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Several algorithms and guidelines have been proposed by countries and international professional bodies; however, no recent updated management algorithm is available for Asian Indians. Specifically, algorithms developed and validated in developed nations may not be relevant or applicable to patients in India because of several factors: early age of onset of diabetes, occurrence of diabetes in nonobese and sometimes lean people, differences in the relative contributions of insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, marked postprandial glycemia, frequent infections including tuberculosis, low access to healthcare and medications in people of low socioeconomic stratum, ethnic dietary practices (e.g., ingestion of high-carbohydrate diets), and inadequate education regarding hypoglycemia. All these factors should be considered to choose appropriate therapeutic option in this population. The proposed algorithm is simple, suggests less expensive drugs, and tries to provide an effective and comprehensive framework for delivery of diabetes therapy in primary care in India. The proposed guidelines agree with international recommendations in favoring individualization of therapeutic targets as well as modalities of treatment in a flexible manner suitable to the Indian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the association in a South Indian population with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of type 2 diabetes risk variants that have previously conferred susceptibility to GDM in other populations. Subjects and Methods: The study groups comprised 518 women with GDM and 910 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Women with GDM were recruited from a tertiary diabetes center in Chennai, in south India, and NGT women were selected from antenatal clinics also in Chennai. Genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood using the phenol chloroform method. Twelve previously reported GDM-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or near nine loci were genotyped using the MassARRAY™ system (Sequenom, San Diego, CA). Results: Among the 12 SNPs genotyped, 11 SNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and had a call rate of >95%. Of the 11 SNPs previously associated with GDM in other populations, significant association was observed only with the rs7754840 and rs7756992 SNPs of the CDK5 regulatory subunit associated protein 1-like 1 ( CDKAL1) gene in this population. The minor alleles of the SNPs rs7754840 and rs7756992 showed significant susceptibility to GDM with an odds ratio of 1.34 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.60; P=0.0013) and 1.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.21-1.72; P=0.00004), respectively. Conclusions: The rs7754840 and rs7756992 SNPs of the CDKAL1 gene were found to be associated with GDM in this south Indian population. This is the first study describing genetic susceptibility of GDM in Asian Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study assessed the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and coronary artery diseases (CAD) in Asian Indians, who are known to be at high risk of CAD and diabetes but have lower prevalence of DR. Subjects and Methods: Type 2 diabetes subjects ( n=1,736) were selected from the urban component of the population-based Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study Eye Study. Four-field stereo retinal color photography was done, and DR when present was classified according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grading system. Among the 1,723 subjects with gradable fundus photographs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed in 1,602 individuals, and analysis was restricted to this group. CAD was diagnosed based on documented medical history of CAD or Minnesota coding of ECGs. Results: The prevalence of CAD was significantly higher among subjects with DR compared with those without (11.3% vs. 6.7%; P=0.007). A significant association was observed between DR and CAD in subjects with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels >7% ( P=0.002). After controlling for age and gender, only hard exudates were associated with CAD ( P=0.032). Logistic regression analysis revealed that even after adjusting for age, gender, HbA1c, mean arterial blood pressure, smoking, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, DR was significantly associated with CAD among the study subjects (odds ratio [OR]=1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-2.49; P=0.049) and those subjects with duration of diabetes >10 years (OR=4.06; 95% CI, 1.55-10.60; P=0.004). Conclusions: This cross-sectional study shows a significant association between DR and CAD in South Indian subjects with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study looked at the association of adipokines, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in subjects with the following phenotypes: metabolically healthy, nonobese (MHNO), metabolically healthy, obese (MHO), metabolically obese, nonobese (MONO), and metabolically obese, obese (MOO). Materials and Methods: Subjects with MHNO ( n=462), MHO ( n=192), MONO ( n=315), and MOO ( n=335) were randomly selected from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study. Adiponectin, visfatin, resistin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Levels of adiponectin were lowest in the MOO group, followed by the MONO, MHO, and the MHNO groups ( P=0.042), whereas the levels of visfatin ( P=0.042) and resistin ( P=0.043) were highest in the MOO group, followed by the MONO, MHO, and the MHNO groups. Levels of hs-CRP ( P=0.029), TNF-α ( P=0.036), IL-6 ( P=0.042), oxidized LDL (P=0.036), and MCP-1 ( P=0.039) increased from the MHNO to MHO to MONO to MOO phenotypes. Linear regression analysis of the parameters with body mass index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome components showed that adiponectin is negatively associated with abdominal obesity (β=−0.060; P=0.039) and BMI (β=−0.076; P=0.009) and that TNF-α is negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein levels (β=0.114, P=0.049) even after adjusting for age and gender. hs-CRP (β=0.112, P=0.020) and oxidized LDL (β=0.114, P=0.050) showed a positive association with systolic blood pressure even after adjusting for age and gender. Conclusions: The metabolically obese phenotype is characterized by altered adipokine and inflammatory profiles, which could make this phenotype at high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on an article by India Diabetes Management Algorithm Proposal Group titled "A Proposed India-Specific Algorithm for Management of Type 2 Diabetes" as one of the keys toward formulating management guidelines that address a critical need in a population where authoritative guidelines are available. While metformin remains the first line of treatment in the management of type 2 diabetes for overweight patients, the authors propose using sulfonylrea as first-time treatment.