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AbstractObjectives:Adherence to diabetes management tasks in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients deteriorates during puberty. This causes glycemic dysregulation, which accelerates the development of long-term complications.Methods:The data of 25 poorly regulated T1DM-patients were compared before and 3 and 9 months after a psycho-educational program. Data were extracted from patient’s records. The psycho-educational program consisted of three sessions for the patients and one for the parents in a 3-month period.Results:HbA1c-levels at baseline (10.0±0.72%), decreased by 0.65% after 9 months follow-up (p=0.08). A subgroup of 15 patients showed a clinical significant HbA1c-reduction of ≥0.5% at 9 months follow-up (subgroup A), with a mean reduction of 1.6%.Conclusions:These encouraging results show that a psycho-educational program can be of benefit in improving HbA1c-levels in poorly regulated adolescents with T1DM. More research with a larger population is necessary to evaluate the value of psycho-educational programs in this age-group.

To investigate changes in physical activity (PA) and psychological factors during societal lockdown in people with type 2 diabetes. A cross‐sectional study among Dutch adults with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected using online questionnaires. A multivariate multinomial logistic regression was performed with change in PA during societal lockdown as outcome and perceived change in stress, anxiety, perceived risk for COVID‐19 infection, emotional well‐being and former PA status as determinants. Five hundred and sixty seven respondents filled out the questionnaire, 536 were included in the final analysis: mean age of 65.9 ± 7.9 years; mean diabetes duration 13.3 ± 8 years; 54% men; 47% reported no change in PA, 27% became less active and 26% became more active during societal lockdown. Participants who were more likely to become less active were participants who experienced more stress (OR: 2.27; 95% CI 1.25–4.13) or less stress (OR: 2.20; 95% CI 1.03–4.71). Participants who were more likely to become more active were participants who experienced more stress (OR: 2.31; 95% CI 1.25, 4.26). Participants with higher emotional well‐being (OR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 0.99) were less likely to become less active than to report no change in PA. Changes in PA in people with type 2 diabetes during societal lockdown are associated with changes in psychological factors such as perceived stress and emotional well‐being. People with diabetes and their caregivers should be aware of these possible changes. Physical activity is important for the management of diabetes and is influenced by daily life structures. Physical activity behaviour changed in people with type 2 diabetes during the societal lockdown in times of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Stress and well‐being are associated with change in physical activity.

South Asians with diabetes have more severe diabetic retinopathy (DR) and cardiovascular complications than white Caucasians. However, how big this gap is and the relation with the severity of DR has not been studied. Here, we quantify the difference in time from diabetes diagnosis until a first non‐fatal Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event (TUF MACE) in different DR groups in South Asians and Europeans. 3831 adults with type 2 diabetes, 1358 South Asians and 2473 Europeans, treated in our diabetes clinic between 2006 and 2017 were included. Data on risk factors, diabetes duration, age of diagnosis and diabetes complications were collected from the diabetes‐specific database and analysed using descriptive statistics and Cox regression. DR was graded in 3 categories, and non‐fatal MACE was pre‐specified. Prevalence of non‐fatal MACE was the same when DR was absent, increased with increasing severity of DR in both ethnic groups, but was more frequent in South Asians with DR (mild: 50 vs. 42% and severe 62 vs. 46%. Classic risk factors only differed in relation to smoking habits, which were significantly lower in South Asians. After correction for classic risk factors and age at diabetes diagnosis TUF MACE was significantly shorter in South Asians, an effect also seen in the no‐DR group (4.1 yrs. HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3–1.8 and 7.4 yrs. earlier, HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.6–2.6 for no‐DR and severe DR, respectively). When adjusted for age at diabetes diagnosis, we show that time until first non‐fatal MACE in South Asians is significantly shorter compared to Europeans and increases from no‐ to severe DR. Time until first non‐fatal MACE in South Asians is 4 to7 years shorter compared to Europeans depending on the presence of retinopathy

Background: Diabetes distress (DD) is an increasingly important part of clinical medicine, diabetes self-management and research topic in people with diabetes mellitus. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a value-based emotion-focused educational program in Malay adults with type 2 diabetes (VEMOFIT) at 12-month follow-up compared with a program with systematic attention to participants’ emotions (attention-control).Methods: VEMOFIT consisted of four biweekly group sessions and a booster session after 3 months; the attention-control program consisted of three sessions over the same period. Intention-to-treat analysis with multilevel mixed modelling was done to estimate the intervention effect.Results: Participants (n = 124) randomized to VEMOFIT (n= 53) or attention-control (n= 71). Mean (SD) age 55.7 (9.7) years, median diabetes duration 7.0 (8.0) years and mean HbA1c level 9.7% (82 mmol/mol). The mean DD (DDS-17 scale) level decreased in both groups (from 3.4 to 3.3 versus3.1–2.5, respectively), significantly more in the attention-control group [adjusted difference −0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) −1.1, −0.2]. The VEMOFIT group had a significant improvement in self-efficacy (DMSES, range 0–200; adjusted difference 16.4, 99.4% CI 1.9, 30.9). Other outcomes did not differ.Conclusions: Because the attention-control program resulted in a decreased DD 1 year later, its implementation on a larger scale seems justified.Trial registration: NCT02730078; NMRR-15-1144-24803