, middle and high.
LX9211, a rising star for relieving of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
J Diabetes Investig
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- - LX9211 showed significant pain reduction in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) patients during a multicenter trial, with noticeable relief reported by the first week at a 10 mg dose.
- - Higher doses of LX9211 were less effective, but side effects like dizziness and nausea were mostly mild.
- - The results underscore the need to investigate both drug-based and natural treatment options, like flavonoids, for managing DPN.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how rare non-coding genetic variations affect complex traits, specifically focusing on human height by analyzing data from over 333,100 individuals across three large datasets.
- Researchers found 29 significant rare variants linked to height, with impacts ranging from a decrease of 7 cm to an increase of 4.7 cm, after considering previously known variants.
- The team also identified specific non-coding variants near key genes associated with height, demonstrating a new method for understanding the effects of rare variants in regulatory regions using whole-genome sequencing.
Background: Clinical studies have shown that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) can have beneficial effects on cardiopulmonary function. We conducted this longitudinal cohort study to compare the risk of cardiopulmonary outcomes and mortality between GLP-1 RA use and no use in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods: The study identified 8060 matched GLP-1 RA users and non-users from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2019.
Article Synopsis
- Oxa-iboga compounds are newly developed analogs of ibogaine, designed to retain therapeutic benefits while eliminating cardiac safety risks.
- These compounds demonstrate effectiveness in reducing opioid intake and withdrawal symptoms in animal models, outperforming traditional treatments.
- Oxa-noribogaine specifically acts as a kappa opioid receptor agonist, offering a unique approach to treating substance use disorders with potential for long-lasting effects.
Article Synopsis
- Molecular testing is increasingly used for cancer diagnosis, but the accuracy and reliability of these tests are crucial for identifying specific mutations, like BRAF V600E, linked to cancers.
- A 45-year-old woman was found to have a thyroid nodule, and genetic testing showed the BRAF V600E mutation, which suggested papillary thyroid cancer; however, surgery revealed a different diagnosis, minimally invasive follicular carcinoma.
- The case highlights the importance of careful interpretation of molecular test results and suggests using multiple validation methods to confirm genetic findings before making clinical decisions.
Aim: To assess the likelihood of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), distinguishing between those with and without microvascular diseases.
Methods: Leveraging the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, we identified individuals newly diagnosed with T2D from 1 January 2009 through 31 December 2014. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk of outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to compare the risk of serious eye problems (vision-threatening retinopathy) between users and non-users of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Researchers analyzed data from a large Taiwanese health database, matching 27,506 users of GLP-1 RA with non-users and other diabetes medication users.
- The results indicated that using GLP-1 RA did not increase the risk of vision-threatening retinopathy and actually reduced the risk compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i).
Importance: Lupus nephritis is a major complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Randomized clinical trials have shown nephroprotective and cardioprotective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is).
Objective: To investigate whether the use of SGLT2is is associated with the onset and progression of lupus nephritis and other kidney and cardiac outcomes in patients with SLE and type 2 diabetes.
Background: Cribriform morular thyroid carcinoma has been recently renamed in the 2022 WHO classification as a thyroid tumor of uncertain histogenesis. The epidemiologic, pathological, and pathophysiological characteristics distinguish it from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Preoperative genetic testing plays a role in facilitating the differential diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: No studies have reported the long-term outcomes of initiating sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates less than 20 mL/min/1.73 m to predialysis.
Objective: To compare the risk for dialysis, cardiovascular events, and death between SGLT2i users and nonusers in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Background: Iodine nutrition is critical for fetal neurodevelopment in the first trimester of pregnancy, a period associated with dramatic changes in thyroid function. The aim of this study was to evaluate iodine nutritional status and thyroid function reference ranges in the first trimester in Taiwan.
Methods: Pregnant women aged 20 years and above in the first trimester were recruited in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan from March 2019 to July 2022.
Aim: To assess the impact of insulin glargine (100 U/mL) and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) fixed-ratio combination therapy on the overall management of glycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), previously inadequately controlled with oral antidiabetic drugs ± basal insulin or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).
Materials And Methods: This 12-month, international, multicentre, prospective, observational study included patients (age ≥ 18 years) with T2D who had initiated iGlarLixi within 1 month prior to study inclusion. Data were collected at study inclusion, month 3, month 6 and month 12 from patient diaries, self-measured plasma glucose, and questionnaires.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to find risk factors linked to early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients using data from the Taiwan Diabetes Registry.
- The research involved 2,217 patients, categorizing them into an early CKD group and a control group, and utilized logistic regression to analyze clinical characteristics and linear regression for predicting kidney function indicators.
- Key risk factors identified included age, systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and triglycerides, with a noted bidirectional relationship between urine-albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
The serotonergic transmitter system plays fundamental roles in the nervous system in neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, pathological processes, and therapeutic effects of antidepressants and psychedelics, as well as in the gastrointestinal and circulatory systems. We introduce a novel small molecule fluorescent agent, termed , that specifically labels serotonergic neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, and axonal projections as a serotonin transporter (SERT) fluorescent substrate. SERTlight was developed by an iterative molecular design process, based on an aminoethyl-quinolone system, to integrate structural elements that impart SERT substrate activity, sufficient fluorescent brightness, and a broad absence of pharmacological activity, including at serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) receptors, other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and monoamine transporters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with diabetes tend to have cellulitis, foot infections, and amputation. We conducted this research to compare the risks of cellulitis, foot infections, and amputation between metformin no-use and use in persons with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: Using propensity score matching, we identified 23 234 pairs of metformin nonusers and users from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, since January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2017.
Article Synopsis
- Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disease influenced by various genetic factors and molecular mechanisms that vary by cell type and ancestry.
- In a large study involving over 2.5 million individuals, researchers identified 1,289 significant genetic associations linked to T2D, including 145 new loci not previously reported.
- The study categorized T2D signals into eight distinct clusters based on their connections to cardiometabolic traits and showed that these genetic profiles are linked to vascular complications, emphasizing the role of obesity-related processes across different ancestry groups.
Background: The residual risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in statin-treated patients with diabetes remain unclear. This study was conducted to identify factors associated with these residual risks in patients with no prior vascular event.
Methods: Data on 683 statin-using patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the Taiwan Diabetes Registry were used in this study.
Article Synopsis
- - This review explores recent advancements in understanding the cardiovascular issues linked to Primary Aldosteronism (PA), a condition marked by high blood pressure and excess aldosterone production, independent of the typical renin-angiotensin system.
- - It highlights the higher risks of heart and brain problems, as well as metabolic syndrome in PA patients compared to those with essential hypertension, stressing the need for accurate diagnosis.
- - The review discusses the mechanisms of PA's impact on heart health and evaluates various treatment options, advocating for better screening and tailored management to improve patient outcomes in cardiovascular medicine.
Article Synopsis
- Peripheral neuropathy is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and the study used Sudoscan to assess sudomotor function by measuring skin conductance in relation to CKD stages.
- In a study of 700 CKD patients, results showed that skin conductance decreased with progressing CKD stages, and the prevalence of abnormal conductance increased notably in later stages.
- Although diabetic patients had lower skin conductance levels compared to non-diabetics as CKD advanced, the study concluded that while sudomotor dysfunction worsened with the disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was not an independent risk factor for this condition.
Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) tend to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with poorer prognosis. We performed this research to compare the risks of cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis, liver-related mortality, and cardiovascular mortality between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use and no-use in patients with T2D without viral hepatitis.
Methods: From January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018, we used propensity-score matching to identify 31,183 pairs of GLP-1 RA users and nonusers from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH), defined by the need for four or more antihypertensive medications to control blood pressure in individuals.
- Researchers analyzed genetic data from 12 cohorts using whole-genome sequencing, comparing aTRH cases to normotensive controls and treatment-responsive patients.
- A significant genetic variant linked to hypertension was identified, and further validation of these results in larger and more diverse populations is necessary to understand its potential role in aTRH.
Importance: Diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy share many similarities in pathophysiological processes. Preclinical studies have shown that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) have a protective role in the risk of diabetic retinopathy.
Objective: To compare the risk of sight-threatening retinopathy associated with SGLT2is and other second-line glucose-lowering medications (including pioglitazone, sulfonylureas, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors [DPP-4is]) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).