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362 Chapter 14 Diabetes mellitus and obesity
e osmotic diuresis promoted by the excretion of glucose produces a small decrease in blood pressure by lowering plasma volume (see Chapter 5). is is a benecial eect, as hypertension dramatically increases the risk of complications suered by diabetic patients (see Section 14.3).

14.6 Management of diabetes

e management of diabetes is complex, combining diet modications with pharmacological agents. e long­term complications associated with the disease can be reduced if the condition is well managed, and if it is treated early. As obesity is a signicant predisposing factor, weight loss is an important part of the management of the condition for overweight patients. Weight loss can lead to attenuation of insulin resistance and of metabolic syndrome. Bariatric surgery may be considered and is extremely eective in restoring metabolic control (see Section 14.8).
As seen in the previous section, a large number of antidiabetic drugs are available. A scheme for treatment is presented in Box 14.2; treatment is individualized, though, according to presenting features (e.g. need for weight loss, HbA1C level).
Treatment aims to achieve good control over blood glucose levels, with targets for most patients of between 4 and 7 mmol/l for pre-meal levels and <10 mmol/l after
e gliozins are taken orally once a day. e main adverse eect is increased incidence of urinary tract infections because of the presence of glucose. e diuretic eect can lead to volume depletion, resulting in hypotension.
meals. Glycaemic control is reected in the HBA1C level, with an optimal target of 7% being common.
Good control of blood glucose levels is obviously important, but management of other factors is equally benecial. Regulation of blood pressure is crucial as the coexistence of hypertension and diabetes exacerbates kidney damage and neuropathy, and most importantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. e target blood pressure for diabetic patients is therefore usually lower than that for non-diabetic patients. Angiotensin­converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are prescribed or, if not tolerated, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB or sartan). A calcium channel blocker is prescribed for patients of African origin (see Chapter 5).
e involvement of circulating lipopoteins in the atherosclerotic process also necessitates regulation of cholesterol through cholesterol-lowering drugs, typically statins (see Chapter 6). Many of these aspects of managing diabetes are explored in Workbook 11.

14.7 Obesity

Obesity is dened as an illness in which the patient’s health is adversely aected by excess body weight. It is a growing health problem which is reaching epidemic proportions and represents an enormous healthcare burden to society. Currently 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 3 children in the UK are described as obese; similar numbers are reported in Australia and Canada. In the USA over a third of the adult population is obese, predicted to rise to around 50% if the current trend continues.
Obesity occurs when, over time, more calories are consumed than are used by the body, and the excess energy is stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue. ere is an increase rstly in the size of the existing fat-storing cells or adipocytes. Once these are full to capacity, more cells are made.
14.7.1 Causes of obesity
e cause of obesity is not as simple as it might at rst appear. Regulation of body weight involves numerous factors such as calorie intake, extraction of energy, energy expenditure, and basal metabolic rate. Accordingly, obesity is multifactorial; numerous possible causes combine and underlie the condition, including both genetic and environmental factors.
• Genetic predisposition—numerous genes have been
identied that predispose people to gaining weight more easily. It is likely that obesity is contributed to by many of these genes. Amongst those implicated is that encoding the melanocortin receptor (see below); mutations in the receptor have been noted in obese patients. ese receptors may be a target for future drug
Box 14.2
Approaches to the management of type II diabetes
Step-up if control is not achieved
5
Insulin
4
3
Add
sulfonylurea
or metformin
2
1
Lifestyle modication—diet and exercise
cardiovascular risk factor modication
Figure b
1. Diet and exercise are a fundamental part of the management of type II diabetes. Pharmacological treatment cannot replace these treatments. Consideration should also be given to cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.
2. Initial treatment is with either metformin or a sulfonylurea. The best choice for overweight patients is metformin. Elderly patients may not tolerate metformin, and repaglinide may be preferred.
3. Combination of metformin with a sulfonylurea.
4. If the combination of sulfonylurea and metformin is not tolerated, or does not yield a satisfactory response, either one may be substituted by an alternative agent (e.g. pioglitazone, GLP-1 receptor agonist, gliflozin, or gliptin).
5. Sulfonylurea and metformin can be combined with another oral antidiabetic drug (gliptin, pioglitazone) or parenteral incretin mimetic. Triple therapy may lead to increased risk of hypoglycaemia. Early addition (within a few months) of insulin to patients who are poorly controlled on dual or triple therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in type II diabetes. It can be given as a single daily dose of long-acting insulin, usually in the evening.
(i.e. combination
therapy)
Metformin or sulfonylurea
Add/substitute
glitazone, GLP-1
mimetic, acarbose,
gliptin, or gliozin
Dual or
triple
therapy
364 Chapter 14 Diabetes mellitus and obesity
therapy for obesity. Genetic variation is also believed to underlie the dierences seen in the suppression of ghrelin (see below) by eating that have been observed in obese people.
• Variation in the body’s eciency in extracting energy
from food—obese people may have more energy­ecient systems.
• Variation in energy expenditure, e.g. underactivity in
the sympathetic nervous system or decreased metabolic rate.
• Defects in the hypothalamic appetite centre (see
below) or in the signalling pathways that provide its input (e.g. decreased inuence of leptin; see below).
• Dierences in composition of gut bacterial
populations—obese people may have more ecient gut ora, increasing the availability of absorbable nutrients in the digestive tract.
• Diet, lack of exercise.
• Emotional disturbance, stress.
14.7.2 Obesity is associated with
significant morbidity and mortality
Obesity often coexists with other factors, particularly hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and insulin resistance. is cluster of disorders is known as the metabolic syndrome, and often precedes the development of type II diabetes. Indeed, as noted above, around 80% of people with type II diabetes are obese.
In particular, it is fat that is distributed around the waist (visceral fat, surrounding the abdominal organs) that increases the risk of an obese individual suering a wide range of serous conditions, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disorders, liver disease, cancers, dementia, and type II diabetes (see Section 14.2.1).
14.7.3 Adipose tissue participates in
energy balance
It is now recognized that rather than being an inert store for excess energy, adipose tissue actively participates in energy balance in the body and contributes to physiological functions, such as inammation and immunity. Indeed, adipose tissue has endocrine functions, secreting a wide variety of proteins known as adipokines. Amongst these are molecules with hormone­like properties, as well as a range of cytokines and chemokines (see Section P3.3 in the Introduction to Part 3). ey are released both from adipocytes and from
macrophages and other immune cells that inltrate the adipose tissue in large numbers, particularly in visceral fat. ese cytokines include tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), important mediators of the inammatory response (see Section P3.3 and Chapter 9, Section 9.1.1). is gives rise to a chronic low level inammatory state with detrimental consequences, including promotion of the atherosclerotic process that underlies cardiovascular disease (see Chapter 6, Box 6.1).
e pattern of adipokine release from visceral and subcutaneous fat is dierent. More inammatory mediators are released in visceral fat and the inammatory process is therefore promoted. is correlates with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in obese people with a high abdominal distribution of fat.
Numerous adipokines have already been identied, and doubtless many more are yet to be discovered. Some, like adiponectin, have benecial eects, whereas others, such as resistin, are implicated in the development of insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications. Amongst those that have already been identied are the following.
• Leptin, the earliest known adipokine, is secreted by
dierentiated adipocytes in direct proportion to the amount of fat present. Leptin increases sensitivity of skeletal muscle and liver to insulin, and encourages the -oxidation of fatty acids. Importantly, it suppresses appetite; leptin resistance is implicated in the development of obesity.
• Adiponectin released from adipocytes improves insulin
sensitivity of tissues. It increases glucose uptake and promotes -oxidation of fatty acids. It has protective eects in the vascular endothelium, and is therefore anti-atherogenic. Adiponectin levels are decreased in obesity.
• Resistin released from inamed visceral fat is believed
to promote insulin resistance, and increase production of inammatory cytokines.
• TNF- produced by macrophages that have inltrated
adipose tissue is a pro-inammatory mediator and is implicated in the induction of insulin resistance.
• Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expressed and
secreted by adipocytes inhibits the activation of plasminogen, the precursor of plasmin, which is responsible for the dissolution of clots. It is therefore pro-thrombotic. Levels are increased in obese subjects, and correlate with increased cardiovascular risk.
14.7 Obesity 365
14.7.4 Control of food intake (appetite)
Food intake is regulated by various factors in the blood that signal the body’s nutritional state, or energy status. e overall control is coordinated in the brain, which receives and integrates a large number of inputs and ensures that in the long term calorie intake and total energy output are well matched so that body weight remains more or less constant (Figure 14.4).
Particular regions of the hypothalamus, including the arcuate nucleus, the paraventricular nucleus, the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, and the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, are central to appetite control. Importantly, these regions are often accessible to circulating hormones and are innervated by nerves, including the nucleus of the solitary tract which receives input from the vagal nerves.
A large number of hormones have important regulatory roles. ese include the following.
1. Ghrelin, a peptide released primarily by cells in the stomach: levels decrease when food is ingested and increase when fasting. Ghrelin acts in the hypothalamus to increases levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP), both of which have important orexigenic (appetite-stimulant) properties. e eect of ghrelin is to increase appetite, encouraging food intake.
2. e adipokine leptin (see above) has opposing actions to ghrelin, resulting in appetite reduction. Leptin acts by reducing levels of NPY and AgRP. It also increases the levels of pro-opiomelanocortin, which causes release of -melanocyte-stimulating hormone to inhibit feeding.
3. Insulin is important in long-term control of body weight, acting to inhibit the release of NPY in the hypothalamic regions to suppress food appetite.
4. Cholecystokinin and GLP-1 are secreted from the gut in response to eating. ey also suppress appetite by acting at the hypothalamus.
e concerted actions of these (and other) factors control food intake and contribute to energy homeostasis.
Derangements in these systems have been implicated in the obese state. For example, resistance to the eects of leptin, possibly through faulty receptors or changes in the signalling pathway after receptor occupation, may lead to loss of its appetite-suppressant action.
A number of neurotransmitters act in concert with the hormonal controls to regulate appetite. ese include serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamin; 5-HT), noradrenaline, dopamine, and histamine. In addition, a range of endogenous peptides, including opioids and endocannabinoids, also provide input to the appetite
regulation of appetite are summarized in Table 14.5.
Stomach
Hypothalamus
ARC
Brainstem
Insulin
Vagus
Pancreas
Food intake
Leptin
CCK GLP-1
Ghrelin
Adipose tissue
Figure 14.4 Inputs into the regulation of appetite.
The regulation of: ARC, arcuate nucleus; CCK, cholecystokinin; GLP-1, glucagon-like protein-1.
366 Chapter 14 Diabetes mellitus and obesity
()
()
Table 14.5 Hormones and neurotransmitters involved in appetite
Neurotransmitter/hormone Receptor/mode of action Effect on appetite
Ghrelin
Leptin
Insulin
Cholecystokinin (CCK)
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)
Serotonin 5-HT
Dopamine D
Noradrenaline
Histamine H
Endogenous opiates (e.g. endorphins)
Endocannabinoids (e.g. anandamide) CB
Neuropeptide YAgouti-related proteinVagal stimulation
Neuropeptide Y Agouti-related protein Pro-opiomelanocortin
Neuropeptide Y
Vagal activity (CCKA receptors)
CCKB receptors in VMH and PVN
Neuropeptide Y Gastrointestinal motility
Delays gastric emptying Stimulates insulin release
2C
2
1
2
2
1
, ,
1
LHA, lateral hypothalamic area; PVN, paraventricular nucleus; VMH, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus.
14.7.5 Diagnosis of obesity
BMIkg/m
Obesity is diagnosed by measuring body mass index (BMI) of the individual. e BMI is the weight divided by the square of the height. e formulas below are used to
()
BMIkg/m
()
calculate BMI:
A BMI of over 30 is the arbitrary boundary for a diagnosis of obesity (see Table 14.6).
Table 14.6 NICE treatment guidelines based on BMI and waist measurements
Waist circumference
a
Classification BMI (kg/m2) Low High Very high
Overweight 25–29.9
Obesity I 30–34.9
Obesity II 35–39.9
Obesity III 40 or more
a
For men, waist circumference of less than 94 cm is low, 94–102 cm is high, and more than 102 cm is very high. For women, waist
circumference of less than 80 cm is low, 80–88 cm is high, and more than 88 cm is very high.
General advice on healthy weight and lifestyle
Diet and physical activity
Diet and physical activity; consider drugs
Diet and physical activity; consider drugs; consider surgery
Weight in pounds
2
Height in inches
Weight in kg
2
=
Height in metres
Comorbidities present
703
2
2
14.8 Management of obesity 367
BMI is useful for guiding treatment choice and monitoring its eectiveness. is measure of body composition does not, however, take account of anatomical fat distribution, and as noted earlier it is visceral fat that is most damaging. For this reason, it is

14.8 Management of obesity

Obesity is a chronic condition requiring long-term management. Lifestyle changes to diet and exercise regimes are central to managing the condition. Weight loss can lead to attenuation of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, reducing the risk of complications. Often, though, dieting only leads to short-term weight loss, and any weight that is lost is easily regained. Bariatric surgery can be considered (e.g. gastric stapling) and is by far the most eective option available, with a successful outcome in over 70% of patients who show excellent metabolic recovery.
14.8.1 Drug treatment for obesity
Despite the range and diversity of potential targets for anti-obesity drugs, there is a paucity of pharmacological agents available to treat the condition. A number of drugs, some of which were eective, have had to be withdrawn due to safety concerns. Research is ongoing in the search for new, safer agents; modulation of the pathways involved in satiety signals may provide clinically useful drugs.
Lipase inhibitors
Fats are the most caloric of the foodstus we consume, and inhibiting their breakdown in the gut is currently the only pharmacological method for treating obesity that is licensed in the UK.
Ingested fats are broken down in the gut by gastric and pancreatic lipases into free fatty acids and glycerol, which are then absorbed. Orlistat is an irreversible lipase inhibitor, derived from lipstatin, a naturally occurring irreversible pancreatic lipase inhibitor produced by the bacterium Streptomyces toxytricini. Orlistat is not absorbed into the systemic circulation, and its eects are restricted to the intestines, where it blocks the absorption of around 30% of dietary fat. Use of the drug, combined with a low calorie diet, can lead to modest weight loss (~5%).
Orlistat is sold without prescription in many countries. Its adverse eects on the gastrointestinal tract can be
more informative to consider BMI in combination with waist circumference. Table 14.6 summarizes the recommendations from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK on when and how to initiate treatment for obese patients.
signicant: for example, loose and oily stools, atulence associated with discharge, and faecal incontinence, as well as bloating and cramps. e absorption of fat-soluble vitamins may be reduced, and supplements may be necessary. e absorption of a number of drugs, including antivirals and the antibacterial ciclosporin, may be reduced by orlistat. Interestingly, the drug has been found to increase the uptake of other drugs, and this may necessitate a reduction in dose. Such an interaction has been reported with insulin and pravastatin, and may therefore be relevant in the treatment of overweight diabetic patients.
Appetite suppressants
Serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors As noted in Table 14.5 both serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline have important roles in appetite regulation. Sibutramine is a selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, which has been used in the past to treat obesity. e drug increases extracellular brain levels of both 5-HT and noradrenaline, leading to enhanced stimulation of 5-HT2C receptors and 1- and 2-adrenoceptors (see Table
14.5) to enhance satiety. In addition, sibutramine
stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increased glucose usage and heat production in breakdown of brown adipose tissue.
Although an eective appetite suppressant, sibutramine has a long list of serious adverse drug reactions and was withdrawn from the market in 2010 following concerns of increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Amphetamines have been used for weight reduction since the early 1950s. ey act by increasing dopamine and noradrenaline release from nerve endings in the brain, including in the hypothalamus, to reduce appetite.
In most countries amphetamines are no longer recommended for weight loss—they produce euphoria and increase feelings of reward, which is due to an increase in monoaminergic transmission in mesolimbic parts of the brain, and as such have potential for abuse
368 Chapter 14 Diabetes mellitus and obesity
(see Chapter 21). ey can also cause lethargy, rebound depression, and binge eating.
Cannabinoid receptor antagonists e CB1 cannabinoid receptor is a relatively new target for treating obesity. CB1 receptors are expressed in the mesolimbic system and the hypothalamus where they enhance reward and stimulate appetite, respectively (see also Chapter 21). e receptor is Gi-coupled, activation leading to decreases in cyclic AMP levels. It also blocks pre-synaptic calcium channels
Key references and suggested reading
Greeneld JR, Chisholm DJ. iazolidinediones—mechanisms
of action. Aust Prescr 2004; 27: 67–9.
Harrold JA. Hypothalamic control of energy balance. Curr Drug
Targets 2004; 5: 207–19.
Hiller-Sturmhfel S, Bartke A. e endocrine system. Alcohol
Health Res World 1998; 22: 153–64.
Holst JJ. e physiology and pharmacology of incretins in type 2
diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Obes Metab 2008; 10: 14–21.
Kilov G, Leow S, omas M. SGLT2 inhibition with
dapagliozin: a novel approach for the management of type 2 diabetes. Aust Fam Physician 2013; 42(10): 706–10.
National Evidence Based Guidelines for the Management of
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Canberra, National Health and
and activates potassium channels, leading to an inhibition of synaptic transmission.
Rimonabant is a CB1 receptor antagonist which acts
centrally to reduce appetite, and peripherally to increase insulin sensitivity and fatty acid oxidation in muscles and the liver. It was found to be an eective agent in encouraging weight loss but had to be withdrawn from the market because of serious psychiatric eects, including depression and suicidal ideation.
Medical Research Council, 2004. https://www.nhmrc.gov. au/guidelines-publications/di7-di8-di9-di10-di11-di12­di13.
Obesity Prevention. National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence Clinical Guidelines CG43, 2006. http://www.nice. org.uk/guidance/cg43.
Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: Management. National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guidelines NG28, 2015. http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28.
Vincent RP, Ashraan H, le Roux CW. Mechanisms of disease:
the role of gastrointestinal hormones in appetite and obesity. Nature Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 2008; 5: 268–77.
SUMMARY OF DRUGS USED FOR DIABETES AND OBESITY
14.8 Management of obesity 369
Therapeutic class Drugs Mechanism of action Common clinical
uses
Insulins Short-acting:
Actrapid
Mimic effects of endogenous insulin by activating insulin receptor
Type I diabetes Type II diabetes
Rapid acting: Insulin aspart Insulin lispro Insulin glulisine
Intermediate acting: Insulin mixtard (different strengths)
Long-acting: Insulin glargine Insulin detemir
Biguanides Metformin Mechanism of action not fully clear
Type II diabetes Causes weight reduction Potentiates effects of insulin by sensitizing insulin receptor Decreases hepatic gluconeogenesis, and glucose absorption from the GI tract
Sulfonylureas Tolbutamide
Glibenclamide Glimepiride Gliclazide Glipizide
Blocks ATP-dependent K+ channels on -cells to cause depolarization Influx of Ca
2 +
through voltage-
gated channels, stimulates release
Type II diabetes Gliclazide and glipizide have the
of insulin by exocytosis
Meglitinides Nateglinide
Repaglinide
Act in the same way as sulfonylureas, but by binding to a distinct site to block the ATP­dependent K+ channel on -cells to stimulate the release of insulin
Thiazolidinediones (glitazones) Pioglitazone Selective agonist at peroxisome
Type II diabetes Liver function needs monitoring proliferator activator receptor (PPAR) Increases transcription of genes involved in insulin signalling
Comments Common adverse drug
reactions
Injected 30–45 min before meals Used in infusion for some type I patients
More flexible because of quick absorption, given immediately
Hypoglycaemia Lipodystrophy weight gain Allergic reactions Local reactions (e.g. erythema, reddening and itching)
before food
Onset of action up to 2 h, and duration of effect up to 20 h
Onset of action within 4 h, and duration around 24 h Used in conjunction with short-acting insulins
GI disturbances (abdominal First-line agent Contraindicated in renal impairment
distension and pain,
nausea, diarrhoea)
Malabsorption of vitamin B
Lactic acidosis
Hypoglycaemia lowest risk of hypoglycaemia
Weight gain
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Rapid onset and short duration of action Can be taken immediately before food
Peripheral oedema Contraindicated post­myocardial infarction, and in left ventricular heart failure
Weight gain
Headache
Dizziness
12
370 Chapter 14 Diabetes mellitus and obesity
Therapeutic class Drugs Mechanism of action Common clinical
Comments Common adverse drug
uses
-Glucosidase inhibitors
Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitors (gliptins)
Incretin mimetics Exenatide
Sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
Glucagon Glucagon Opposite action to insulin
Lipase inhibitor Orlistat Blocks the action of lipase, the
Amphetamines Increases dopamine and
GI, gastrointestinal; GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; PPAR, peroxisome proliferator activator receptor .
Acarbose Reversible inhibition of
Sitagliptin Vildagliptin Alogpitin Linagliptin Saxagliptin
Lixisenatide Liraglutide
Dapagliflozin Canagliflozin Empagliflozin
-glucosidase Reduces post-prandial peak in glucose levels, by slowing intestinal glucose absorption
Competitive inhibitors of dipeptidylpeptidase-4, the enzyme that inactivates endogenous incretins, potentiating their effects
Mimic actions of GLP-1 Direct effect on -cells of pancreas enhancing glucose-mediated release of insulin, and inhibiting glucagon release by -cells
Reversible inhibition of renal co-transporter of glucose (SGLT2) Reduces glucose reabsorption, and promotes excretion of glucose in the urine
Binds to Gs-coupled receptor to increase intracellular cAMP levels Promotes increases in blood glucose levels
enzyme that breaks fat down for absorption
noradrenaline release from nerve endings in the feeding centre in the hypothalamus, reducing appetite
Type II diabetes (effective in type I diabetes, but rarely used)
Type II diabetes Used in conjunction with other
Type II diabetes Useful in obese patients and
Type II diabetes Often given in combination with
Hypoglycaemia Can be given for emergency
Obesity Only drug in this class Loose and fatty stools
Not recommended for use in most countries Lethargy
Used in combination with other oral antidiabetic drugs
antidiabetic drugs
those unable to take insulin
metformin or a sulfonylurea Promotes osmotic diuresis to give beneficial reduction in blood pressure
treatment of hypoglycaemia by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, e.g. to an unconscious patient
reactions
Bloating
Flatulence
Diarrhoea
Headache
Nausea
Infections
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Dyspepsia
Abdominal pain
Urinary tract infections
Hypotension
Nausea
Vomiting
Hypokalaemia
Flatulence
Bloating and cramps
Rebound depression
Binge eating

WORKBOOK 11

Diabetes mellitus and obesity
Andreas Kaiser: a simplified case history
Andreas has been admitted directly to hospital following a third visit to his GP regarding the ulcer on his left little toe, which will not heal. The GP had taken his blood pressure and temperature and rung the hospital to chase up the results of his recent blood tests. Once he heard the results, the GP had sent him straight to hospital.
After3hoursofwaiting,Andreasisnallyseenbytheconsultantwhohashisclinicalnotes.
A table of clinical clerking abbreviations is given on page xviii.
CLINICAL CLERKING FOR ANDREAS KAISER AT A&E DEPARTMENT
Age: 38 years
PC: Worsening ulcer on left little toe and general feeling of lethargy. Increased thirst and urinary
frequency.
HPC: Admitted via GP following aggravation of toe ulcer. Emergency visit to GP revealed pyrexia (fever). Blood test results indicated elevated random blood glucose of 25 mmol/l and elevated white cell count.
Andreas’s random blood glucose level was a lot higher than the normal range of 3.5–10 mmol/l. Random blood glucose levels >11.1 mmol/l in combination with his symptoms point to a diagnosis of diabetes.
Elevated white cell count indicates infection, probably from his ulcerated toe. Foot ulcers are very
commonindiabetes—aresultofneuropathy(nervedamage),vasculardisease,andhyperglycaemia.
PMH: Hypertension; hypertensive crisis a year ago.
Andreas is hypertensive and had a life-threatening hypertensive crisis last year.
DH: Losartan and indapamide
Andreas has been taking these two drugs for his blood pressure.
Losartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) which was started after he developed a dry cough with lisinopril (ACE inhibitor).
Indapamide is a thiazide-like diuretic.
SH: Lives with wife and twin daughters. Smokes 10 cigarettes a day. Weight = 98 kg (overweight). Mother is diabetic (type II).