OBJECTIVEAn association between insulin resistance and microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes has often been found in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to reassess this relationship in a prospective Taiwanese cohort of type 2 diabetic subjects.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe enrolled 738 normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic subjects, aged 56.6 ± 9.0 years, between 2003 and 2005 and followed them through the end of 2009. Average follow-up time was 5.2 ± 0.8 years. We used urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio to define microalbuminuria and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) to assess insulin resistance. The incidence rate ratio and Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and development of microalbuminuria.RESULTSWe found incidences of microalbuminuria of 64.8, 83.5, 93.3, and 99.0 per 1,000 person-years for the lowest to highest quartiles of HOMA-IR. Compared with those in the lowest quartile of HOMA-IR, the incidence rate ratios for those in the 2nd, 3rd, and highest quartiles were 1.28 (95% CI 0.88–1.87), 1.44 (0.99–2.08), and 1.52 (1.06–2.20), respectively (trend test: P < 0.001). By comparison with those in the lowest quartile, the adjusted hazard ratios were 1.37 (0.93–2.02), 1.66 (1.12–2.47), and 1.76 (1.20–2.59) for those in the 2nd, 3rd, and highest HOMA-IR quartiles, respectively.CONCLUSIONSAccording to the dose-response effects of HOMA-IR shown in this prospective study, we conclude that insulin resistance could significantly predict development of microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients.

Background. Hypertension was the eighth leading cause of death in Taiwan in 1996, and the prevalence of hypertension has increased recently. The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension and its associated cardiovascular risk factors in elderly persons in Tainan City, southern Taiwan.

The potential of using graphene as a nanomechanical resonator is explored. A graphene-resonator sensor is assumed to be a simply supported rectangular plate. The frequency equation of the sensor with an attached mass is derived analytically using nonlocal elasticity theory. The results indicate that increasing the nonlocal parameter markedly increases the frequency shift of the sensor, and the frequency shift becomes larger as the aspect ratio approaches 1. Therefore, in order to obtain the highest sensitivity, a square geometrical sensor should be used. The mass sensitivity can reach up to 10-27 g/Hz.

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