Biomedicines

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hendrik Lehnert

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
2. Rektorat, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Interests: obesity; diabetes and cancer; cognitive dysfunction

Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Meyhöfer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
2. German Center of Diabetes Research, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
Interests: obesity; hypoglycemia; circadian rhythms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sebastian Meyhoefer and I are delighted to invite you to contribute a manuscript for a Special Issue of Biomedicines.

The title of this issue will be Glucose Metabolism: Molecular Basis and Novel Therapies of Diabetic Complications and it will address important topics such as the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of diabetes as an underlying mechanisms for differential complications settings, the mechanistic basis for disturbed hypoglycemia awareness and cognitive defects, the causal link between diabetes and tumorigenesis or the impact on lipid metabolism and cardiovascular sequelae.

We are convinced that this issue will shed further light on our knowledge of the mechanistic basis of diabetic complications and will also improve our understanding of how to therapeutically tackle these problems, based on a personalized approach that takes the heterogeneity of diabetes into account.

We are very much looking forward to receiving your contribution,

With warm regards

Prof. Dr. Hendrik Lehnert
Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Meyhöfer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diabetic complications
genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity
cognitive defects
hypoglycemia
diabetes and cancer
lipid metabolism
cardiovascular complications

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1329 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Diabetes and Levels of Micronutrients in Qatar—A Case–Control Study

by Nada Soliman, Ruba Almishal, Basant Elsayed, Ayaaz Ahmed, Sara Al-Amri, Aisha Al-Kuwari, Shaikha Al-Muhannadi, Muhammed Nadeer and Tawanda Chivese

Biomedicines 2023, 11(11), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11113045 - 14 Nov 2023

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Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to investigate associations between micronutrient levels and diabetes and to explore the association in individuals with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes. Methods: A case–control study, matched on age and gender, was performed on participants with (cases) and without diabetes (controls), who were Qatari or long-term residents (≥15 years of residence). Participants with diabetes were divided into those with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes using an HbA1c cutoff of 7%. Levels of micronutrients were measured from serum and categorized into normal and abnormal levels. Results: A total of 1118 participants (374 cases and 744 controls) were included with a mean age of 41.7 years (SD 9.9), of whom 53.9% were female. Of those with diabetes, 229 had controlled diabetes and 145 had uncontrolled diabetes. Compared to those without diabetes, participants with diabetes had significantly lower mean magnesium (0.80 mmol/L (SD 0.07) vs. 0.84 mmol/L (SD 0.06), respectively, p < 0.001). Lower magnesium and iron were observed in participants with uncontrolled compared to participants with controlled diabetes. After multivariable logistic regression, diabetes was associated with hypomagnesemia (OR 3.2, 95% CI 3.4–213.9) and low iron (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.03–2.15). Uncontrolled diabetes showed stronger odds of association with hypomagnesemia (OR 5.57, 95% CI 3.65–8.52). Conclusion: In an affluent setting in the MENA region, diabetes was associated with low magnesium and low iron, and this association was stronger in individuals with uncontrolled diabetes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Glucose Metabolism: Molecular Basis and Novel Therapies of Diabetic Complication)

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Review

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12 pages, 567 KiB

Open AccessReview

Hypoglycemia Unawareness—A Review on Pathophysiology and Clinical Implications

by Laura Hölzen, Bernd Schultes, Sebastian M. Meyhöfer and Svenja Meyhöfer

Biomedicines 2024, 12(2), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12020391 - 8 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1913

Abstract

Hypoglycemia is a particular problem in people with diabetes while it can also occur in other clinical circumstances. Hypoglycemia unawareness describes a condition in which autonomic and neuroglycopenic symptoms of hypoglycemia decrease and hence are hardly perceivable. A failure to recognize hypoglycemia in time can lead to unconsciousness, seizure, and even death. The risk factors include intensive glycemic control, prior episodes of severe hypoglycemia, long duration of diabetes, alcohol consumption, exercise, renal failure, and sepsis. The pathophysiological mechanisms are manifold, but mainly concern altered brain glucose sensing, cerebral adaptations, and an impaired hormonal counterregulation with an attenuated release of glucagon, epinephrine, growth hormone, and other hormones, as well as impaired autonomous and neuroglycopenic symptoms. Physiologically, this counterregulatory response causes blood glucose levels to rise. The impaired hormonal counterregulatory response to recurrent hypoglycemia can lead to a vicious cycle of frequent and poorly recognized hypoglycemic episodes. There is a shift in glycemic threshold to trigger hormonal counterregulation, resulting in hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure and leading to the clinical syndrome of hypoglycemia unawareness. This clinical syndrome represents a particularly great challenge in diabetes treatment and, thus, prevention of hypoglycemia is crucial in diabetes management. This mini-review provides an overview of hypoglycemia and the associated severe complication of impaired hypoglycemia awareness and its symptoms, pathophysiology, risk factors, consequences, as well as therapeutic strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Glucose Metabolism: Molecular Basis and Novel Therapies of Diabetic Complication)

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