The role of financial wellbeing, sociopolitical attitude, self-interest, and lifestyle in one's attitude toward social health insurance.

Background: There has been continuous debate in the United States, Germany, and China about their respective healthcare systems. While these three countries are dealing with their own unique problems, the question of how social a healthcare system should be is a topic in this debate.

Objective: This study examined how strongly college students' attitudes toward a social healthcare system relate to ideological orientation and self-interest.

Measuring attitude toward social health insurance.

In order to understand the health care system a country chooses to adopt or the health care reform a country decides to undertake, one must first be able to measure a country's attitude toward social health insurance. Our primary goal was to develop a construct that allows us to measure this "attitude toward social health insurance". Using a sample of 724 students from the People's Republic of China, Germany, and the United States and an initial set of sixteen items, we extract a scale that measures the basic attitude toward social health insurance in the three countries.

Acanthosis nigricans: a dermatologic marker of metabolic disease.

Most patients with acanthosis nigricans have either clinical or subclinical insulin resistance. We undertook a study to estimate the insulin sensitivity of a group of patients referred from the dermatologist with biopsy proven acanthosis nigricans. Thirty-six patients were evaluated in the Endocrinology clinic.

A study of insulin resistance in subjects with acanthosis nigricans.

Aim: To study the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and its sequelae in patients with acanthosis.

Methodology: Thirty six patients (28 females; eight males) with biopsy proven acanthosis nigricans and eight controls were evaluated for insulin sensitivity (IS) by estimating (a) the glucose and insulin responses to a 75 gm glucose load (Oral glucose tolerance test-OGTT), (b) the glucose disposal rate (GDR) during an intravenous insulin tolerance test (ITT). Serum androgen levels (testosterone--Te, androstenedione--ASD, Dehydro-epiandrosterone sulphate--DHEAS) were estimated in the basal state and 60 min after a bolus of insulin.

Prevalence of islet cell antibodies and its correlation with glucose and insulin response to oral glucose tolerance test in 1st degree relatives of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus probands.

93 first degree relatives (1st DR) of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients were investigated for detection of islet cell antibodies (ICA) and beta cell functional status. ICA were detected in 26.9% Ist DR subjects (25/93), equally in parents, siblings and offspring.

Microalbuminuria in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is the commonest form of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nature and prevalence of microalbuminuria (MAU) in NIDDM. One hundred and twenty-eight NIDDM patients participated in this study on the prevalence of microalbuminuria and albumin excretion rate (AER).

Microalbuminuria in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of microalbuminuria (MAU) and albumin excretion rate (AER) in a timed overnight (12 hours) urine sample, in 72 insulin-dependent-diabetic (IDD) patients and to correlate the same to the clinical profile, glycemic control and to diabetic complications. Nine IDD patients (prevalence--12.5%) were detected to be microalbuminuric.

Prevalence of islet cell antibodies and B cell functional status in insulin dependent diabetes.

As autoimmunity is an important factor in the etiopathogenesis of IDDM, 85 ketosis prone i.e. insulin dependent diabetes (IDD) were evaluated for immunological and beta cell functional status.

Endocrine profiles in six patients with acanthosis nigricans.

Six women (age range 17-38 years), who presented to the dermatology services with biopsy-proven acanthosis nigricans of variable duration were evaluated to rule out endocrine diseases. Menstrual abnormalities (5/6 patients), pallid striae (4/6 patients), hirsutism (4/6 patients) and acne vulgaris (2/6 patients) were found on physical examination. All the patients had body mass indices in the obese (> 27 kg/m2) range, and in association we found ovarian hyperthecosis, PCOD, premature ovarian failure, glucose intolerance and hyperprolactinaemia in the above six patients.

Macroglossia--the presenting feature of primary amyloidosis.

A case of amyloidosis with macroglossia as a presenting feature is described. The patient was diagnosed to have multiple myeloma at least 1 1/2 year after amyloidosis was diagnosed.

C-peptide profiles in young diabetics.

Fifty-six patients who had been diagnosed diabetic prior to the age of 30 were evaluated to determine the C-peptide (CP) secretory response to a glucose load. These individuals were classified clinically as having insulin dependent (IDDM = 18); non-insulin dependent (NIDDM = 19) and insulin requiring diabetes (IRDM = 19). Insulin dependent diabetics had lower basal CP levels (0.

Gemfibrozil in familial and type V hyperlipidaemias. Report of 3 cases.

Gemfibrozil, a lipid lowering agent, was administered to two patients with familial hyperlipidaemia and one patient with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. It was partially effective in familial hyperlipidaemia. It dramatically reduced triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the patient with Type V hyperlipidaemia and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Amyotrophy in young diabetics: clinical profiles.

Seven young patients presenting with diabetic amyotrophy, unusual at their age, are described. Besides symptoms suggestive of proximal muscle weakness and occasionally of diabetes, all patients were underweight; abdominal pain occurred in all the patients. The diagnosis of amyotrophy was confirmed on electromyography and nerve conduction studies in all patients, and muscle biopsy in two patients.

Gemfibrozil in hyperlipidaemia: an open, single blind trial.

The efficacy of Gemfibrozil on S. lipid levels was studied in 36 middle aged subjects with type IIA, IIB, IV hyperlipidemia. Gemfibrozil was well tolerated in the dose of 1200 mg/day and no dropouts were attributable to its use.