Glucose and insulin metabolism in patients with diabetes are profoundly altered by advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Risk of hypoglycemia is increased by failure of kidney gluconeogenesis, impaired insulin clearance by the kidney, defective insulin degradation due to uremia, increased erythrocyte glucose uptake during hemodialysis, impaired counterregulatory hormone responses (cortisol, growth hormone), nutritional deprivation, and variability of exposure to oral antihyperglycemic agents and exogenous insulin. Patients with end-stage kidney disease frequently experience wide glycemic excursions, with common occurrences of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Assessment of glycemia by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is hampered by a variety of CKD-associated conditions that can bias the measure either to the low or high range. Alternative glycemic biomarkers, such as glycated albumin or fructosamine, are not fully validated. Therefore, HbA1c remains the preferred glycemic biomarker despite its limitations. Based on observational data for associations with mortality and risks of hypoglycemia with intensive glycemic control regimens in advanced CKD, an HbA1c range of 7% to 8% appears to be the most favorable. Emerging data on the use of continuous glucose monitoring in this population suggest promise for more precise monitoring and treatment adjustments to permit fine-tuning of glycemic management in patients with diabetes and advanced CKD.

Context Pregnancy and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO) is a rare condition characterized by fragility fractures, mostly vertebral, during the third trimester of pregnancy or the early postpartum. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate bone microarchitecture in women with PLO in order to better understand the pathophysiology of this disease. Design and methods In this retrospective study, we included women with PLO referred to our bone center between November 2007 and July 2012. We assessed bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA, bone turnover markers and bone microarchitecture by HR-pQCT. Results were compared with a control group of healthy lactating women. Results Among the seven primiparous patients with PLO, six suffered vertebral fractures and one developed a hip fracture during the seventh month of gestation. Fractures occurred within the eighth month of pregnancy and the fourth month of postpartum; vertebral fractures were multiple in 85.7%. Major or minor risk factors for osteoporosis were present in 86% of our patients. Trabecular density, number and thickness were 34%, 20% and 22% lower than controls, (p < 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). Cortical parameters were also deteriorated but to a lesser extent. Conclusion In comparison with healthy lactating women, patients with PLO presented severe deterioration of bone trabecular and cortical microarchitecture. This significant compromise may explain the occurrence of multiple fractures in these otherwise healthy young women. Further prospective studies are needed in order to determine whether bone microarchitecture might be able to be restored in the future.

OBJECTIVE In participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and HbA1c >9.0–10.0%, guidelines recommend treatment with basal-bolus insulin. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This randomized trial compared the efficacy and safety of insulin degludec and liraglutide (IDegLira) and basal-bolus among participants with high HbA1c ≥9.0–15.0%, previously treated with 2 or 3 oral agents and/or basal insulin, allocated (1:1) to basal-bolus (n = 73) or IDegLira (n = 72). The primary end point was noninferiority (0.4%) in HbA1c reduction between groups. RESULTS Among 145 participants (HbA1c 10.8% ± 1.3), there was no statistically significant difference in HbA1c reduction (3.18% ± 2.29 vs. 3.00% ± 1.79, P = 0.65; estimated treatment difference (ETD) 0.18%, 95% CI −0.59, 0.94) between the IDegLira and basal-bolus groups. IDegLira resulted in significantly lower rates of hypoglycemia <70 mg/dL (26% vs. 48%, P = 0.008; odds ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.19, 0.78), and less weight gain (1.24 ± 8.33 vs. 5.84 ± 6.18 kg, P = 0.001; ETD −4.60, 95% CI −7.33, −1.87). CONCLUSIONS In participants with T2D and HbA1c ≥9.0–15.0%, IDegLira resulted in similar HbA1c reduction, less hypoglycemia, and less weight gain compared with the basal-bolus regimen.

We present the case of a 28-year-old female Rett syndrome patient with low bone mass and a recent fracture who was successfully treated with teriparatide. Bone mineral density and microarchitecture substantially improved after treatment. Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked progressive neuro-developmental disorder caused by mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding 2 (MECP2) gene, has been consistently associated with low bone mass. Consequently, patients with RTT are at increased risk of skeletal fractures. Teriparatide is a bone-forming agent for the treatment of osteoporosis that has demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing bone strength and reducing the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women, but, recently, its positive action has also been reported in premenopausal women. We present the case of a 28-year-old female RTT patient with low bone mass and a recent fracture who was successfully treated with teriparatide. Both bone mass measured by DXA and microarchitecture assessed by high resolution peripheral computed tomography (HR pQCT) were substantially improved after treatment.