Publications by authors named "Timar Romulus"

Diabetes has become a global epidemic, contributing to significant health challenges due to its complications. Among these, diabetes can affect sight through various mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of early identification and management of vision-threatening conditions in diabetic patients. Changes in the crystalline lens caused by diabetes may lead to temporary and permanent visual impairment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) affects millions across the globe, generating a veritable public health issue through quality-of-life-reducing chronic complications, among which urinary tract infections are the most common. A shift in the disease managing paradigm from a glucose-centered view to a concept of cardio-reno-metabolic health has uniquely placed SGLT2 inhibitors as viable medication for the complex management of T2DM and its comorbidities. Some concerns have been raised over the increased likelihood of urinary tract infections (UTIs) associated with SGLT2 inhibitor use.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients with diabetes (DM) are at an increased risk of infection, with urinary tract infections (UTIs) being common among individuals with type 2 DM (T2D). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for UTIs among hospitalized T2D patients from Timișoara, Romania. The hospital records of 1139 T2D adult inpatients who were ordered to provide urine cultures during hospitalization were reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anemia is a prevalent comorbidity of diabetes, and although various mechanisms have been shown to link these two conditions, their interaction has not been sufficiently explored. Our cross-sectional, non-interventional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and its subtypes, as well as their interactions, in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 227 patients previously diagnosed with T2D were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most impactful health problems worldwide. It affects ocular health in multiple ways and is one of the leading causes of vision loss. Our study aimed to evaluate the most important systemic risk factors related to the occurrence of cataracts in patients with DM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Diabetic patients are more likely to develop infections compared to the general population, especially urinary tract infections (UTIs). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of UTIs in a population of patients with diabetes (DM) from Romania, to identify the most common uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, as well as to determine the correlations between resistance behavior and particularities of patients with UTIs according to DM type. : The hospital records of 1282 type 1 (T1D) and type 2 DM (T2D) adult inpatients who were ordered urine cultures during hospitalization were reviewed, and all 241 patients who presented a positive urine culture were included in the present study analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Prior research has identified a significant association between heart disease and metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers associated with grade I left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). : This single-center, cross-sectional study evaluated 73 T2DM patients for grade 1 LVDD and MASLD using 2D echocardiography, tissue analysis, spectral color Doppler, and Fibromax.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The elevated risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients with diabetes underscores the need for effective predictive tools. This study aimed to assess the predictive accuracy of APACHE II, CURB-65, SOFA, and NEWS2 scores at critical time points in diabetic patients diagnosed with COVID-19, aiming to guide early and potentially life-saving interventions. In a prospective cohort study conducted from January 2021 to December 2023, adult patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents one of the most impacting health issues of the modern era, as it is associated with an extensive range of comorbidities. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one the utmost severe diabetes complications as it is one of the major causes of vision loss among these patients. Our present research aims to evaluate the most frequent risk factors related to the occurrence of DR in T2DM patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the identification of biomarkers that can predict disease severity, particularly in vulnerable populations such as individuals with diabetes. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory and liver function markers, specifically derived Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (dNLR), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-lymphocyte ratio (ALRI), AST to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), and Systemic Inflammation Index (SII), in COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes. This cross-sectional study included 336 participants, comprising 168 patients with diabetes matched with 168 without, based on gender, body mass index (BMI), and COVID-19 severity at hospitalization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and to identify predictive factors to apply the necessary measures to improve it. : For this, 299 patients with T2DM were enrolled in a cross-sectional study, and their QoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. All patients underwent clinical exams, routine laboratory tests, and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) at the common peroneal nerve.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a noncommunicable condition that has become a major healthcare burden across the globe, often underdiagnosed and associated with low awareness. The main cause that leads to the development of renal impairment is diabetes mellitus and, in contrast to other chronic complications such as retinopathy or neuropathy, it has been suggested that intensive glycemic control is not sufficient in preventing the development of diabetic kidney disease. Nevertheless, a novel class of antidiabetic agents, the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), have shown multiple renoprotective properties that range from metabolic and hemodynamic to direct renal effects, with a major impact on reducing the risk of occurrence and progression of CKD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic condition associated with multiple complications and comorbidities. Some of these comorbidities are anxiety and depression, with a negative impact on the quality of life, non-adherence to treatment, and poor prognosis. The main of this study was to evaluate depression and anxiety in a group of patients with DM and their impact on quality of life and identify factors that improve the prognosis and increase the life expectancy and quality of life of patients with DM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are more prone to experiencing severe cardiovascular (CV) events, often occurring at a younger age, due to a complex interplay of risk factors. T2DM diagnosis inherently classifies patients as belonging to a higher CV risk group. In light of the increased susceptibility to severe CV outcomes, our study aims to assess the distribution of CV risk categories and the attainment of therapeutic targets among Romanian patients diagnosed with T2DM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia.

Aim: To investigate the impact of sodium-glucose 2 co-transporter inhibitors (SGLT-2i) on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in Romanian patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Method: A retrospective study was conducted on 200 Romanian patients with T2DM who were being treated with SGLT-2i, either Dapagliflozin or Empagliflozin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Vitamin D, specifically measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), plays a crucial role in preventing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, and its deficiency is common among patients hospitalized for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Romania.
  • - In a study of 160 T2DM patients, findings revealed that 63.8% had deficient vitamin D levels, which correlated with poorer glycemic control and various health issues, such as older age, anemia, and altered renal function.
  • - The research suggests that routine screening for vitamin D levels is essential for T2DM patients, particularly those over 55 years or with high HbA1c, to help manage diabetes and avoid
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Data was collected from 486 patients with confirmed COVID-19, showing that T2D patients experienced more severe cases (33.5%) and higher mortality rates (11.6%) compared to T1D patients (25.8% severity, 8.1% mortality).
  • * Findings highlight significant differences in COVID-19 impacts, with T2D patients requiring longer hospital stays, more intensive care, and facing greater mortality risks than those with T1D.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dyslipidaemia is a modifiable risk factor commonly associated with diabetes mellitus and prediabetes, with a major impact on the early development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Various studies have tried to identify the key treatment targets, their optimal values according to patients' CV risk, and the most efficient yet safe therapeutic agents which, alongside lifestyle changes, would improve lipid levels and reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Currently, there are multiple pharmacologic options that can be used in the management of dyslipidaemia, such as statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids or fibrates, to name only a few, while many other are under development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Over one-third of patients living with diabetes will develop ocular disease during their lifetime. The present study analyzes the association between metabolic and anthropometric markers, associated comorbidities, and intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: The retrospective study included 87 adult patients with type 2 DM who underwent routine eye examinations and blood/urine tests.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, facing a more severe prognosis and higher mortality rates. The study's main aim was to evaluate the survival and mortality rates of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and SARS-CoV-2 virus infection alongside the main factors influencing the prognosis.

Patients And Methods: The present study included 186 patients with T2DM and SARS-CoV-2 virus infection admitted to the COVID-19 Department of the "Pius Brînzeu" Emergency Clinical County University Hospital between November 2020 and March 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glycemic variability (GV) is a novel parameter used in evaluating the quality of diabetes management. Current guidelines recommend the use of GV indexes alongside the traditional parameter to evaluate glycemic control: hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). This study aims to evaluate the extent to which HbA1c explains the GV phenomena in patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The COVID-19 lockdown influenced the glycemic control and other metabolic parameters in people with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To study the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Material And Methods: Our study group included 120 Romanian people with T2DM from both urban and rural areas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: East-European data on cancer in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are scarce. This study aimed to assess the pattern of cancer and related mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) undergoing HD.

Methods: Retrospectively analyzing data from 7 HD centers, this study examined 1377 incident HD patients divided into three groups: no-cancers (NoC), cancers that occurred prior to HD initiation (CPI) and de novo cancer developed after HD initiation (DNC).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Anxiety disorders are prevalent in people with diabetes mellitus and negatively affect their ability to manage their condition, necessitating effective assessment tools.
  • This research involved translating and culturally adapting two assessment instruments, the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), for Romanian diabetes patients.
  • Results showed that SPIN is a valid and reliable tool for assessing social phobia in diabetes patients, while DSMQ needs more validation data for conclusive effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major changes not only at the economic and social level but especially in the medical system.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the quality of glycemic control in Romanian patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Material And Method: Our study group included 102 Romanian volunteers' patients with T1DM from both urban and rural areas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF