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☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Trends of diabetes and pre-diabetes in Indonesia 2013-2023: a serial analysis of national health surveys

Por: Muharram · F. R. · Swannjo · J. B. · Melbiarta · R. R. · Martini · S. — Septiembre 11th 2025 at 06:34
Objectives

To examine trends in the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in Indonesia from 2013 to 2023 and to explore demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with these changes.

Design

Secondary data analysis on multiseries cross-sectional study.

Setting

Three waves of the Indonesian National Health Survey (2013, 2018 and 2023), each employing nationally representative, stratified multistage sampling.

Participants

Nationally representative respondents aged 15 years and older who completed fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Diabetes and pre-diabetes were defined based on FPG and OGTT tests and self-reported diagnosis. Multivariable and ordinal logistic regression models assessed associations between glycaemic status and demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors.

Results

From 2013 to 2023, the prevalence of diabetes rose from 10.7% (95% CI: 10.2% to 11.2%) in 2013 to 11.8% (11.3% to 12.3%) in 2018, before declining to 11.3% (10.7% to 11.9%) in 2023. Meanwhile, pre-diabetes prevalence decreased from 44.5% (43.6% to 45.3%) in 2013 to 39.2% (38.0% to 40.3%) in 2023. Age-standardised and synthetic cohort analysis revealed that younger birth cohorts had lower diabetes prevalence at the same age compared with older generations. In contrast, diabetes prevalence remained high and stable among older adults, suggesting that an increase in diabetes prevalence was due to the increase in older population size rather than increased risk. Multivariable regression confirms that higher age and BMI were strong predictors for diabetes, pre-diabetes and abnormal glycaemic states. Wealth quintiles showed different associations: higher wealth was linked to lower pre-diabetes odds, but not consistently to diabetes.

Conclusions

The ageing population drives the rise of diabetes prevalence in Indonesia. Generational improvements were shown among younger adults, while persistent high diabetes prevalence in older adults underscores ongoing challenges. These findings highlight the importance of age-targeted and cohort-targeted screening and prevention strategies.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Quantitative retinal morphology and mortality in individuals with proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a retrospective cohort study in a large real-world population

Por: Khan · A. Z. · Ribeiro Reis · A. P. · Olvera-Barrios · A. · Zhou · Y. · Williamson · D. J. · Struyyen · R. R. · Khalid · H. · Egan · C. · Denniston · A. K. · Keane · P. A. · Wagner · S. K. — Septiembre 10th 2025 at 05:45
Objectives

To investigate whether quantitative retinal markers, derived from multimodal retinal imaging, are associated with increased risk of mortality among individuals with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), the most severe form of diabetic retinopathy.

Design

Longitudinal retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting

This study was nested within the AlzEye cohort, which links longitudinal multimodal retinal imaging data routinely collected from a large tertiary ophthalmic institution in London, UK, with nationally held hospital admissions data across England.

Participants

A total of 675 individuals (1129 eyes) with PDR were included from the AlzEye cohort. Participants were aged ≥40 years (mean age 57.3 years, SD 10.3), and 410 (60.7%) were male.

Outcome measures

The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Quantitative retinal markers were derived from fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography using AutoMorph and Topcon Advanced Boundary Segmentation, respectively. We used unadjusted and adjusted Cox-proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for the association between retinal features and time to death.

Results

After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, each 1-SD decrease in arterial fractal dimension (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.04), arterial vessel density (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.17), arterial average width (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.79), central retinal arteriolar equivalent (HR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.82) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness (HR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.50) was associated with increased mortality risk. When also adjusting for hypertension, arterial fractal dimension (HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.92), arterial vessel density (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.08) and GC-IPL thickness (HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.38) remained significantly associated with mortality.

Conclusions

Several quantitative retinal markers, relating to both microvascular morphology and retinal neural thickness, are associated with increased mortality among individuals with PDR. The role of retinal imaging in identifying those individuals with PDR most at risk of imminent life-threatening sequelae warrants further investigation.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Economic evaluation of integrating nutritional support intervention in Indias National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme: implications for low-income and middle-income countries

Por: Jyani · G. · Prinja · S. · Nadipally · S. · Shankar · M. · Rao · N. · Rao · V. · Singh · R. R. · Shah · A. · Chugh · Y. · Monga · D. · Sharma · A. · Aggarwal · A. — Septiembre 4th 2025 at 15:50
Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of integrating nutritional support into India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) using the MUKTI initiative.

Design

Economic evaluation.

Setting

Primary data on the cost of delivering healthcare services, out-of-pocket expenditure and health-related quality of life among patients with tuberculosis (TB) were collected from Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Intervention

Integration of nutritional support (MUKTI initiative) into the NTEP of India.

Control

Routine standard of care in the NTEP of India.

Primary outcome measure

Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained.

Methods

A mathematical model, combining a Markov model and a compartmental susceptible–infected–recovered model, was used to simulate outcomes for patients with pulmonary TB under NTEP and MUKTI protocols. Primary data collected from 2615 patients with TB, supplemented with estimates from published literature, were used to model progression of disease, treatment outcomes and community transmission dynamics over a 2-year time horizon. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level scale. Costs to the health system and out-of-pocket expenditures were included. A multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analysis was undertaken to estimate the effect of joint parameter uncertainty. A scenario analysis explored outcomes without considering community transmission. Results are presented based on health-system and abridged societal perspectives.

Results

Over 2 years, patients in the NTEP plus MUKTI programme had higher life years (1.693 vs 1.622) and QALYs (1.357 vs 1.294) than those in NTEP alone, with increased health system costs (11 538 vs 6807 (US$139 vs US$82)). Incremental cost per life year gained and QALY gained were 67 164 (US$809) and 76 306 (US$919), respectively. At the per capita gross domestic product threshold of 161 500 (US$1946) for India, the MUKTI programme had a 99.9% probability of being cost-effective but exceeded the threshold when excluding community transmission.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the potential benefits of a cost-effective, holistic approach that addresses socio-economic determinants such as nutrition. Reduction in community transmission is the driver of cost-effectiveness of nutritional interventions in patients with TB.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Correlation between fatigue and pulmonary involvement in the post-COVID-19 condition: a cross-sectional study 6-12 months after hospital discharge

Por: Kajiwara · M. S. · Lamas · C. A. · Luna · L. A. V. d. · Yokoyama · T. S. · de Oliveira · P. R. · Chate · R. C. · Sawamura · M. V. Y. · Imamura · M. · Carvalho · C. R. R. d. · Salge · J. M. · HCFMUSP COVID-19 task force · Araujo · Segurado · Montal · Miethke-Morais · Levin · Peron — Julio 14th 2025 at 04:23
Introduction

Post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) may include pulmonary sequelae, fatigue and other symptoms, but its mechanisms are not fully elucidated.

Objective

This study investigated the correlation between fatigue and the presence of pulmonary abnormalities in PCC patients with respiratory involvement 6–12 months after hospitalisation.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

A tertiary hospital in Brazil.

Participants

315 patients, aged ≥18 years, were considered eligible based on SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR.

Methods

Pulmonary function tests (PFT), cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET), chest CT and hand grip were performed. The following scales were applied: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale, Euroqol 5 Dimensions quality of life (EQ-5D) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Participants were divided between the fatigue group (FACIT-F≤30) and the non-fatigue group (FACIT-F>30). For the statistical analysis, the primary outcome was the difference in the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) between groups. Considered secondary outcomes were differences in PFT, CPET, chest CT, hand grip, EQ-5D and HADS.

Results

The fatigue group had 81 patients (25.7%) against 234 (74.3%). PFT and CPET showed no significant difference in DLCO and oxygen consumption peak values between groups. The fatigue group had a lower workload (mean 55.3±21.3 watts vs 66.5±23.2 watts, p=0.003), higher breathing reserve (median 41.9% (33.8–52.5) vs 37.7% (28.9–47.1), p=0.028) and lower prevalence of ground glass opacity (60.8% vs 77.7%, p=0.003) and reticulation (36.7% vs 54.9%, p=0.005) in chest CT. The fatigue group had higher anxiety (57% vs 24%, p

Conclusion

Fatigue in patients with PCC 6–12 months after hospitalisation is relatively common and had weak correlation with pulmonary disorders. Our results suggested fatigue could be strongly related with peripheral disorders such as reduced musculoskeletal strength or psychosocial limitations.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

What drives clinic follow-up after traumatic spinal injury? An observational cohort study from Tanzania

Por: Ikwuegbuenyi · C. A. · Woodfield · J. · Sabas · R. R. · Inzerillo · S. · Willett · N. · Cadieux · M. · Zuckerman · S. L. · Waterkeyn · F. · Mangat · H. S. · Shabani · H. K. · Härtl · R. — Junio 25th 2025 at 18:45
Objectives

To evaluate factors associated with clinic follow-up after traumatic spinal injury (TSI) in Tanzania, focusing on demographic, injury-related and hospital variables. We hypothesised that socioeconomic and injury-specific factors would predict follow-up adherence.

Design

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary government referral centre for neurosurgery and orthopaedics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Participants

443 adults with TSI admitted between September 2016 and October 2021. Inclusion criteria included survival to discharge and availability of the discharge date. Patients with missing data were excluded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcomes were any clinic follow-up and 1-year follow-up post-discharge. Secondary outcome was time to loss of follow-up. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with follow-up, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assessed follow-up duration.

Results

Of 443 patients (85.8% male, median age 34 years), 52.4% returned for follow-up. Independent factors associated with return included private insurance (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.69, 95% CI 1.38 to 5.45, p=0.005), involvement in a road traffic accident (aOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.83, p=0.009), lumbar injuries (aOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.30 to 4.00, p=0.004), neurological improvement at discharge (aOR 3.52, 95% CI 1.72 to 7.64, p=0.001) and hospital stays shorter than 24 days (aOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.47, p=0.022). Among those who returned, only 25.4% completed 1 year of follow-up. Predictors of 1-year follow-up included being female (aOR 4.87, 95% CI 2.31 to 10.56, p

Conclusion

Follow-up after TSI in this low- and middle-income country setting is poor, with fewer than one in eight patients completing 1 year. Private insurance, injury mechanism, neurological improvement and female sex predicted follow-up. Targeted efforts are needed to improve long-term care engagement.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Impact of Venous CONgestion on Organ Function and Outcomes in Sepsis (ICON-Sepsis): a prospective observational cohort study protocol

Por: Ehrman · R. R. · Sherwin · R. L. · Reynolds · C. A. · Korzeniewski · S. J. · Welch · R. D. · Kline · J. A. · Ying · H. · Levy · P. D. — Junio 8th 2025 at 20:23
Introduction

Sepsis is a common condition with significant morbidity, mortality and annual costs of care in the billions of dollars. Despite innumerable studies on the causes of, and therapies for, sepsis, the mortality rate has not changed substantially in the last 20 years. Treatments remain generic, with current guidelines recommending the same approach for all patients, regardless of the litany of differences that exist at baseline. Moreover, the blanket administration of 30 cc/kg of intravenous fluid (IVF) to all patients is recognised as being directly harmful to some. Patient-level heterogeneity in prior sepsis trials is recognised as a substantial contributor to all these problems, yet no prior investigation has attempted to identify volume-informed septic phenotypes, a necessary first step towards precision care.

Methods and analysis

Predicated on prior studies demonstrating detectability of organ-level congestion, we hypothesise that central venous hypertension (1) is deleterious to the function of the lungs, liver, kidneys and vascular endothelium; (2) is worsened by cardiac dysfunction and IVF administration; and (3) contributes to adverse organ-specific and overall outcomes. Beginning in the emergency department, cardiac function will be assessed with echocardiography while congestion in the lungs and kidneys will be assessed using previously validated sonographic markers of congestion. Biomarkers for each organ will be collected concurrently, thereby increasing the fidelity of our phenotypic profiles by pairing indicators of macroscopic and microscopic stress and dysfunction. Data will also be collected at 24 hours and 7 days (or discharge, whichever comes first) after presentation. Classical and machine learning approaches will be used to analyse our large data stream and develop a rule-based system to identify distinct subpopulations of patients with sepsis who have greater risk/likelihood of both organ-specific and overall adverse outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

This project has been approved by the Wayne State University Institutional Review Board, with patient enrolment beginning in April 2024. Findings will be reported and disseminated via conference presentations and open-access publications.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

PlacEntal Acute atherosis RefLecting Subclinical systemic atherosclerosis in women up to 20 years after pre-eclampsia (PEARLS): research protocol for a cohort study

Por: Jansen · G. · Alers · R.-J. · Janssen · E. B. · Jorissen · L. M. · Morina - Shijaku · E. · Severens-Rijvers · C. · van t Hof · A. · van Drongelen · J. · Scholten · R. R. · Al-Nasiry · S. · Stevens · D. · Ganzevoort · W. · Gordijn · S. · Cornette · J. · Mihl · C. · Kietelaer · B. · Ghos — Mayo 25th 2025 at 02:10
Introduction

Despite being a leading cause of female morbidity and mortality, female-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) is understudied, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Pregnancy complications involving the placenta, including pre-eclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension and foetal growth restriction, are thought to reflect global maternal vascular derangements that indicate a twofold to eightfold increased risk of future CVD. This calls for a better understanding of female cardiovascular pathophysiology to allow development of targeted screening and prevention strategies.

Acute atherosis is a placental vascular lesion, which histologically resembles systemic atherosclerosis. The PlacEntal Acute atherosis RefLecting Subclinical atherosclerosis study investigates the association between placental acute atherosis lesions and subclinical systemic atherosclerosis up to 20 years postpartum.

This study will improve our understanding of the relationship between pregnancy complications and CVD to identify potential prevention targets and treatments. In addition, it could determine whether the placenta can improve identification of young women at high risk of CVD. These women could benefit from risk-reducing interventions.

Methods and analysis

This longitudinal prospective cohort study will include women who are either currently pregnant or from a historical cohort. Both groups will have placental histopathology and a single postpartum CVD assessment. The CVD assessment will include medical history taking, blood tests, electrocardiography and echocardiography. Additionally, coronary CT angiography focusing on the presence of atherosclerotic plaques and calcium score will be carried out.

The currently pregnant women will either have a pre-eclamptic pregnancy (pre-eclamptic group) or an uncomplicated normotensive pregnancy (uncomplicated group), and their placenta will be collected prospectively. The single CVD assessment will be carried out 6–36 months postpartum.

Women from the historical cohort had a pre-eclamptic pregnancy 10–20 years ago. Placental tissue is available for reanalysis. The single CVD assessment will take place immediately and corresponds with 10–20 years postpartum.

Exclusion criteria are contraindications to diagnostic assessment necessities: iodinated contrast, beta-blockers or glyceryl trinitrate. Women with uncomplicated pregnancies will be excluded if they have a pre-existing auto-immune condition, chronic hypertension or diabetes mellitus. In the pre-eclamptic group, there are no additional exclusion criteria.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by the Medical Ethics Committee in Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (NL52556.068.15/METC152019). Participants will give written informed consent. Results will be shared in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT05500989; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier.

☐ ☆ ✇ BMJ Open

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as an adjunct to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomised controlled trial

Por: Chang · W.-J. · Chiang · A. · Chowdhury · N. · Adie · S. · Naylor · J. M. · Finn · H. · Rizzo · R. R. N. · Gorgon · E. · OHagan · E. · Schabrun · S. M. — Mayo 23rd 2025 at 16:34
Objective

To examine the feasibility, safety and perceived patient response of a combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and quadriceps strengthening exercise intervention for knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

A two-arm, participant-blinded, therapist-blinded and assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial with additional follow-up of pain and function at 3 months. Participants were randomised to receive active rTMS+exercise (AR+EX) or sham rTMS+exercise (SR+EX) twice weekly for 6 weeks while completing home exercises twice a week. Primary outcomes included recruitment rate, treatment attendance, dropouts, willingness to undergo therapy (11-point Numeric Rating Scale, ‘not at all willing’=0 and ‘very willing’=10), success of participant, therapist and outcome assessor blinding, adverse events and Global Perceived Effect Scale. Secondary outcomes were pain, function and measures of physiological mechanisms.

Results

86 people were screened, 31 (36%) were randomised, 28 (90%) completed the treatments and 3 (10%) dropouts at 3-month follow-up. Both groups had high treatment attendance (98.4% and 100%). All participants scored at least 7 on the willingness to undergo therapy scale. Blinding was successful. No adverse events were reported. At the postintervention assessment, 80% in the AR+EX group and 75% in the SR+EX group reported an improvement on the Global Perceived Effect Scale. Both groups demonstrated within-group improvements in pain at the postintervention assessment but not at the 3-month follow-up. Function improved only in the AR+EX group at the postintervention assessment.

Conclusions

Combined rTMS and quadriceps strengthening exercise intervention for knee osteoarthritis is feasible, safe and well-received. A full-scale trial is justified to assess the clinical benefits of this novel treatment.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12621001712897.

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