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For over 100 years, the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has been the cornerstone for detecting prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In recent decades, controversies have arisen identifying internationally acceptable cut points using fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h post-load glucose (2-h PG), and/or HbA1c for defining intermediate hyperglycemia (prediabetes). Despite this, there has been a steadfast global consensus of the 2-h PG for defining dysglycemic states during the OGTT. This article reviews the history of the OGTT and recent advances in its application, including the glucose challenge test and mathematical modeling for determining the shape of the glucose curve. Pitfalls of the FPG, 2-h PG during the OGTT, and HbA1c are considered as well. Finally, the associations between the 30-minute and 1-hour plasma glucose (1-h PG) levels derived from the OGTT and incidence of diabetes and its complications will be reviewed. The considerable evidence base supports modifying current screening and diagnostic recommendations with the use of the 1-h PG. Measurement of the 1-h PG level could increase the likelihood of identifying high-risk individuals when the pancreatic ß-cell function is substantially more intact with the added practical advantage of potentially replacing the conventional 2-h OGTT making it more acceptable in the clinical setting.

Background Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is frequently a precursor to dementia, affecting aspects of cognition such as language, thinking, or memory. Lifestyle interventions are increasingly studied as potential means to slow the progression from MCI to dementia. Objective A systematic review was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of home-based lifestyle interventions in reducing cognitive decline in older adults with MCI. Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to identify home-based lifestyle interventions for individuals with MCI from 1980 to 2023. These interventions were either single-component or multi-component and included diet, physical activity, stress-reduction, or cognitive stimulation treatments to assess their impact on cognition. We performed a comprehensive search in the PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, and MEDLINE databases. Results From 320 abstracts, 20 (6.25%) studies met the criteria for inclusion, with five multi-component and fifteen single-component studies. Eighteen home-based lifestyle interventions for MCI patients were focused on physical activity, diet, and/or cognitive training, while two studies were identified that incorporated stress reduction training as a method to improve cognitive function. Nineteen studies reported significant improvements in cognitive performance between the experimental and control groups post-intervention for at least one aspect of cognition. Four studies reported nonsignificant improvements in cognitive function between the two groups for at least one area of cognition. Conclusions Home-based lifestyle interventions have the potential to improve cognition in elderly patients with MCI. However, future RCTs with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations are needed to confirm these findings.

The number of individuals with prediabetes is expected to grow substantially and estimated to globally affect 482 million people by 2040. Therefore, effective methods for diagnosing prediabetes will be required to reduce the risk of progressing to diabetes and its complications. The current biomarkers, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fructosamine, and glycated albumin have limitations including moderate sensitivity and specificity and are inaccurate in certain clinical conditions. Therefore, identification of additional biomarkers is being explored recognizing that any single biomarker will also likely have inherent limitations. Therefore, combining several biomarkers may more precisely identify those at high risk for developing prediabetes and subsequent progression to diabetes. This review describes recently identified biomarkers and their potential utility for addressing the burgeoning epidemic of dysglycemic disorders.

Mobile apps hold promise for serving as a lifestyle intervention in public health to promote wellness and attenuate chronic conditions, yet little is known about how individuals with chronic illness use or perceive mobile apps. The objective of this study was to explore behaviors and perceptions about mobile phone-based apps for health among individuals with chronic conditions. Data were collected from a national cross-sectional survey of 1604 mobile phone users in the United States that assessed mHealth use, beliefs, and preferences. This study examined health app use, reason for download, and perceived efficacy by chronic condition. Among participants, having between 1 and 5 apps was reported by 38.9% (314/807) of respondents without a condition and by 6.6% (24/364) of respondents with hypertension. Use of health apps was reported 2 times or more per day by 21.3% (172/807) of respondents without a condition, 2.7% (10/364) with hypertension, 13.1% (26/198) with obesity, 12.3% (20/163) with diabetes, 12.0% (32/267) with depression, and 16.6% (53/319) with high cholesterol. Results of the logistic regression did not indicate a significant difference in health app download between individuals with and without chronic conditions (P>.05). Compared with individuals with poor health, health app download was more likely among those with self-reported very good health (odds ratio [OR] 3.80, 95% CI 2.38-6.09, P<.001) and excellent health (OR 4.77, 95% CI 2.70-8.42, P<.001). Similarly, compared with individuals who report never or rarely engaging in physical activity, health app download was more likely among those who report exercise 1 day per week (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.6-3.83, P<.001), 2 days per week (OR 4.77, 95% CI 3.27-6.94, P<.001), 3 to 4 days per week (OR 5.00, 95% CI 3.52-7.10, P<.001), and 5 to 7 days per week (OR 4.64, 95% CI 3.11-6.92, P<.001). All logistic regression results controlled for age, sex, and race or ethnicity. Results from this study suggest that individuals with poor self-reported health and low rates of physical activity, arguably those who stand to benefit most from health apps, were least likely to report download and use these health tools.

Urbanization is expected to increase in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), and might contribute to the increased disease burden. The association between urbanization and CKD is incompletely understood among LMICs. Recently, Inoue et al. , explored the association of urbanization on renal function from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. The study found that individuals living in an urban environment had a higher odds of reduced renal function independent of behavioral and cardiometabolic measures, and this effect increased in a dose dependent manner. In this commentary, we discuss the results of these findings and explain the need for more surveillance studies among LMICs.

IntroductionWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the updated evidence regarding prediabetes for predicting mortality, macrovascular and microvascular outcomes.Research design and methodsWe identified English language studies from MEDLINE, PubMed, OVID and Cochrane database indexed from inception to January 31, 2020. Paired reviewers independently identified 106 prospective studies, comprising nearly 1.85 million people, from 27 countries. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality (ACM), cardiovascular mortality (CVDM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. Secondary outcomes were heart failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and retinopathy.ResultsImpaired glucose tolerance was associated with ACM; HR 1.19, 95% CI (1.15 to 1.24), CVDM; HR 1.21, 95% CI (1.10 to 1.32), CVD; HR 1.18, 95% CI (1.11 to 1.26), CHD; HR; 1.13, 95% CI (1.05 to 1.21) and stroke; HR 1.24, 95% CI (1.06 to 1.45). Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) 110–125 mg/dL was associated with ACM; HR 1.17, 95% CI (1.13 to 1.22), CVDM; HR 1.20, 95% CI (1.09 to 1.33), CVD; HR 1.21, 95% CI (1.09 to 1.33), CHD; HR; 1.14, 95% CI (1.06 to 1.22) and stroke; HR 1.22, 95% CI (1.07 to 1.40). IFG 100–125 mg/dL was associated with ACM; HR 1.11, 95% CI (1.04 to 1.19), CVDM; HR 1.14, 95% CI (1.03 to 1.25), CVD; HR 1.15, 95% CI (1.05 to 1.25), CHD HR; 1.10, 95% CI (1.02 to 1.19) and CKD; HR; 1.09, 95% CI (1.01 to 1.18). Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 6.0%–6.4% was associated with ACM; HR 1.30, 95% CI (1.03 to 1.66), CVD; HR 1.32, 95% CI (1.00 to 1.73) and CKD; HR 1.50, 95% CI (1.32 to 1.70). HbA1c 5.7%–6.4% was associated with CVD HR 1.15, 95% CI (1.02 to 1.30), CHD; HR 1.28, 95% CI (1.13 to 1.46), stroke; HR 1.23, 95% CI (1.04 to 1.46) and CKD; HR 1.32, 95% CI (1.16 to 1.50).ConclusionPrediabetes is an elevated risk state for macrovascular and microvascular outcomes. The prevention and management of prediabetes should be considered.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing the highest anticipate increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the world and has the highest percent of people living with T2D who are undiagnosed. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment need prioritization. However, pharmacological hypoglycemics are often unavailable and bariatric surgery is not an option. Therefore, the ability to induce T2D remission through lifestyle intervention alone (LSI-alone) needs assessment. This scoping review evaluated trials designed to induce T2D remission by LSI-alone. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases were searched for trials designed to induce T2D remission through LSI-alone. Of the 928 identified, 63 duplicates were removed. With abstract review, 727 irrelevant articles were excluded. After full-text review, 112 inappropriate articles were removed. The remaining 26 articles described 16 trials. These trials were published between 1984 and 2021 and were conducted in 10 countries, none of which were in Africa. Remission rates varied across trials. Predictors of remission were 10% weight loss and higher BMI, lower A1C and shorter T2D duration at enrollment. However, LSI-alone regimens for newly diagnosed and established T2D were very different. In newly diagnosed T2D, LSI-alone were relatively low-cost and focused on exercise and dietary counseling with or without calorie restriction (~1500 kcal/d). Presumably due to differences in cost, LSI-alone trials in newly diagnosed T2D had higher enrollments and longer duration. For established T2D trials, the focus was on arduous phased dietary interventions; phase 1: low-calorie meal replacement (<1000 kcal/day); phase 2: food re-introduction; phase 3: weight maintenance. In short, LSI-alone can induce remission in both newly diagnosed and established T2D. To demonstrate efficacy in Africa, initial trials could focus on newly diagnosed T2D. Insight gained could provide proof of concept and a foundation in Africa on which successful studies of LSI-alone in established T2D could be built.

Correspondence: Anne E Sumner, National Institutes of Health, Bld 10-CRC, Rm 6-5940, MSC 1612, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1612, USA, Tel + 1-301-402-4240, Email anne.sumner@nih.gov Objective: To improve detection of abnormal glucose tolerance (Abnl-GT), attention has moved beyond the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), to non-fasting markers of glycemia, specifically, HbA1c, fructosamine (FA) and glycated albumin (GA). Emerging data suggest that in African descent populations, the combination of HbA1c and GA is superior to the combination of HbA1c and FA. However, the diagnosis of Abnl-GT is usually based on tests which are performed only once. As reproducibility of Abnl-GT diagnosis by HbA1c, fructosamine (FA) and glycated albumin (GA) is unknown, reproducibility of Abnl-GT diagnosis by HbA1c, FA and GA were assessed in 209 African-born Blacks living in America. Methods: At Visits 1 and 2 (9 [+ or -] 4 days apart), samples were obtained for HbA1c, FA and GA levels. Glucose tolerance status was determined at Visit 1 by OGTT. Reproducibility was based on the K-statistic and paired t-tests. Thresholds for the diagnosis of Abnl-GT by FA and GA which corresponded to an HbAlc of 5.7% were 235umol/L and 14.6%, respectively. Results: Abnl-GT occurred in 38% (80/209). Diagnostic reproducibility was excellent for HbAlc (K[greater than or equal to]0.86) and GA (K[greater than or equal to]0.89), but only moderate for FA (K=0.59). Neither HbAlc nor GA levels varied between visits (both P[greater than or equal to]0.3). In contrast, FA was significantly lower at Visit 2 than Visit 1(P<0.01). Conclusion: As HbAlc and GA provided similar diagnostic results on different days and FA did not, HbA1C and GA are superior to FA in both clinical care settings and epidemiologic studies. Plain Language Summary: Beyond the monitoring of blood glucose levels, HbA1c is now used to diagnose hyperglycemia, but fructosamine and glycated albumin are being evaluated as alternatives when red blood cell factors cause inaccurate HbA1c results. Studies suggest glycated albumin may be a better diagnostic test than fructosamine, but these investigations were poorly designed as conclusions were based on studies done once on a single day. Therefore, in our study, each participant was studied twice with samples drawn one to two weeks apart. We found that the reproducibility of the diagnosis of hyperglycemia made by glycated albumin was excellent but only moderate for fructosamine. This could explain why glycated albumin may be superior to fructosamine in both the care of patients and the design of large population studies. Keywords: sensitivity, kappa-statistic, average glycemia, non-fasting glycemic markers

ObjectiveTo examine the associations of deprived neighbourhoods with all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to investigate whether these associations were independently and concurrently stratified by sex and ethnicity.MethodsData came from the UK Biobank, a prospective cohort study of over 500 000 participants aged 22–69 across the UK between 2006 and 2010. The follow-up time was calculated from each participant’s enrolment at baseline until the first occurrence of a diagnosis of each death, incident or the censor date (31 December 2020). All-cause mortality, incident total CVD, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) were the outcomes defined based on the International Classification of Diseases. Deprived neighbourhoods were categorised into four groups: least deprived (referent), somewhat deprived, deprived, and most deprived neighbourhoods. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations of deprived neighbourhoods with each outcome. Analyses were stratified by sex and ethnicity separately and simultaneously.ResultsA total of 261 954 participants were included. Participants had a mean follow-up of 14.3 years for all-cause mortality (3 745 307 person-years, 9933 deaths) and 12.7 years for total CVD incidence (3 321 619 person-years, 64 748 events). Those in the most deprived neighbourhoods (compared with the least) had a 31%, 13%, 15% and 34% greater risk of all-cause mortality, incident total CVD, IHD and CeVD, respectively. Patterns of associations were somewhat similar by sex, yet varied by ethnicity. The overall results were consistent with the white cohort but not for the other cohorts.ConclusionsThis study indicated that individuals living in highly deprived neighbourhoods may have an elevated risk of all-cause mortality and incident CVD, particularly among the white cohort but not other cohorts. Future research should focus on efforts to invest in deprived areas to alleviate the burden of all-cause mortality and CVD incidence.