Endocrine

IMPORTANCE: The incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus are increasing. OBJECTIVE: To review currently available insulin therapy, as well as evidence on the use, application, initiation, and intensification of insulin in the outpatient setting. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Data sources included PubMed for trials and investigations in type 2 diabetes examining insulin use from January 1998 to April 2014. FINDINGS: The hemoglobin A1c target for most patients with type 2 diabetes is 7% but needs to be modified when there is increased risk of hypoglycemia, reduced life expectancy, extensive comorbidities, or reduced resources...

Acromegaly is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of a pituitary growth hormone (GH)-producing tumour, excessive secretion of growth hormone, raised levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and characteristic clinical presentation of acral enlargement. Over the past two decades, major advances have occurred in the understanding of some aspects of acromegaly--such as the biology of pituitary tumours, the physiology, molecular mechanisms of GH secretion and IGF-I generation, and the pathogenesis of comorbidities...

Diabetic foot ulcers are the source of major suffering and very large costs for both the patient and the health-care system, and every 30 s, a leg is lost somewhere in the world. Investing in a diabetic foot care guideline can therefore be one of the most cost-effective forms of health-care expenditure, provided the guideline is goal focused and properly implemented. The objective of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) is to develop guidelines that will reduce the effect of diabetic foot disease through cost-effective and quality health care, based on the principles of evidence-based medicine...

Many patients admitted to the hospital have diabetes mellitus-diagnosed or undiagnosed-and others develop hyperglycemia from the stress of hospitalization. This paper discusses the prevalence, outcomes, and evidence for best management of hyperglycemia and diabetes in hospitalized patients outside the critical care setting.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In persons with diabetes, foot infection, that is, invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in tissues accompanied by tissue destruction or a host inflammatory response, usually begins with skin trauma or ulceration 1. While most foot infections remain superficial, they can spread to subcutaneous tissues, including muscle, joints, and bone. Many diabetic foot ulcers eventuate in an amputation; infection plays a role in approximately 60% of cases 2-4. Neuropathy is the main factor leading to skin breaks, while arterial perfusion largely affects infection outcome...