ObjectiveType 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in young adults, and greater adiposity is considered a major risk factor. However, whether there is an association between obesity and diabetes and how this might be impacted by age is not clear. Therefore, we investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and diabetes across a wide range of age groups (20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–60, 60–70 and ≥70 years old).DesignWe performed a retrospective cohort study using healthy screening programme data.SettingA total of 211 833 adult Chinese persons >20 years old across 32 sites and 11 cities in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Changzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Nantong) were selected for the study; these persons were free of diabetes at baseline.Primary and secondary outcome measuresFasting plasma glucose levels were measured and information regarding the history of diabetes was collected at each visit. Diabetes was diagnosed as fasting plasma glucose ≥7.00 mmol/L and/or self-reported diabetes. Patients were censored at the date of diagnosis or the final visit, whichever came first.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 3.1 years, 4174 of the 211 833 participants developed diabetes, with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 7.35 per 1000 persons. The risk of incident diabetes increased proportionally with increasing baseline BMI values, with a 23% increased risk of incident diabetes with each kg/m2 increase in BMI (95% CI 1.22 to 1.24). Across all age groups, there was a linear association between BMI and the risk of incident diabetes, although there was a stronger association between BMI and incident diabetes in the younger age groups (age×BMI interaction, p<0.0001).ConclusionsAn increased BMI is also independently associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes in young adults and the effects of BMI on incident diabetes were accentuated in younger adults.

Serum visfatin levels may be related to visceral obesity in men, and the visfatin gene may account for variation of glucose and lipid parameters in Chinese subjects.

Aims/IntroductionPrevious studies have shown that glucose peak time during the oral glucose tolerance test varies in type 2 diabetes patients; however, characteristics of this heterogeneity remain unclear. This research aimed to investigate the characteristics of delayed glucose peak time in type 2 diabetes.Materials and MethodsA total of 178 participants who underwent the oral glucose tolerance test were divided into five groups according to glucose peak time.ResultsA total of 25 participants with normal glucose tolerance had a glucose peak at 30 min. Among participants with type 2 diabetes, 28 had a glucose peak at 60 min, 48 at 90 min, 45 at 120 min and 32 at 150 min. With the glucose peak time delayed, glycated hemoglobin, area under the glucose curve and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance increased gradually (P = 0.038, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively), and oral glucose insulin sensitivity, homeostatic model assessment of β‐cell function, insulinogenic index, modified β‐cell function index and disposition indices decreased (P < 0.0001 for all). On multinominal logistic regression, insulinogenic index (odds ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.57–0.93, P = 0.01), modified β‐cell function index (odds ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.47–0.94, P = 0.023) and oral glucose insulin sensitivity (odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.87–0.96, P < 0.0001) were independently correlated with delayed glucose peak time.ConclusionsDelay in glucose peak time indicated an increase in blood glucose and a decrease in insulin sensitivity and secretion. Furthermore, insulinogenic index, modified β‐cell function index and oral glucose insulin sensitivity contributed to delayed glucose peak time.

AimThe aim was to investigate the association between human insulin and cancer incidence and mortality in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsWe recruited 8,774 insulin-naïve diabetes patients from the Shanghai Diabetes Registry (SDR). The follow-up rate was 85.4%. All subjects were divided into the insulin use cohort (n = 3,639) and the non-insulin use cohort (n = 5,135). The primary outcome was the first diagnosis of any cancer. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of cancer and mortality.ResultsWe observed 98 cancer events in the insulin use cohort and 170 in the non-insulin use cohort. Cancer incidence rates were 78.6 and 74.3 per 10,000 patients per year in the insulin users and the non-insulin users, respectively. No significant difference in cancer risk was observed between the two cohorts (adjusted RR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.89–1.62, P = 0.228). Regarding site-specific cancers, only the risk of liver cancer was significantly higher in the insulin users compared to that in the non-insulin users (adjusted RR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.12–7.17, P = 0.028). The risks of overall mortality (adjusted RR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.47–2.43, P<0.0001) and death from cancer (adjusted RR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.39–3.35, P = 0.001) were all significantly higher in the insulin users than in the non-insulin users.ConclusionThere was no excess risk of overall cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with human insulin. However, a significantly higher risk of liver cancer was found in these patients. Moreover, insulin users showed higher risks of overall and cancer mortality. Considering that individuals treated with insulin were more likely to be advanced diabetic patients, caution should be used in interpreting these results.

IntroductionSodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) improve hepatic dysfunction, although studies focusing on their underlying mechanisms are lacking, especially ones on dapagliflozin and empagliflozin. Here, we investigated the relationship between amelioration of hepatic dysfunction and improvement in various metabolic parameters among Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).MethodsThis was a single-center, retrospective, observational study that involved 115 Chinese participants with T2DM treated with either dapagliflozin or empagliflozin for at least 6 months between July 2016 and February 2017.ResultsOf the 115 participants included in this study, 69 received dapagliflozin and 46 received empagliflozin. After 6 months of treatment, all patients showed significant improvements in body weight (BW), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and fasting glucose (FG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. All participants also showed a significant reduction in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, from 40.3 ± 28.0 to 29.0 ± 14.1 U/L (p < 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the reduction in ALT levels after treatment with the respective SGLT2i and changes in FG (p = 0.014) and HbA1c (p = 0.043) levels over 6 months, but not with changes in BW and SBP. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the reduction in serum ALT levels was independently associated with changes in both HbA1c and FG but not with the changes in the other clinical variables, including BW.ConclusionsDapagliflozin and empagliflozin improved both metabolic and hepatic dysfunction as a class effect. The amelioration of hepatic dysfunction was mediated partly through an alleviation of hyperglycemia and possibly through an improvement in insulin resistance, independent of BW.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13300-017-0355-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is an integrin-binding cytoplasmic protein that has been implicated in regulating numerous cellular processes and fibronectin (Fn) deposition through mediated integrin, but the expression and significance of ILK in the aging kidney have not yet been reported. We report here that mRNA and protein expression of ILK increased in primary cultured mesangial and tubular epithelial cells, and normal and unilateral ureteral obstructed kidney tissues in 28-month-old rats but not in 3-month-old rats, moreover, accompanied by the over-expression of Fn and integrin-beta1 in the aging kidney, by means of Northern blot, Western blot, and immunofluorescent double-staining immunohistochemistry. In addition, in the primary cultured kidney cells, ILK expression was positively correlated with senescence-associated beta-gal positive staining and negatively correlated with cellular proliferation. The results suggest that ILK may be involved in the fibrotic or senescent process in the aging kidney.

Serum fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been linked to renal dysfunction. This study evaluated the association between serum FABP4 and the radioisotope glomerular filtration rate (rGFR) in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM) with early diabetic nephropathy. Twenty healthy controls and 172 patients with T2DM were enrolled. Serum FABP4 and renal impairment biomarkers including urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), serum retinal-binding protein 4 (RBP4), urinary cystatin C-to-creatinine ratio (CysC/Cr), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin-to-creatinine ratio (NGAL/Cr) were measured. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) was used to test rGFR. Serum FABP4 levels were higher in T2DM patients compared with the controls. There was no significant correlation between serum FABP4 and UACR in patients with T2DM. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that, in patients with T2DM, FABP4 was significantly associated with rGFR while CysC/Cr and RBP4 were significantly associated with UACR independently. But UACR had no independent association with rGFR. NGAL/Cr had no significant correlation with either rGFR or UACR. FABP4 might be an early biomarker for diabetic nephropathy if combined with UACR.

Background: Evidence from epidemiologic investigation indicates that people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at a significantly higher risk of many types of cancer and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and mortality risks of cancer in patients with T2DM compared with the general population in Shanghai, China. Methods: Based on the Shanghai Diabetes Registry (SDR) database linking to the Shanghai Cancer Registry and Surveillance System (SCRSS), a total of 12,276 T2DM patients without cancer were defined and followed up from 1 December 2001 to 31 July 2011. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the whole gender and age-matched general population of Shanghai as a reference during the same period. Results: The overall cancer risk was found higher in both males and females T2DM patients, with the SIR of 3.14 (95% CI 2.73–3.56) and 4.29 (95% CI 3.64–4.94), respectively. The overall mortality risk of cancer also significantly increased with the SMR of 2.27 (95% CI 1.86–2.68) and 1.86 (95% CI 1.46–2.26), respectively. Pancreatic cancer was with the highest SIR and SMR in both genders. Conclusions: Compared with the general population, patients with T2DM were associated with higher incidence and mortality risks of cancer, especially pancreatic cancer.