Latest news with #insulinresistance
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Liver Disease Common in Kids and Teens With Severe Obesity
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was more prevalent in children and adolescents with severe obesity, with these patients showing more pronounced insulin resistance and a higher number of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. METHODOLOGY: Researchers evaluated the prevalence of MAFLD in 212 children and adolescents with severe obesity (mean age, 13.2 years; 53.8% girls) recruited from four medical centres in Poland from May 2022 to September 2023. Severe obesity was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) > 30 for individuals aged 3-6 years, > 35 for individuals aged 6-14 years, and > 40 for individuals older than 14 years. All patients underwent abdominal ultrasonography, physical examination, body composition analysis, and biochemical assessment. MAFLD was diagnosed on the basis of liver steatosis detected by ultrasonography and/or persistently elevated alanine aminotransferase concentrations (> 52 U/L for boys and > 44 U/L for girls). MetS was confirmed using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria for children aged 10 years or older and modified IDF criteria for those younger than 10 years. The association of hepatosteatosis with anthropometric profiles and metabolic risk factors was also assessed. TAKEAWAY: MAFLD was present in 59.0% of patients, with sonographic assessment of hepatosteatosis in 55.4% of patients and elevated alanine aminotransferase concentrations without liver steatosis in 3.3% of patients. MetS was diagnosed in 66.5% of patients with MAFLD vs 57.5% of patients without MAFLD, with a significantly higher proportion of patients with MAFLD having four or more MetS components (33.6% vs 12.6%; P = .0004). = .0004). Patients with MAFLD had higher glucose and insulin levels both at fasting and 120 minutes during the oral glucose tolerance test. Increased insulin resistance was noted more frequently in patients with MAFLD than in those without MAFLD (16.5% vs 6.5%; P = .04). = .04). A ratio of alanine aminotransferase to aspartate aminotransferase > 1.5 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 19.79; P = .018) and a fasting glucose level > 100 mg/dL (aOR, 44.53; P = .009) were independently associated with MAFLD. IN PRACTICE: "MAFLD is a predictor of developing MetS and an increased risk of its components, especially glucose metabolism disorders. Therefore, patients diagnosed with MAFLD should be under special medical supervision for the detection and prevention of metabolic complications," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Magdalena Mierzwa, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland. It was published online on May 20, 2025, in the Journal of Clinical Medicine . LIMITATIONS: Ultrasound-based steatosis assessments varied by centre, potentially leading to discrepancies due to subjective assessment. This cross-sectional study involved only children and adolescents with severe obesity, thereby limiting generalizability. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by the National Science Center, Poland. One author reported being employed by Mediagnost GmbH.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Subtle signs on your skin and neck that mean you could have deadly condition suffered by 100m
Unexplained changes in your skin can occur for a number of reasons - whether it's from time in the sun or allergies. However, a health coach warns they could be a sign of something more sinister. Jade Rivers, a wellness coach, recently revealed 'what a body looks like when it's heading toward [type 2] diabetes.' Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition globally and over 37million American adults suffer from this form of the chronic illness. It is caused by either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body's cells not responding properly to insulin. This leads to high blood sugar levels and a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. It is often linked to lifestyle factors like obesity, poor diet and lack of physical activity and because it develops gradually, people may not know they have it until serious complications arise. However, according to Rivers, if people are able to recognize several changes in their bodies that indicate insulin resistance - a precursor to diabetes that plagues 100million people - they may be able to make changes and reverse it. Below, details the unexpected signs you could be headed toward a type 2 diabetes diagnosis: Dark patches on the neck and underarms Dark, velvety patches on the skin, often in body folds like the neck and armpits, can be a sign of acanthosis nigricans (AN). This is a skin condition often associated with obesity and insulin resistance, and a possible early sign of type 2 diabetes. The patches are not caused by diabetes itself, but rather by the underlying insulin resistance. AN is characterized by dark, velvety patches in areas across the body like the neck, armpits, groin, and sometimes on the hands, elbows, or knees. It is typically a sign your body is making extra insulin. When the body is resistant to insulin, the pancreas may overproduce the hormone in order to compensate. This excess insulin then builds up and causes the dark patches. While it can cause embarrassment and some people may try to scrub or bleach the patches away, this is not effective in getting rid of the dark spots. Instead, you should change your diet to include more healthy foods and get physical activity. Losing weight can also help. This will lower the amount of excess insulin in the body and can alleviate AN. Skin tags Skin tags, also known as acrochordons, are small, harmless growths often found in areas where skin folds or rubs together, such as the neck, armpits and groin. They may also appear where skin rubs against clothing or jewelry and are caused by friction. While typically benign, if you begin noticing the appearance of more skin tags than is normal for you, a trip to the doctor may be in order. In people with insulin resistance, skin tags form because insulin plays a role in regulating cell growth. When someone is insulin resistant and the pancreas produces too much, it can stimulate the growth of skin cells, which in turn can lead to skin tags. Additionally, insulin resistance can disrupt the balance of the hormone insulin-growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is linked to skin tag formation. A neck hump, sometimes called a buffalo hump, is a fat pad that forms at the base of the back of the neck. Being insulin resistant and struggling with a build up of insulin in the body leads to weight gain, fat accumulation and a struggle to lose weight. This could cause fat deposits to collect in certain areas of the body, such as the neck. Additionally, the hormone imbalance caused by insulin resistance or full-blown diabetes contributes to abnormal fat distribution. Like many other symptoms of insulin resistance, a hump or fat around the neck can be alleviated by diet and exercise changes, which can lead to healthy weight loss.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Health Rounds: Procedure that delivers electric pulses to intestine improves type 2 diabetes
May 7 (Reuters) - (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here) High-voltage electrical pulses to the upper region of the small intestine in a minimally invasive procedure can significantly improve type 2 diabetes, researchers reported at the Digestive Disease Week, opens new tab meeting. Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here. The magnitude of improvement is comparable to the diabetes benefits seen with gastric bypass weight loss surgery, particularly in patients who receive the highest-dose electrical pulses, the researchers said. 'This first-of-its-kind study demonstrates that non-thermal pulsed electric field energy treatment of the duodenum can significantly and durably improve... insulin resistance and beta cell function,' the main body processes involved in type 2 diabetes, Dr. Richard Pratley of the AdventHealth Diabetes Institute in Orlando, Florida, who worked on the study, said in a statement. As nutrients move from the stomach into the small intestine, the cells of the duodenum play a crucial role in glucose regulation. Typically in type 2 diabetes, the duodenum is inflamed and dysfunctional. Delivery of the electric pulses triggers the body to regenerate healthy cells that can help control blood sugar levels. The 51 mostly overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the trial of the Endogenex Pulsed Electric Field System known as ReCET, showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and pancreas beta cell function at 12 weeks, with improvements persisting at 48 weeks, the researchers reported. Patients also had significant improvements in blood sugar control and body weight. The researchers are now testing the procedure in a pivotal trial in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled by non-insulin glucose-lowering medications. While the current studies are looking at blood sugar control and weight loss, study leader Dr. Barham Abu Dayyeh of Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles said the treatment is likely to also work for type 2 diabetes in patients who are not overweight. 'We believe any patient who has type 2 diabetes, is struggling to maintain control of their disease, and is progressing toward (needing multiple diabetes medications) or insulin will be target candidates,' he said. PROCEDURE FOR PREVENTING PANCREATITIS DOESN'T WORK A common surgery done to prevent pancreatitis does not actually work, a new study has found. About one in 10 people are born with a condition called pancreas divisum, in which pancreas ducts fail to fuse properly. While often asymptomatic, it can sometimes be a factor in recurrent pancreatitis, a serious and painful condition. Retrospective studies have suggested that a minimally invasive surgery called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with minor papilla endoscopic sphincterotomy (miES) eases acute pancreatitis in 50% to 70% of such patients. However, ERCP itself can cause acute pancreatitis in 10%-20% of patients and may instigate other issues later, such as scarring of the pancreas opening, which may lead to other symptoms, study leader Dr. Gregory Cote of Oregon Health & Science University said in a statement. Despite the known risks of the procedure, until now there have been no trials comparing miES to a sham procedure. At the Digestive Disease Week meeting, his team reported on 148 patients with pancreas divisum and an average of three previous episodes of pancreatitis who were randomly assigned to undergo miES or a sham procedure. During a median follow-up of 33.5 months, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of patients who had another bout of acute pancreatitis. There were also no differences in numbers of patients who reported pancreas-related pain more than a month after the procedure or who developed chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, or inadequate production of digestive enzymes by the pancreas. The findings are 'actually quite extraordinary when you consider that many doctors have advocated for this procedure for decades,' Cote said. 'Guidelines currently recommend/acknowledge pancreas divisum as a risk factor for pancreatitis, and suggest ERCP as a treatment. These guidelines are likely to change based on this study,' he said. He added that some patients with conditions such as a narrowing or blockages of the pancreatic duct might still benefit from ERCP. Patients with those conditions were not included in this study. VASECTOMY RARELY FAILS, BUT SEMEN ANALYSIS SHOULD BE PERFORMED Vasectomy failure is very rare but happens more often than previously believed, researchers reported at the American Urology Association annual meeting, opens new tab in Las Vegas. They said a post-vasectomy semen analysis to ensure that sperm is not present should become routine. Reviewing nearly half a million vasectomies performed between 2007 and 2021, they found a post-vasectomy pregnancy rate of 2.26 for every 1,000 patients observed for one year after the procedure. Historically, the pregnancy rate had been roughly 1 in every 2,000 patients observed for a year. Vasectomy failure rates were highest during the first four months after the procedure, at 4.7 pregnancies per 1,000 per year. Pregnancy rates were lower in patients with older partners and when procedures had been performed more recently. After taking patients' risk factors into account, the researchers saw an increased risk of failure when the doctor performing the vasectomy was not a urologist, when the procedure was done in a doctor's office, or when a semen analysis was not performed after the procedure. (This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
