BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been as sociated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes that extend beyond the postpartum period. Knowledge of its prevalence and risk factors can lead to possible preventive strategies.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for GDM at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital-Clinical Division (USTH-CD).
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed between January to December 2009 at the USTH-CD. Simple and multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, and to control for confounding variables.
RESULTS: We reported the prevalence of GDM at USTH-CD to be 7.5%. The risk for GDM was significantly associated with increasing BMI (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.06, 2.24), family history of diabetes (OR 6.27; 95% CI 2.63, 14.96) and hormonal contraceptive use (OR 8.48; 1.55, 46.52). Mothers with GDM were also at increased risk of delivering via cesarean section (OR 2.76; 95% CI 1.13, 6.72). The 1-minute APGAR score of infants born to mothers with GDM were also lower (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.12, 0.83).
CONCLUSION: Higher BMI, family history of diabetes and hormonal contraceptive use were strongly associated with GDM. Presence of GDM increases the risk of having cesarean deliveries and a poor fetal 1-minute APGAR score. The presence of these findings may be helpful in identifying those at risk for GDM who might benefit from heightened surveillance during pregnancy.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cesarean Section ; Contraceptive Agents ; Diabetes, Gestational ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia developing in hypothyroid patients has been encountered in clinical practice; however, its prevalence has not been well established. METHODS: Thirty patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer, rendered hypothyroid after surgery and levothyroxine withdrawal, and who are for radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation were included. Serum sodium concentrations were measured twice, at the time of admission for RAI ablation, and before discharge after increased oral fluid intake. The outcome measures were to determine the prevalence of hyponatremia among hypothyroid patients prior to RAI ablation and after oral hydration post-RAI, and to correlate the serum sodium levels pre-RAI and post-RAI with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and age. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included, with ages from 23 to 65 years old (median, 40). Two patients (6.7%) were hyponatremic prior to RAI ablation, and eight patients (26.7%) had mild hyponatremia (130 to 134 mEq/L) after RAI and hydration. There was no significant correlation between TSH levels and serum sodium levels prior to or after RAI. There was also no significant correlation between pre- and post-RAI sodium concentration and age. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hyponatremia pre-RAI was 6.7%, and 26.7% post-RAI. No significant correlation was noted between TSH concentration and age on pre- or post-RAI sodium concentrations. Routine measurement of serum sodium post-RAI/isolation is still not advised. Measurement of sodium post-RAI may be considered in patients who are elderly, with comorbid conditions or on medications.
Aged ; Humans ; Hyponatremia* ; Hypothyroidism ; Iodine ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prevalence* ; Sodium ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine

INTRODUCTIONThe use of oral hypoglycaemic drugs in pregnancy is not recommended because of reports of foetal anomalies and other adverse outcomes in animal studies and in some human cases. However, recent studies have suggested that some oral hypoglycaemic drugs may be used in pregnancy. This review will examine these studies critically.

METHODSLiterature review of articles obtained from a PubMed search of peer-reviewed journals on oral hypoglycaemic drug use in pregnancy.

RESULTSIn two prospective studies, one of which was a randomised controlled trial, glibenclamide was as effective and safe as insulin in gestational diabetes. In several studies, metformin did not increase foetal anomalies or malformations when used during pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In one prospective study on infants born to mothers who used metformin in pregnancy, follow-up for 18 months showed no adverse effects. In several prospective and retrospective studies on women with PCOS, metformin was shown to prevent early pregnancy loss, decrease insulin resistance, reduce insulin and testosterone levels, and decrease the incidence of gestational diabetes when these women got pregnant while on metformin and continued to take it throughout their pregnancy. In a single small study, acarbose did not cause any adverse effects during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONSRecent evidence shows promising findings in the safety and efficacy of some oral hypoglycaemic agents in treating pregnant diabetics. However, larger clinical studies will be needed to ensure the safety and efficacy of these drugs in pregnancy.

Administration, Oral ; Contraindications ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy in Diabetics ; drug therapy ; Safety Management ; Singapore

INTRODUCTION:Radioactive iodine(I131) therapy is an established definitive treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism.However,the optimal method of determining the radioiodine treatment dose remains controversial.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of fixed dose versus  calculated  dose  regimen  in  the  treatment  of  Graves'  hyperthyroidism  among  Filipinos 
METHODOLOGY: Diagnosed   Graves'   disease   patients underwent  thyroid  ultrasound  to  estimate  thyroid  size. Patients  were  randomized  to  either  fixed  or  calculated dose  of  radioiodine  treatment.  For  fixed  dose  group,the  WHO  goiter  grading  was  utilized:  Grade   0   (5mCi),  Grade   1  (7mCi),  Grade2  (10mCi),  Grade  3  (15mCi).  For calculated  dose  group  the  following  formula  was  used:
                    Dose(mCi)= 160uCi/g thyroid x thyroid gland weight in grams x 100  /  24-hour RAIU(%)
Thyroid function test (TSH,FT4)  was monitored every  three  months  for  one  year. 
RESULTS: Of  the  60  patients  enrolled,  45  (fixed  dose;  n= 27,  calculated  dose;  n=  18)  completed  the  six  months follow-up  study.  Analysis  was  done  by  application  of  the  intention-to-treat  principle.  The  percentage  failure  rate  at  third  month  in  the  fixed  vs.  calculated  dose  group  was:  26  v.  28%  with  a  relative  risk  (RR)  value  of  0.93.  At  six  months  post-therapy,  there  was  a  noted  reduction  in  the  failure  rates  for  both  study  groups  (11  vs.  22%,  respectively),  with   a   further   reduction   in   the   relative   risk   value (0.67),  favoring  the  fixed  dose  group.
CONCLUSION: Fixed   dose   radioiodine   therapy   for Graves'   disease   is   observed   to   have   a   lower   risk   of   treatment   failure   (persistent   hyperthyroidism)   at   three  and  six  months  post-therapy  compared  to  the calculated  dose.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; Iodine ; Intention To Treat Analysis ; Graves Disease ; Hyperthyroidism ; Goiter ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Treatment Failure

Background: Diabetes will remain a threat to global health. No longer just a disorder of mature age, there is now a well-recognized trend towards the young. Early diagnosis leads to early intervention and prevention of complications in this susceptible but vital portion of the population. Objective: To compare the risk factors predisposing adults to early-onset (<40 years old) versus late-onset (≥40 years old) type 2 diabetes at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital from January 2015-December 2017. Methods: This is a retrospective review of medical records. All adult patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria from January 2015 to December 2017 were included in the study. Data from charts were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The early-onset group had a mean age of 34 years, while the late-onset group had a mean age of 51 years. The early-onset diabetics were mostly obese, had higher HbA1c, worse lipid profiles, and had a positive family history of diabetes. Only a BMI of >27.50 kg/m2 was found to be a significant risk factor contributing to early-onset of diabetes. Myocardial infarction and nephropathy were more frequent in the late-onset group while retinopathy was more common in the early-onset group. Lastly, only retinopathy and neuropathy were significantly associated with longer duration of diabetes. Conclusion The mean age of Filipinos was at least 5 years younger than the studies done on Caucasians. Most patients in the early-onset group were obese and had worse metabolic profiles. Retinopathy was more common in the early-onset group, while myocardial infarction and neuropathy were more common in the latter.
Risk Factors|philippines|early Diagnosis

BACKGROUND:The national prevalence of goiters in the Philippines was 3.7% in 1987 and 6.7% in 1993. Since then, there has been no follow-up survey on goiter prevalence, nor has there been any national survey on the prevalence of abnormal thyroid dysfunction. The PhilTiDeS is a survey on the prevalence of both goiters and thyroid disorders in the Philippines.
OBJECTIVES:To determine the prevalence of various categories of abnormal thyroid dysfunction among the Filipino non-pregnant adult population and to describe the prevalence of thyroid enlargement in the Philippines in relation to thyroid dysfunction status.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:The PhilTiDes was a substudy of the 2008 National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS), which covered all 17 regions and 80 provinces of the Philippines. It included all Filipino adults 20 years and older, who are non-pregnant and non-lactating. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data on previous diagnosis and current treatment for thyroid disorders, and neck examination by trained field personnel was done to assess the presence of goiter. Blood was extracted, processed and sent to an accredited laboratory for free T4 and TSH testing using micro-particle enzyme immunoassay.
RESULTS: A total of 4897 persons had thyroid function tests. Of these, 417 (8.53%) had thyroid function abnormalities with the most common abnormality being subclinical hyperthyroidism occurring in 5.33%. The other categories had the following prevalence: true hyperthyroidism 0.61% ; true hypothyroidism 0.41%; and subclinical hypothyroidism 2.18%. Majority of the population 4480 (91.47%) had normal thyroid function tests. Of those with subclinical hyperthyroidism, 55% are females with mean age of 48 years (95% CI 45.9-50.1 years) compared with the volunteers with normal thyroid function who were younger (mean age of 43.1, 95% CI 42.5-43.6 years). Out of the 7,227 volunteers who responded to the survey and clinical examination, a total of 674 (8.9%) had goiters. Out of the 674 subjects with goiters, 379 had diffuse enlargement (56%) while the rest had nodular goiter (44%). Among the sub-population (n= 4897) who underwent thyroid function testing, 9% of those with normal thyroid function tests have goiters.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in the Philippines is 8.53% with the greatest proportion of volunteers having subclinical thyroid disease. There is a low prevalence of both true or overt hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In the larger survey, it was found that 8.9% of volunteers who were examined had goiters. The etiology of these goiters will need to be ascertained in future studies.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Goiter, Nodular ; Health Surveys ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Philippines ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Volunteers

Objective: Antenatal steroids have shown to decrease the rate of neonatal complications and morbidity; however, neonates are predisposed to significant hypoglycemia resulting in invasive interventions and prolonged nursery admissions. The risk of hypoglycemia in the preterm has been well studied, but the association of antenatal steroids and hypoglycemia in preterm neonates has not been well explored. Thus, we sought to determine the association of antenatal steroids given to mothers who delivered prematurely and the development of neonatal hypoglycemia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using chart review was done on mother-preterm neonate pairs admitted in the charity obstetrical ward of The University of Santo Tomas Hospital from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. The subjects were mothers either given or not given antenatal steroids before preterm delivery and their respective neonates. The provision of antenatal steroids was the primary exposure, while neonatal hypoglycemia was the primary outcome. Measurement of association was done using odds ratios. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done.

Results: Of the 69 preterm neonates included in the study, hypoglycemia was observed in 14 neonates, among which 8 neonates were exposed to antenatal steroids. After examining the association using Fisher's exact formula and controlling for potential confounders, neonatal hypoglycemia was not significantly higher among neonates exposed to antenatal steroids.

Conclusion: Antenatal steroids given to mothers who delivered preterm were not associated with the development of neonatal hypoglycemia. A prospective study model, larger population size and longer study coverage should be made to strengthen the outcome of the study.

Abstract Maternal hyperglycemia during the peripartum period is highly correlated with fetal hyperinsulinemia and consequent neonatal hypoglycemia. Liberal use of intravenous glucose therapy prior to delivery can potentially cause maternal hyperglycemia, therefore, it is prudent to implement all preventive measures. This study aims to determine the occurrence of neonatal hypoglycemia with intravenous glucose therapy prior to delivery in maternal diabetes mellitus. This was a retrospective cohort study of neonates born from diabetic mothers at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital Clinical and Private Divisions from January 1, 2013 to December 15, 2017. Clinical information gathered was divided into maternal and neonatal characteristics. Maternal intravenous fl uid use, rate, and duration were noted; maternal and neonatal blood glucose results were obtained. There were 109 infants of diabetic mothers, of which 105 were delivered as singleton and 4 from twin pregnancies. Neonatal hypoglycemia was present in 14.68%. Comparing the risk factors, there was a higher amount of glucose infused to the mothers whose offspring developed hypoglycemia compared to those without hypoglycemia. Statistically, this did not demonstrate a signifi cant difference. The rate of glucose infusion and frequency of maternal insulin use were similar between the groups. Linear correlation was not evident when the total glucose infused and the rate of intravenous glucose infusion was compared to the neonatal glucose in the fi rst hour of life. Based on this study, routine administration of glucose-containing intravenous fl uid did not infl uence the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia. It is recommended that further prospective studies be conducted.
Diabetes, Gestational ;

Background: The overall increase in the number of people with diabetes mellitus has a major impact on the increasing number of patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Hypoglycemia that is brought about by altered glucose homeostasis and the hemodialysis process in patients with DKD poses a great challenge to clinicians in achieving blood glucose control. This study has been undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of hypoglycemia among diabetics undergoing hemodialysis and determine the clinical factors predicting the development of hypoglycemia. Methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study that included 75 patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing maintenance hemodialysis at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Center for Kidney Disease. The patients’ predialysis and hourly intradialytic serum glucose levels were measured until the end of the session. Hypoglycemia was considered as a blood glucose ≤70 mg/dL with/without symptoms. Results: Elderly patients and in-hospital patients tend to develop hypoglycemia with a p-value of 0.0028 and 0.001, respectively. Old age (p-value 0.0093), female sex (p-value 0.0224), hypertension (p-value 0.0301), CAD (p-value 0.0058), frequency of hemodialysis (p-value 0.0000), no caloric intake during the dialysis session (p-value 0.0022) and admission (p-value 0.0007) predicted hypoglycemia in our study Conclusions In conclusion, the prevalence of hypoglycemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in our setting is 12%. There is an increased rate of hypoglycemia amongst the elderly as well as admitted patients. Our results identifi ed old age, presence of CAD, increased frequency of hemodialysis and hospital admission as the predictors of hypoglycemia.
Renal Dialysis ; Hypoglycemia ; Kidney Failure, Chronic

Introduction: Locally, there is no unified set of diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and this can lead to potential confusion on the part of the physician and the patient as well. Moreover, whether the adoption of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) threshold values for GDM diagnosis among Filipino women is appropriate is still unclear. This study serves to give a clinically important insight whether utilizing the abovementioned diagnostic criteria is appropriate in the local setting or not. The study aims to determine the association of the threshold values set up by the IADPSG to diagnose GDM with adverse pregnancy outcomes among a cohort of Filipino women. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical files of the women diagnosed with GDM using the IADPSG criteria from January 2013 to March 2016 was done. The results of seventyfive gram oral glucose tolerance test (75-g OGTT) were recorded. The association between each IADPSG threshold values (fasting blood glucose of ≥92 mg/dL, one-hour post glucose load of ≥180 mg/dL, two-hour post glucose load of ≥153 mg/dL) used to define GDM and maternal and perinatal outcomes were determined. Results: One hundred twenty women with GDM were included in the analysis. Each of IADPSG-defined cut-off values was not significantly associated with increased likelihood of having adverse maternal outcomes namely: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, miscarriage, primary cesarean section, operative vaginal delivery, and maternal death. Similarly, the likelihood of perinatal outcomes namely: macrosomia, perinatal death, prematurity, birth injuries, congenital anomalies, neonatal hypoglycemia, jaundice, low APGAR score, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and infection were not significantly higher even if these cut-off values were met. Of note, high odds ratio was noted for neonatal hypoglycemia at FBS >92 mg/dL and <92 mg/dL and the low Apgar Score in first minute at >153 mg/dL and <153 mg/dL even though they were statistically not significant. Conclusion We did not find a statistically significant positive association between IADPSG threshold values and specified adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.
Diabetes, Gestational