Long-Term Sulfonylurea Use and Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Taiwan.

Purpose: We undertook a study to investigate the relationship between duration of medication use and prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) among patients with insulin-treated or sulfonylurea-treated type 2 diabetes in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 898 patients (41.0% insulin users, 65.

Different levels of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, their achieved mean HbA1c vs. all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Aim: In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), levels of hypoglycemia and their risk of mortality are not well understood. The aim of this study was to ascertain the correlation among disparate levels of hypoglycemia and patients with T2D's achieved mean glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Methods: 27,932 T2D patients taking hypoglycemic medications at outpatient visits for more than 6 months between 2008 and 2018 were linked to Taiwan's National Death Registry.

The relationship of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective study.

Background: The optimal levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are not currently clear. In this study, we determined the relationship between various mean LDL-C and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality risks in patients with T2D, stratifying by albumin level, age, sex, and antilipid medication use. We also evaluated the association of LDL-C standard deviation (LDL-C-SD) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by type of antilipid medication use.

Age and sex-specific associations of visit-to-visit variability of glycated hemoglobin A1c with all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes.

Background: Visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels have been found to be associated with prognosis of diabetes. However, little is known about whether or to what extent sex and age may modify the effects of VVV.

Methods: To investigate age- and sex-specific rates of mortality from all causes and relative hazards of mortality in association with VVV of HbA1c levels, 47,145 patients with diabetes and prescription of any antidiabetic agents >6 months were identified from outpatient visits of a tertiary medical center in northern Taiwan during 2003-2018.

Low mean HbA1c does not increase all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes: Effect-modifications by anemia and chronic kidney disease stages.

Background: Previous studies reported that low levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were associated with increased mortality. We investigated rates and risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in association with mean HbA1c levels with stratification of anemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages, major causes of low HbA1c.

Methods: 47,145 patients with prescription of antidiabetic agents >6 months in the outpatient visits (2003-2018) were linked to Taiwan's National Death Registry to identify all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Pain levels associated with ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy for neck masses.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pain levels associated with ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of neck masses.

Methods: The pain immediately and 5 minutes after the procedure without use of local anesthesia was evaluated via 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS), and 4-category verbal rating scale (VRS) in 154 patients.

Results: The mean scores (SDs) for VAS, NRS, and VRS immediately versus 5 minutes after the procedure were 30.