Search Results (80)

Introduction: In 2021, 10.5% of people aged 20–79 had diabetes, projected to rise to 12.2% by 2045, causing early deaths and straining healthcare systems. Musculoskeletal (MS) pain is common, affecting many workers and the general population. Prediabetes, notably impaired fasting glucose (IFG), is linked to increased MS pain risk. Objective: This study aims to assess IFG’s impact on MS pain and specific pain sites to aid prevention strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the ‘2023 Employee Occupational Safety and Health Management Database’ from a Taichung hospital. It included health checks, demographics, living and work data, and MS pain surveys. Out of 2369 staff members contacted, 1039 valid responses were analyzed, excluding incomplete data, diabetes history, or fasting blood glucose levels above 125 mg/dL. Data on sex, age, marital status, coffee and alcohol consumption, sleep duration, exercise habits, height, weight, chronic diseases, profession, work hours, shift work, and education level were collected. Fasting blood glucose was verified using American Diabetes Association criteria (100–125 mg/dL). The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) measured MS pain frequency and severity, creating a pain degree index. Results: Overall, 21.17% had IFG. Participants were mostly female (85.18%), averaging 37.50 years. Neck and shoulder pain risk was linked to sex, coffee and alcohol consumption, sleep, exercise, chronic diseases, work hours, and IFG. Ankle pain risk was linked to coffee and alcohol consumption. IFG, coffee, alcohol, sleep under 6 h, chronic diseases, and work hours were independent risk factors for neck and shoulder pain. IFG was a risk factor for those without overweight or obesity. A mediation model tested IFG’s indirect effect on neck and shoulder pain among overweight or obese individuals, showing that IFG mediates the relationship between being overweight or obese and increased neck and shoulder pain risk. Conclusions: Among female-dominated healthcare workers, IFG, daily coffee, recent alcohol consumption, less than 6 h of sleep, chronic diseases (excluding diabetes), and longer work hours are independent risk factors for neck and shoulder pain. IFG mainly affects these areas, increasing pain risk regardless of body weight. Healthy blood glucose levels are associated with a lack of musculoskeletal pain, suggesting a novel prevention approach needing further study. Full article

Objectives: Given the considerable discrepancy in the literature regarding dietary protein and glucose homeostasis, we examined the prospective association between protein intake (total, animal, plant) and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). We also examined whether these associations differed by sex, body weight, or other risk factors. Methods: We included 1423 subjects, aged ≥ 30 years, in the Framingham Offspring Study cohort. Three-day dietary records at exams 3 and 5 were used to average protein intake and then adjusted for body weight residuals. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR), adjusting for anthropometric, demographic, and lifestyle factors over ~16 years of follow-up. Results: Subjects with the highest total protein intakes (≥100 g men; ≥85 g women) had a 31% lower risk of type 2 diabetes/IFG (95% CI: 0.54, 0.87). The highest (vs. lowest) category of intake of animal protein was associated with a 32% lower risk of diabetes/IFG (95% CI: 0.55, 0.83), whereas plant protein was not. Beneficial trends of total protein, especially animal, were stronger for women (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.87) than for men (HR: 0.82; 95% CI 0.58, 1.15). Subjects with lower BMI who consumed more protein had the lowest risks of diabetes/IFG. Conclusions: Overall, in this prospective study, higher intake of total dietary protein, including the consumption of animal protein, particularly among individuals with lower BMI and higher physical activity levels, was inversely associated with risk of incident type 2 diabetes and IFG. Full article

Dysglycemia is a condition preceding diabetes mellitus. The two situations inherent in this condition are called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). If one of these situations is found in the patient, after the advice of an appropriate diet and physical activity, the addition of nutraceuticals or supplements can be considered, which can stop or delay the progression to diabetes mellitus over time. The purpose was to compile a systematic review about the use of nutraceuticals for treating diabetes and prediabetes and to offer a valuable resource for colleagues working on this crucial subject, thereby improving patient health. The added value of the paper compared to other reviews is that it was written by experts appointed by five different scientific societies dealing with diabetes, nutrition, and complications. Full article

(1) Background: Diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death globally. Recent studies have highlighted the role of pre-diabetes, particularly impaired fasting glucose (IFG), in elevating CVD risk even before the onset of diabetes. The objective of this study was to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk across specific glycemic categories, including normoglycemia, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), newly diagnosed diabetes, and long-standing diabetes, in a large Mongolian population sample. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from a nationwide health screening program in Mongolia between 2022 and 2023, involving 120,266 adults after applying inclusion criteria. The participants were categorized based on fasting plasma glucose levels (NGT): normoglycemia, IFG, newly diagnosed diabetes, and long-standing diabetes. CVD risk was assessed using WHO risk prediction charts, considering factors like age, blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes status. (3) Results: CVD risk varied significantly with glycemic status. Among those with NGT, 62.9% were at low risk, while 31.2% were at moderate risk. In contrast, the IFG participants had 49.5% at low risk and 39.9% at moderate risk. Newly diagnosed diabetes showed 38.1% at low risk and 43.3% at moderate risk, while long-standing diabetes had 33.7% at low risk and 45.9% at moderate risk. Regression analysis indicated that glycemic status was independently associated with moderate to high CVD risk (OR in IFG: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.09–1.18), even after adjusting for age, gender, and central obesity. (4) Conclusions: This study emphasizes the need for early cardiovascular risk assessment and intervention, even in pre-diabetic stages like IFG. Full article

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, the most optimal type of nutritional intervention to prevent GDM in high-risk women is not clearly defined. This study investigates if nutritional treatment based on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) before the 12th gestational week (GW) in women at high risk due to a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m² reduces the rate of GDM and metabolic syndrome (MetS) at 3 years postpartum. We performed a post-hoc analysis of the San Carlos Gestational Prevention Study. A total of 735 women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² were evaluated between 2015 and 2018, with 246 in the standard diet control group (CG) and 489 in the MedDiet intervention group (IG). The rate of GDM was significantly lower in IG compared to CG (25.1% vs. 31.7%), relative risk (95% confidence interval), and 0.89 (0.78–0.99); p = 0.037. Postnatal follow-up was completed by 141 women in CG (57%) and 312 women in IG (64%). At 3 years postpartum, we observed a reduction in the rates of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (0.51 (0.28–0.92); p = 0.019), obesity (0.51 (0.28–0.92); p = 0.041), waist circumference (WC) ≥ 89.5 cm (0.54 (0.31–0.94); p = 0.022), and MetS (0.56 (0.33–0.94); p = 0.003). MedDiet reduces the rate of GDM and postpartum MetS in women with BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m², suggesting that its implementation should be routinely recommended from the first GWs. Full article

The evidence remains inconsistent regarding whether vitamin D deficiency (VDD) increases the risk of prediabetes. This study aimed to examine whether there is sex-specific association between VDD and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Henan. The data were sourced from the survey of chronic diseases and nutrition in Henan. Multinomial logistic regression models based on complex sampling design and weight were developed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (95%CI) for measuring the association between VDD and IFG/IGT. The prevalence rate of IGT in men was 20.1% in the VDD group, significantly higher than that in the non-VDD group (10.5%), but no significant difference was observed in women between the VDD and non-VDD groups; there were no significant differences in IFG prevalence between the VDD and non-VDD groups in either men or women. It was found that the association between VDD and IGT was statistically significant in men. The adjusted OR (95%CI) of VDD was 1.99 (1.24–3.19) for IGT in men and 14.84 (4.14–53.20) for IGT in men having a family history of DM. Thus, men with VDD were more likely to live with IGT than those without VDD, especially for men having a family history of diabetes. Full article

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for liver disease, insulin resistance, and beta cell dysfunction. Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have many comorbidities, with a heavy burden of liver disease and metabolic complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Objective: We aimed to analyze the prevalence and associations of vitamin D deficiency in patients admitted for in-hospital treatment of AUD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients consecutively admitted for the treatment of AUD between January 2017 and October 2023. Sociodemographic data, substance use characteristics, and blood parameters were available at admission. Vitamin D status was assessed through the serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels using a direct competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay method. Deficiency of vitamin D was defined as a concentration less than 20 ng/mL; impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was defined by fasting blood glucose >100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), and advanced liver fibrosis by an FIB-4 index >3.25. Results: Two hundred and forty-three patients were included (75% male) with a mean age of 49 ± 10 years, mean BMI of 26.4 ± 7.3, mean alcohol consumption of 163 ± 81 g/day, and a mean duration of AUD of 18.1 ± 11.2 years. Mean 25(OH)D, fasting blood glucose, AST, ALT, and platelets were 14.4 ± 10.2 ng/mL, 103.4 ± 40.9 mg/dL, 55.1 ± 75.8 U/L, 44.8 ± 76.6 U/L, and 206.3 ± 84.8 × 10⁹/L, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 80.6%, and 41.1% of patients had levels less than 10 ng/mL. IFG was present in 32.3% of patients, and 20.5% had FIB-4 values >3.25. In the multivariable analysis, IFG (OR, 2.51; 95% CI: 1.02–6.17, p = 0.04) and advanced liver fibrosis (OR, 4.27; 95% CI: 1.21–15.0, p = 0.02) were the only factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency was very prevalent in this series of patients with AUD and was associated with impaired fasting glucose and advanced liver fibrosis. Full article

Background: Magnesium (Mg) is an essential element and participates in many metabolic pathways. Many studies have found a certain negative correlation between magnesium and blood glucose parameters, but the dose–response relationship between them is still a relatively narrow research field. We aim to explore the dose–response relationship between plasma and dietary Mg and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among childbearing women in a nationally representative sample. And we will also initially explore the threshold of dietary and plasma magnesium in the prevention of T2DM and their consistency. Methods: A total of 2912 18–44 year-old childbearing women were recruited from the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (2015). Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the dose–response relationship between plasma and dietary Mg and glucose parameters. The threshold effect between Mg and T2DM was explored by a restricted cubic spline regression. Results: It was found that when plasma Mg was increased by 0.041 mmol/L, the risk of T2DM, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and HbA1c-hyperglycemia was reduced by 18%, 19%, and 18%, respectively. The possible threshold value for plasma Mg to prevent the risk of T2DM was 0.87 mmol/L. Through the quality control of the sample dietary survey data, 2469 cases were finally included for dietary analysis. And the possible threshold value for dietary Mg to prevent the risk of T2DM was 408 mg/d. Taking the recommended dietary Mg intake of 330 mg/d as the reference group, when the Mg intake reached 408 mg/d, the risk of T2DM was significantly reduced. And the average plasma Mg level of the people whose dietary intake reached 408 mg/d was 0.87 mmol/L. Conclusions: These results indicate that dietary Mg and plasma Mg have good consistency on the threshold effect of glucose parameters in women of childbearing age. Full article

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) recently emerged as means of communication between insulin-sensitive tissues to mediate diabetes development and progression, and as such they present a valuable proxy for epigenetic alterations associated with type 2 diabetes. In order to identify miRNA markers for the precursor of diabetes called prediabetes, we applied a translational approach encompassing analysis of human plasma samples, mouse tissues and an in vitro validation system. MiR-652-3p, miR-877-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-130a-3p, miR-152-3p and let-7i-5p were increased in plasma of women with impaired fasting glucose levels (IFG) compared to those with normal fasting glucose and normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Among these, let-7i-5p and miR-93-5p correlated with fasting blood glucose levels. Human data were then compared to miRNome data obtained from islets of Langerhans and adipose tissue of 10-week-old female New Zealand Obese mice, which differ in their degree of hyperglycemia and liver fat content. Similar to human plasma, let-7i-5p was increased in adipose tissue and islets of Langerhans of diabetes-prone mice. As predicted by the in silico analysis, overexpression of let-7i-5p in the rat β-cell line INS-1 832/12 resulted in downregulation of insulin signaling pathway components (Insr, Rictor, Prkcb, Clock, Sos1 and Kcnma1). Taken together, our integrated approach highlighted let-7i-5p as a potential regulator of whole-body insulin sensitivity and a novel marker of prediabetes in women. Full article

High adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, it is less clear whether the different MD food items might influence specific biological functions related to glucose tolerance, i.e., insulin resistance (IR) and/or secretion (IS). Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between adherence to MD and IR, insulin sensitivity, and IS in individuals with overweight/obesity. Participants (62 individuals; 7M/55F; mean age 49 ± 15 years; mean BMI 35.8 ± 6.7 kg/m²) underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to assess plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. These parameters were used for the calculation of validated IR indices (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), Homeostatic Model Assessment for β-cell function (HOMA-β)), as well as insulin sensitivity indices (insulin sensitivity index (ISI), oral glucose insulin sensitivity (OGIS)). MD adherence was gauged using the PREDIMED questionnaire. Bivariate correlations were used to highlight the association between OGTT-derived indices and MD adherence (PREDIMED score) or specific foodstuffs related to MD. Despite there being no significant differences in BMI, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), the high MD adherence group presented lower HOMA-IR (p = 0.022) and higher ISI (p = 0.033) compared to other groups. High MD adherence was inversely correlated with HOMA-IR (r = −0.400; p = 0.004) and directly correlated with ISI (r = 0.296, p = 0.039). Fish consumption, a key component of MD, exhibited significant associations: it was directly correlated to ISI (r = 0.394, p = 0.005) and inversely related to HOMA-IR (r = −0.327, p = 0.019) and β-cell function (r = −0.489, p < 0.001). In conclusion, a high MD adherence, and in particular the consumption of fish, is associated with a decreased IR in individuals with overweight/obesity. Full article

This randomized controlled trial is aimed at assessing the efficacy of combining time-restricted eating (TRE) with behavioral economic (BE) interventions and comparing it to TRE alone and to the usual care for reducing fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and other cardiometabolic risk factors among patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Seventy-two IFG patients aged 18–65 years were randomly allocated for TRE with BE interventions (26 patients), TRE alone (24 patients), or usual care (22 patients). Mean FPG, HbA1c, and other cardiometabolic risk factors among the three groups were compared using a mixed-effect linear regression analysis. Mean body weight, FPG, HbA1c, fasting insulin, and lipid profiles did not significantly differ among the three groups. When considering only patients who were able to comply with the TRE protocol, the TRE group showed significantly lower mean FPG, HbA1c, and fasting insulin levels compared to the usual care group. Our results did not show significant differences in body weight, blood sugar, fasting insulin, or lipid profiles between TRE plus BE interventions, TRE alone, and usual care groups. However, TRE might be an effective intervention in lowering blood sugar levels for IFG patients who were able to adhere to the TRE protocol. Full article

The aim of the study was to analyze the association between dietary patterns (DP) identified in the group of Lower Silesia (Poland) inhabitants and the prevalence of selected noncommunicable diseases, such as total cardiovascular diseases (CVD), hypertension, diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), visceral obesity, and excessive body weight. This study involved 2023 subjects aged 35–70 years, from Wroclaw and surrounding villages. The assessment of food intake in the study group was assessed using the standardized Food Frequency Questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified using the principal components analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation. Three dietary patterns were identified in the study group: unhealthy, healthy, and traditional. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, IFG, and visceral obesity decreased across the quartiles of healthy DP. Prevalence of IFG increased across the quartiles of unhealthy DP, but the prevalence of hypertension decreased. When the diet was more adherent to the traditional DP the prevalence of CVD, diabetes, IFG, visceral obesity, obesity, and being overweight was higher. DP abundant in fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, raisins, and unrefined grains, named “healthy dietary pattern”, had a beneficial association with lower prevalence of selected noncommunicable diseases. DP abundant in meat products, but poor in fruits and vegetables were positively associated with higher prevalence of total CVD, diabetes, IFG, excessive body weight, and visceral obesity. Full article

Background and aim—Alterations in circulating microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns are thought to be involved in the early stages of prediabetes, as well as in the progression to overt type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and its vascular complications. However, most research findings are conflicting, in part due to differences in miRNA extraction and normalization methods, and in part due to differences in the study populations and their selection. This cross-sectional study seeks to find new potentially useful biomarkers to predict and/or diagnose T2D by investigating the differential expression patterns of circulating miRNAs in the serum of patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and new-onset T2D, with respect to euglycemic controls, using a high-throughput 384-well array and real-time PCR. Methods—Thirty subjects, aged 45–65 years, classified into three matched groups (of 10 participants each) according to their glycometabolic status, namely (1) healthy euglycemic controls, (2) patients with IFG and (3) patients with new-onset, uncomplicated T2D (<2 years since diagnosis) were enrolled. Circulating miRNAs were extracted from blood serum and profiled through real-time PCR on a commercial 384 well-array, containing spotted forward primers for 372 miRNAs. Data analysis was performed by using the online data analysis software GeneGlobe and normalized by the global Ct mean method. Results—Of the 372 analyzed miRNAs, 33 showed a considerably different expression in IFG and new-onset T2D compared to healthy euglycemic controls, with 2 of them down-regulated and 31 up-regulated. Stringent analysis conditions, using a differential fold regulation threshold ≥ 10, revealed that nine miRNAs (hsa-miR-3610, hsa-miR-3200-5p, hsa-miR-4651, hsa-miR-3135b, hsa-miR-1281, hsa-miR-4301, hsa-miR-195-5p, hsa-miR-523-5p and hsa-let-7a-5p) showed a specific increase in new-onset T2D patients compared to IFG patients, suggesting their possible role as early biomarkers of progression from prediabetes to T2D. Moreover, by conventional fold regulation thresholds of ±2, hsa-miR-146a-5p was down-regulated and miR-1225-3p up-regulated in new-onset T2D patients only. Whereas hsa-miR-146a-5p has a well-known role in glucose metabolism, insulin resistance and T2D complications, no association between hsa-miR-1225-3p and T2D has been previously reported. Bioinformatic and computational analysis predict a role of hsa-miR-1225-3p in the pathogenesis of T2D through the interaction with MAP3K1 and HMGA1. Conclusions—The outcomes of this study could aid in the identification and characterization of circulating miRNAs as potential novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of T2D and may serve as a proof-of-concept for future mechanistic investigations. Full article

The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a middle-aged north-eastern Portuguese population, (2) to analyze the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and (3) to assess the risk of T2D in this community-based sample. An exploratory, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted from a total of 6570 individuals aged 18–102 years, among which 3865 were women (57.4 ± 18.1 years) and 2705 were men (60.0 ± 16.8 years). T2D diagnosis, IFG, and the diabetes risk score (low to very high risk) were assessed. The prevalence of T2D in this adult and an older north-eastern Portuguese population was 17.4%. A higher prevalence of T2D was reported in men (22.2%) than in women (14.0%); however, this was without significant differences (p = 0.086). Otherwise, the prevalence of T2D was significantly different among the age groups and increased with age (p < 0.001). Regarding IFG, a higher percentage of cases was observed in men (14.1%) than in women (8.4%) (p < 0.001). The risk of developing T2D in the next 10 years showed an association with sex and age group (p < 0.001) with a small-to-moderate effect (V = 0.1–0.3). Men and the elderly had the highest percentage of cases in the moderate-to-very high-risk bands. The current research confirmed a higher prevalence of T2D, IFG, and diabetes risk than previous Portuguese epidemiological reports. The results also suggest potential prediabetes cases, which should be carefully monitored. The current research adds evidence to the worldwide trend of the increasing prevalence of T2D and intermediate hyperglycemia (i.e., prediabetes). Full article

Objective: Molecular hydrogen (H₂) exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, and has shown benefits in glucose and lipid metabolism in certain animal metabolic disorder models. However, the potential benefits of H₂ treatment in individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) has seldom been studied. This randomized controlled study (RCT) aims to investigate the effects of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on IFG subjects and explore the underlying mechanism involved. Methods: Seventy-three patients with IFG were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. These patients were assigned to receive either 1000 mL per day of HRW or placebo pure water (no H₂ infusion) for a duration of eight weeks. Metabolic parameters and fecal gut microbiota were assessed at baseline (week 0) and at week 8. A combined analysis of metabolomics and intestinal microbiota was conducted to investigate the correlation between the effect of H₂ on the metabolisms and the diversity of intestinal flora in the IGF patients. Results: Both pure water and HRW demonstrated a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose in IFG patients, with a significant difference between pure water and HRW after eight weeks. Among IFG patients with abnormal pre-experimental fatty liver, 62.5% (10/16) in the HRW group and 31.6% (6/19) in the pure water group achieved remission. Furthermore, 16S RNA analysis revealed HRW-modified gut microbiota dysbiosis in the fecal samples of IGF patients. Through Pearson correlation analysis, the differential gut microbiota obtained by 16S analysis was found to be highly correlated with nine metabolites. Conclusion: H₂ slightly improved metabolic abnormalities and gut microbiota dysbiosis, providing a novel target and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of blood glucose regulation in patients with IFG. Full article