Introduction Diabetes distress (DD) is common and has considerable impacts on diabetes management. Unfortunately, DD is less discussed and frequently underestimated. This study evaluated the prevalence and predictors of DD in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at several specialized endocrinology outpatient clinics in Bangladesh from July 2019 to June 2020; 259 adults with T2DM participated. Participants’ DD and depression were measured using the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17) and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. DDS-17 scores ≥2 and PHQ-9 scores ≥10 were the cutoffs for DD and significant depression, respectively. Results The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 50.36 (±12.7) years, with the majority (54.8%) being male; their median (IQR) duration of diabetes was 6 (3–11) years. Among the study participants, 52.5% had DD (29.7% moderate and 22.8% high DD). The prevalence of emotional burden, physician-related distress, regimen-related distress, and interpersonal distress was 68.7, 28.6, 66, and 37.7%, respectively. Depression was present in 40.5%; 28.6% of the participants had DD and depression. The total DDS-17 score was positively correlated with the PHQ-9 score (r = 0.325, p < 0.001). Rural residence (OR 1.94), presence of any diabetic complication (OR 3.125), insulin use (OR 2.687), and presence of major depression (OR 4.753) were positive predictors of DD. In contrast, age ≥ 40 years at diabetes diagnosis (OR 0.047) and diabetes duration of > 10 years (OR 0.240) were negative predictors of DD (p < 0.05 in all instances). Conclusions The prevalence of DD in our setting is notably high; DD and depression frequently overlap. Screening for diabetes distress may be considered, especially in high-risk patients.

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Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the presence of T2DM tremendously drives NAFLD progression. The use of transient elastography (TE) for assessment of NAFLD has been increasing due to its high sensitivity and specificity. This study aimed to measure liver stiffness in patients with T2DM and ultrasonography (USG)-diagnosed NAFLD and assess the correlations between liver stiffness and other clinical and biochemical parameters. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 205 adult patients with T2DM and USG-diagnosed NAFLD who were being treated at a specialized endocrine private practice in Bangladesh. All subjects underwent TE for hepatic fibrosis assessment, which was performed using a FibroScan ® 402 device. A fibrosis score ≥9.7 kilopascals (kPa) was used to define advanced fibrosis (≥F3). Results: Out of 205 (65.9% female, mean age 45 ± 27 years, 67.3% obese) patients, the frequencies of Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 fatty liver on USG were 46.3%, 51.2%, and 2.4%, respectively. According to the TE results, 41 (20%) had advanced fibrosis (≥F3). Subjects with advanced fibrosis had a higher body mass index (BMI), higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and higher frequencies of individuals with elevated ALT and AST and advanced fatty liver grades on USG. The fibrosis score (kPa) was strongly and positively correlated with age, BMI, waist circumference, obesity, serum ALT and AST levels, and the fatty liver grade in USG; the AST:ALT ratio did not correlate with kPa. Conclusion:The data showed that 20% of the subjects with T2DM having NAFLD on USG exhibited advanced fibrosis, demonstrating the need for early diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD in T2DM. The use of TE with other serum markers can be helpful for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis.

Background: Metformin use is a known cause of B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 DM (T2DM). Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) often has clinically indistinguishable clinical features of B12 deficiency-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN). Objective: The present study aims to assess serum vitamin B12 levels in patients with T2DM on metformin. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a specialized endocrine outpatient clinic in Cumilla, Bangladesh, over six months from January 2020 to June 2020. Non-pregnant adults (≥18 years age) receiving metformin for T2DM for at least six months were evaluated for PN and assessed for serum B12 levels. Results: Among 90 subjects evaluated, 28 (31.1%) had B12 deficiency and 6 (6.7%) had borderline B12 deficiency; 56 (62.2%) had normal B12 levels. Study subjects with subnormal B12 used metformin for a longer duration [8.5 (7.0-14.0) vs. 5.0 (2.25-10.0) years, median (IQR), P = 0.006], gram-years of metformin use was higher in them [12.0 (7.9-14.0) vs. 5.75 (2.0-13.6) years, median (IQR), P = 0.005] and they had a higher mean corpuscular volume [85.9±7.2 vs. 82.4±6.4 fL, mean±SD, P = 0.020] compared to those having normal B12 levels. Serum B12 levels had a strong negative correlation with duration of metformin use and gram-years of metformin use. B12 status did not influence the presence and severity of PN. Conclusions: A considerable number of patients with T2DM have subnormal B12 levels. Periodic screening for serum vitamin B12 level may be of clinical benefit in such patients.