It is well known that type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is dramatically improved after bariatric surgery, although the mechanisms have not been clearly identified. The skill required for gastric surgery for gastric cancer is very similar to that needed in bariatric surgery. In this study, we evaluated the immediate improvement of T2DM after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

A total of nine patients who were diagnosed with early gastric cancer (EGC) and already had T2DM underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before surgery and within two weeks after gastrectomy. Glucose, insulin, and c-peptide were measured before, and 30 and 60 minutes after ingesting 75 g of glucose. From these trials, we calculated the HOMA-IR, insulinogenic index, Matsuda index, and area under the curve (AUC).

The mean age of participants was 57.23 ± 11.08 years and eight of them were men. HOMA-IR (4.2 vs. 2.3, P = 0.012) levels were decreased after surgery. There were no significant differences of insulinogenic index, fasting blood sugar before and after surgery. The Matsuda index (3.3 vs. 8.3, P = 0.002) was significantly increased and AUC (512.9 vs. 388.7 mg-hr/dL, P > 0.001) upon 75 g OGTT was significantly decreased after surgery.

Insulin sensitivity was immediately improved after gastrectomy for early gastric cancer in patients with T2DM.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends hepatitis-B virusVIruS vaccination for unvaccinated adults with diabetes. However, the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) did not recommend hepatitis-B vaccination for unvaccinated adults with diabetes. This study was performed to assess the differences in hepatitis-B virus antigen and antibody status between Korean patients with diabetes and those without by using national survey data.

We analyzed hepatitis-B virus antigen and antibody status in 9,771 South Korean people from the general population based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Diabetes patients were defined as those with a measured fasting plasma glucose over 126 mg/dL or those who had been previously diagnosed with diabetes by other health care centers.

Subjects with diabetes accounted for 812 (8.3%) among the 9771 study subjects. The prevalence ofhepatitis-B (HBsAg) seropositive subjects was not significantly different (3.9% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.09) between subjects with diabetes and those without. The prevalence of hepatitis-B antibody (HBsAb) positive subjects and unimmunized subjects was not significantly different (55.2% vs. 58.2%, P = 0.09, 40.9% vs. 37.2%, P = 0.09) between the two groups. The prevalence of unimmunized subjects decreased by age (< 20 years 33.3 % vs. 33.0%, 20~29 years 49.1% vs. 41.2%, 30~39 years 41.9% vs. 37.7%, 40~49 years 35.1% vs. 33.5%, 50~59 years 39.0% vs. 38.0%, 60~69 years 41.2% vs. 39.8%, > 70 years 48.5% vs. 42.8%) but was not significantly different between the 2 groups.

From this study, we conclude that there are not sufficient grounds to recommend routine hepatitis-B virus vaccination for unvaccinated Korean subjects with diabetes at this point in time in Korea. Further prospective studies will be needed.

With the rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes, the age groups of diabetic patients are becoming diversified. This study will examine the degree of obesity, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion ability among patients first diagnosed with diabetes according to age and gender.

The subjects of this study included 616 patients who were first diagnosed with diabetes during a routine physical examination. This sample was obtained from a total of 28,075 adults aged 19 years and older who received the examination among 33,829 participants in the Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2007–2010. The subjects were categorized by age into young age (age: 19 – 39 years), middle age (age: 40 – 59 years), and old age (age: 60 years and older). The degree of obesity was categorized according to body mass index (BMI) into normal weight (BMI: 18.5 ∼ 22.9), overweight (BMI: 23 ∼ 24.9), and obesity (BMI: 25 or above). Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

It was found that 14.1% (n = 87) of a total of 616 subjects (324 men, 292 women) were in the young age group, 43.8% (n = 270) were in the middle age group, and 42.1% (n = 259) were in the old age group. In addition, 83.3% of men that were overweight or obesity were in the young age group, while 79.2% and 60.5% were in the middle age and old age groups, respectively. A total of 82.2% of women that were overweight or obesity were in the young age group, while 79.5% and 77% were in the middle age and old age groups, respectively. For men, the more obesity they were in all age groups, the higher their HOMA-IR. For women, the more obesity they were in the young age and middle age groups, the higher their HOMA-IR; however, women in the old age group showed the highest HOMA-IR when they were of normal weight.

Among diabetic patients first diagnosed with the disease in Korea, the youth population had the highest obesity rate. Insulin resistance increases as an individual's weight increases among those patients who are first diagnosed with diabetes; the only exception noted is for elderly women.

To evaluate the efficacy and predictive factors of Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients who were not well controlled with other oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin in real clinical practice.

From December 2012 to January 2014, retrospective longitudinal observation study was conducted for patients with T2DM who were not reached a glycemic target (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] > 6.5%) with other oral antidiabetic drugs or insulins. Type 1 diabetes or other types of diabetes were excluded. Responders were eligible with decreased HbA1c from baseline for more than 5% during follow up period.

Of total 135 T2DM patients having an average 9.0 months follow-up period, 84 (62.2%) of patients were responder to DPP-4 inhibitors. After concomitant treatment with DPP-4 inhibitors, patients had a mean decrease in HbA1c of 0.69 ± 1.3%, fasting plasma glucose of 13 ± 52 ㎎/㎗, and postprandial plasma glucose of 29 ± 85 ㎎/㎗ from baseline (all P< 0.05). Independent predictive factor for an improvement of glycemic control with DPP-4 inhibitors was higher baseline HbA1c (odds ratio 2.07 with 95% confidence interval 1.15–3.72) compared with non-responders.

A clinical meaningful improvement in glycemic control was seen when DPP-4 inhibitors were added to other anti-diabetic medications in patients with T2DM regardless of age, duration of T2DM, type of combination treatment regimen. Patients who had higher HbA1c were more easily respond to DPP-4 inhibitors treatment in short-term follow-up period.