No abstract

Our study suggests that thyroid volume and function may vary in obese women in association with body weight and fat mass; > 10% weight loss may affect thyroid volume and function, which however, is clinically insignificant.

No abstract

These results demonstrate that musculoskeletal disorders often accompany thyroid dysfunction. In addition to the well-known observation that these disorders are common in patients with hypothyroidism, they are also observed in patients with thyrotoxicosis. Patients with thyroid dysfunction should be questioned for musculoskeletal complaints and referred to a specialist if necessary.

Although skin tags are associated with diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, atherogenic lipid profile, no data in the literature show that the presence of skin tags is associated with serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein, uric acid, free fatty acid and leptin level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and obesity in patients with skin tags and to compare patients with skin tags and normal healthy subjects for insulin resistance, serum lipids, insulin, glucose, leptin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, free fatty acid levels. We evaluated 113 patients with skin tags and 31 healthy subjects. The two groups were compared with respect to BMI, lipid profile, blood pressure, insulin resistance, serum lipids, insulin, glucose, leptin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, free fatty acid and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Total 53.9 and 33.6% of patients with skin tags were overweight and obese, respectively. The frequency of hypertension 30.1%, dyslipidemia 59.3% and insulin resistance 21.2% were detected. HOMA-IR (P < 0.001) and serum glucose (P < 0.001), insulin (P = 0.002), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (P = 0.001), uric acid (P = 0.001), free fatty acid (P = 0.002), HbA1c (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P = 0.018), LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.023), and triglyceride levels (P = 0.001) were higher in patients with skin tags than control group. Overweight and/or obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and elevated high-sensitive C-reactive protein are seen in patients with skin tags. Skin tags may be a marker of increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Therapies targeting the action of incretin hormones have been under close scrutiny in recent years. The incretin effect has been defined as postprandial enhancement of insulin secretion by gut-derived factors. Likewise, incretin mimetics and incretin effect amplifiers are the two different incretin-based treatment strategies developed for the treatment of diabetes. Although, incretin mimetics produce effects very similar to those of natural incretin hormones, incretin effect amplifiers act by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme to increase plasma concentration of incretins and their biologic effects. Because glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone with various anti-diabetic actions including stimulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion, inhibition of glucagon secretion, hepatic glucose production and gastric emptying, it has been evaluated as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). GLP-1 also manifests trophic effects on pancreas such as pancreatic beta cell growth and differentiation. Because DPP-4 is the enzyme responsible for the inactivation of GLP-1, DPP-4 inhibition represents another potential strategy to increase plasma concentration of GLP-1 to enhance the incretin effect. Thus, anti-diabetic properties of these two classes of drugs have stimulated substantial clinical interest in the potential of incretin-based therapeutic agents as a means to control glucose homeostasis in T2DM patients. Despite this fact, clinical use of GLP-1 mimetics and DPP-4 inhibitors have raised substantial concerns owing to possible side effects of the treatments involving increased risk for pancreatitis, and C-cell adenoma/carcinoma. Thus, controversial issues in incretin-based therapies under development are reviewed and discussed in this manuscript.

Our data suggest that obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome in T2DM were associated with increased plasma leptin levels. We conclude that plasma leptin levels may not be strongly associated with microangiopathy and macroangiopathy in T2DM individuals.

Our results conclude that Ramadan fasting affects metabolic parameters in type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia should be kept in mind especially in patients using sulfonylurea treatment. Ramadan fasting is not advised for type 2 diabetics while taking medical therapy. If the patient wants Ramadan fasting, these patients using Repaglinide can reduce the frequency of hypoglycemia.