Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease with insulin deficiency which causes microvascular complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. There have been some trials to simulate the pancreatic endocrine function of insulin and glucagon for homeostatic equilibration of blood glucose, developing artificial pancreas. There are three major functional components of the modern artificial pancreas, a continuous glucose-monitoring system, an insulin-infusion pump and a control algorithm. There are commercially available continuous glucose monitoring systems with subcutaneous glucose measuring, however, there have been many attempts to develop more efficient glucose monitoring systems, including noninvasive systems. Thanks to technological advances and the miniaturization of electronics, recent advances in the accuracy and performance of these systems have placed research on the threshold of prototype commercial devices and large-scale outpatient feasibility studies. In addition, smartphone technology has created the opportunity for caregivers to receive push notification alerts and makes it possible to provide patients with advisory or decision-support systems. Even though there are still some remaining challenges to develop a successful artificial pancreas, glucose control in type 1 diabetes will be more efficient with its advent.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Blood Glucose ; Caregivers ; Glucagon ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin ; Miniaturization ; Outpatients ; Pancreas, Artificial

With development of the internet and smartphones, various systems have been introduced to monitor patient blood sugar remotely, and their clinical effect on diabetes management has been analyzed in different patient groups. However, these systems need to be available cost-effectively to many patients for the long term. Also, there is need for a communication platform that can easily identify a patient's blood sugar pattern and provide appropriate counseling and education. In addition, relevant educational contents must be provided so that patients maintain self-care for diabetes. With the rapid increase in diabetes patients, we must continuously develop the field of digital healthcare to efficiently monitor blood sugar and provide effective face-to-face management of these patients.

With development of the internet and smartphones, various systems have been introduced to monitor patient blood sugar remotely, and their clinical effect on diabetes management has been analyzed in different patient groups. However, these systems need to be available cost-effectively to many patients for the long term. Also, there is need for a communication platform that can easily identify a patient's blood sugar pattern and provide appropriate counseling and education. In addition, relevant educational contents must be provided so that patients maintain self-care for diabetes. With the rapid increase in diabetes patients, we must continuously develop the field of digital healthcare to efficiently monitor blood sugar and provide effective face-to-face management of these patients.

The three major forms of treatment for Graves thyrotoxicosis are antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine therapy and thyroidectomy. Surgery is the definitive treatment for Graves thyrotoxicosis that is generally recommended when other treatments have failed or are contraindicated. Generally, thyrotoxic patients should be euthyroid before surgery to minimize potential complications which usually requires preoperative management with thionamides or inorganic iodine. But several cases of refractory Graves' disease have shown resistance to conventional treatment. Here we report a 40-year-old female patient with Graves' disease who complained of thyrotoxic symptoms for 7 months. Her thyroid function test and thyroid autoantibody profiles were consistent with Graves' disease. One kind of thionamides and beta-blocker were started to control her disease. However, she was resistant to nearly all conventional medical therapies, including beta-blockers, inorganic iodine, and two thionamides. She experienced hepatotoxicity from the thionamides. What was worse is her past history of serious allergic reaction to corticosteroids, which are often used to help control symptoms. A 2-week regimen of high-dose cholestyramine improved her uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis and subsequent thyroidectomy was successfully performed. In conclusion, cholestyramine could be administered as an effective and safe adjunctive agent for preoperative preparation in patients with severe hyperthyroid Graves's disease that is resistant to conventional therapies.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Antithyroid Agents ; Cholestyramine Resin* ; Drug Resistance ; Female ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type VI ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Iodine ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy* ; Thyrotoxicosis

Background: The prevalence of young-onset diabetes (YOD) has been increasing worldwide. As the incidence of YOD increases, it is necessary to determine the characteristics of YOD and the factors that influence its development and associated complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, we recruited patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus between June 2001 and December 2021 at a tertiary hospital. The study population was categorized according to age: YOD (age <40 years), middle-age-onset diabetes (MOD, 40≤ age <65 years), and late-onset diabetes (LOD, age ≥65 years). We examined trends in glycemic control by analyzing fasting glucose levels during the first year in each age group. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to determine the relative risk of developing complications according to glycemic control trends. Results: The fasting glucose level at the time of diagnosis was highest in the YOD group (YOD 149±65 mg/dL; MOD 143±54 mg/dL; and LOD 140±55 mg/dL; p=0.009). In the YOD group, glucose levels decreased at 3 months, but increased by 12 months. YOD patients and those with poor glycemic control in the first year were at a higher risk of developing complications, whereas the risk in patients with LOD was not statistically significant. Conclusion YOD patients had higher glucose levels at diagnosis, and their glycemic control was poorly maintained. As poor glycemic control can influence the development of complications, especially in young patients, intensive treatment is necessary for patients with YOD.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and causespecific mortality. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort, we identified 343,687 subjects (men, 176,243; women, 167,444) aged ≥20 years who underwent health examinations between 2009 and 2012. HDL-C levels were categorized based on the concentration with 10 mg/dL intervals, starting from levels <30 mg/dL, with levels ≥90 mg/ dL considered the highest. The endpoints of the study were newly-diagnosed MI, stroke, or mortality. We used the Cox proportional hazards model with restricted cubic splines. Results: During a median follow-up of 6.0 years, the number of cases of death, MI, and stroke were 6,617, 4,064, and 3,435 in men and 3,677, 2,804, and 2,891 in women, respectively. The risk of all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, other mortality, and stroke was the lowest at HDL-C concentrations of 57–76 mg/dL in the spline curves; inverse associations with increased risk were observed at the lower HDL-C levels. In contrast, the lowest risk of cardiovascular mortality and MI was observed at the extreme high end. In men, there was a significant inverse and graded increase in hazard ratios of all outcomes in the lower HDL-C categories compared to the reference group (50–59 mg/dL). In the higher HDL-C categories, no significant increase in outcomes was observed. Women showed similar trends. Conclusion The risk of mortality, MI, and stroke was high at low HDL-C levels in the Korean general population. However, extremely high HDL-C levels were not associated with an increased risk of mortality, MI, and stroke.

Background: This study investigated the effectiveness of a social networking site (SNS)-based automatic mobile message providing system on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A 3-month, randomized, open-label, controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted. One hundred and ten participants with T2DM were randomized to a mobile message system (MMS) (n=55) or control group (n=55). The MMS group received protocolbased automated messages two times per day for 10 weeks regarding diabetes self-management through KakaoTalk SNS messenger. The primary outcome was the difference in the change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (%) from baseline to week 12. Results: HbA1c levels were more markedly decreased in the MMS group (8.4%±0.7% to 8.0%±1.1%) than in the control group (8.5%±0.8% to 8.4%±0.8%), resulting in a significant between-group difference (P=0.027). No differences were observed in changes in fasting glucose levels, lipid profiles, and the number of participants who experienced hypoglycemia, or in changes in lifestyle behavior between groups. However, the self-monitoring of blood glucose frequency was significantly increased in the MMS group compared to the control group (P=0.003). In addition, sleep duration was increased in the MMS group, but was not changed in the control group. Conclusion An SNS-based automatic mobile message providing system was effective in improving glycemic control in patients in T2DM. Studies which based on a more individualized protocol, and investigate longer beneficial effect and sustainability will be required in the future.