In a mixed medical-surgical intensive care, plasma CRP measured at the day of discharge from intensive care is not a predictor of readmissions or deaths.

With closely monitored treatment, non-adherence is low and unrelated to depressive symptom outcome. Nonadherence is highest with antidepressant combinations. Specific non-adherent events are most often sporadic.

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Objective Obesity and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often co-occur. However, differences between obese and normal-weight depressed patients and the moderating effect of obesity on antidepressant treatment outcome have not been well studied. Methods 662 subjects in the COmbining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes (COMED) were randomized to treatment with escitalopram plus placebo, bupropion plus escitalopram, or venlafaxine plus mirtazapine for a 12 week primary treatment phase and 16 week follow-up. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated at baseline. Subjects were divided into BMI classes according to World Health Organization criteria: 1) normal (and low) weight (NW), 2) overweight (OW), 3) obese I (OB1) and 4) obese II+ (OB2). Clinical characteristics were compared using Chi-squared or Kruskall-Wallis testing. Outcomes were assessed using a repeated effects model, unadjusted and adjusted for baseline variables differing across BMI classes. Results 31.4% of the subjects were normal weight; 46.2% were obese. Higher BMI was associated with greater medical illness (p<0.001), social phobia (p=0.003) and bulimia (p=0.026). Lower BMI was associated with higher rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (p=0.002) and drug abuse. Treatment outcomes, including remission, did not differ across classes. However, lower BMI was associated with more frequent (p=0.024, unadjusted, 0.053 adjusted) and more severe (p=0.008 unadjusted, 0.053 adjusted) side effects. Conclusions We found a high rate of obesity compared to the general population and significant differences in presentation and comorbidity, but not medication use and antidepressant outcomes, in subjects across BMI classes. Lower BMI classes had higher rates of comorbidities associated with poor outcome, which may have obscured outcome differences. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT 00270647

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Background: Statins have long been prescribed for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease. Their benefits and efficacy are widely accepted in current clinical practice, but like any other therapeutic agents, they have adverse effects. One of the emerging concerns with statin therapy is the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM), a dreaded risk factor for CVD and kidney disease and widely viewed as CVD equivalent. Accumulating evidence indicates that NODM is a consequence of statin use. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting on associations between NODM and statin use. Based on strict exclusion criteria, a total of 11 studies were selected. Their data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis® statistical software and reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The cumulative fixed effect for use of statin therapy and incident NODM was an OR of 1.61 (95% CI 1.55–1.68, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that statin therapy is associated with NODM, such that there is a small but significant risk of NODM among patients receiving statin for CVD prevention therapy. However, this high-risk population also has other diabetes risk factors (such as obesity and hypertension) contributing to the development of NODM. Conclusions: It is imperative that patients on statin therapy be monitored carefully for NODM. However, it can be argued that the risk of statin therapy is offset by the multitude of cardiovascular and kidney-protective effects provided by such an important and highly effective therapeutic agent.

SUMMARYAsparaginase (ASP) is an effective chemotherapy agent extensively used in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). There has been a recent interest in using ASP in adults with ALL, particularly the less toxic pegylated (PEG) formulation. Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a rare complication of PEG-ASP therapy. We report two cases of obese patients who developed severe HTG after receiving PEG for ALL. Both patients were incidentally found to have severe HTG (TG of 4,330 and 4,420 mg/dL). In both patients, there was no personal or family history of dyslipidemia or hypothyroidism. There was no evidence of pancreatitis or skin manifestations of HTG. Both patients were treated with PEG cessation, low-fat diet and pharmacotherapy. Both patients were re-challenged with PEG, with subsequent increase in TG but no associated complications. TG returned to baseline after discontinuing PEG and while on therapy for HTG. A literature review of PEG-induced HTG in adults demonstrated similar results: asymptomatic presentation despite very severe HTG. HTG is a rare but clinically important adverse effect of PEG. Underlying obesity and/or diabetes may represent risk factors. Clinicians should monitor TG levels during PEG therapy to avoid TG-induced pancreatitis. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2016;60(2):173-7

Background Diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for intubation and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). We seek to examine the impact of clinical variables such as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) on mortality and need for intubation, as well as demographic variables such as age, sex, and race on persons with type 2 diabetes and COVID‐19. Methods Analyses were conducted on 4413 patients with an International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD‐10) diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and COVID‐19. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan‐Meier curves and the log‐rank test to compare subgroup analyses. Results In this multivariate analysis, male gender, older age, and hyperglycemia at admission were associated with increased mortality and intubation, but this was not seen for race, ethnicity, insurance type, or HbA1c. Based on Kaplan‐Meier analysis, having comorbid conditions such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of mortality. Conclusions Glycemic levels at admission have a greater impact on health outcomes than HbA1c. Older men and those with comorbid disease are also at greater risk for mortality. Further longitudinal studies need to be done to evaluate the impact of COVID‐19 on type 2 diabetes.