Comparison of Azelnidipine and Trichlormethiazide in Japanese Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Hypertension: The COAT Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety of azelnidipine with that of trichlormethiazide in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension.

Methods: In a multicenter, open-label trial, 240 patients with adequately controlled diabetes (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%) under lifestyle modification and/or administration of hypoglycemic agents and inadequately controlled hypertension (systolic blood pressure [sBP] ≥ 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure [dBP] ≥ 80 mmHg) who were being treated with olmesartan were enrolled.

Second-line treatments for dyslipidemia in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Previous studies have shown that approximately 50% patients at risk of cardiovascular disease do not achieve lipid management goals. Thus, improvements dyslipidemia management are needed. We investigated the clinical choice and efficacy of second-line treatments for dyslipidemia in the Japanese clinical setting.

Relationship between coronary artery disease and retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To examine risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and assess the relationship between CAD and retinopathy.

Methods: A total of 1,003 outpatients with type 2 DM (578 men and 425 women) were classified into two groups according to the presence (based on ischemic findings on a resting electrocardiogram or a history of angina or myocardial infarction) or absence of CAD and four retinopathy stages based on the International Clinical Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Results: Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that independent risk factors for CAD were age, the triglyceride (TG) level and smoking, while those for retinopathy included age, age of DM diagnosis, the HbA1c level and a female gender.

Glycemic control after addition of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor alogliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes showing inadequate response to thrice-a-day treatment with α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Objective: We investigated the effect of addition of alogliptin, while continuing the α-glucosidase inhibitor (αGI) administration at the same or reduced dose, or discontinuing the drug, on the glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients showing inadequate response to αGI treatment.

Research Design And Methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter interventional study trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to treatment with alogliptin alone (Intake 0 group), or alogliptin in addition to an αGI administered once-/twice-/thrice-daily (Intake 1, 2 and 3 groups).

Sonographic assessment of fatty liver infiltration using the measurement of para- and perirenal fat thickness.

Purpose: Usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography for quantitative estimation of fatty liver by measurement of para- and perirenal sonographic fat thickness (UFT) was investigated.

Methods: Study subjects were 286 patients hospitalized for the treatment of diabetes. These subjects underwent blood chemistry studies, abdominal ultrasonography, and CT.

Sonographic evaluation of visceral fat by measuring para- and perirenal fat.

Purpose: To evaluate a new method of determining visceral fat amount by measuring para- and perirenal fat on abdominal sonography.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients hospitalized for treatment of their diabetes were examined via waist circumference, abdominal sonography, and CT. On sonography, the thickness of combined para- and perirenal fat was measured between the kidney and the inner aspect of the abdominal musculature.

Hepatic fat content-independent association of the serum level of gamma-glutamyltransferase with visceral adiposity, but not subcutaneous adiposity.

We investigated the association between the serum level of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and parameters of adiposity and lipid profile, including the serum triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-diabetic subjects. A total of 257 Japanese subjects (169 patients with type 2 diabetes and 88 non-diabetic subjects) were enrolled in the study. To assess the hepatic fat content, the ratio of the CT attenuation value of the liver to that of the spleen (L/S ratio) was calculated.

Development and progression of retinopathy after inpatient management of diabetes.

Objective: To examine factors that affect the development of retinopathy after short-term inpatient management of diabetes.

Patients And Methods: The subjects were 143 patients with type 2 diabetes who were admitted for inpatient management of diabetes, and did not have retinopathy of the right eye at admission, and had an HbA1c level of > or =8.0%.

Use of telemedicine in periodic screening of diabetic retinopathy.

Telemedicine was used for taking ocular fundus images of diabetic patients, which were subsequently sent by electronic mail to experienced ophthalmologists at a university hospital. The ophthalmologists provided reports on the patients to the internists. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this telemedicine system.