Objective: The influence of postprandial blood glucose on diabetes complications is intensively debated. We aimed to evaluate the predictive role of both fasting and postprandial blood glucose on cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes and the influence of gender. Methods: In a population of 529 (284 men and 245 women) consecutive type 2 diabetic patients attending our diabetes clinic, we evaluated the relationships, corrected for cardiovascular risk factors and type of treatment, between cardiovascular events in a 5-yr follow-up and baseline values of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose measured: 1) after an overnight fast, 2) after breakfast, 3) after lunch, and 4) before dinner. Continuous variables were categorized into tertiles. Results: We recorded cardiovascular events in 77 subjects: 54 of 284 men (19%) and 23 of 245 women (9.4%). Univariate analysis indicated that cardiovascular events were associated with increasing age, longer diabetes duration, and higher HbA1c and fibrinogen in men, and higher systolic blood pressure, albumin excretion rate, HbA1c, and all blood glucose values in women. Smoking was more frequent in subjects with events. When all blood glucose values and HbA1c were introduced simultaneously in the models, only blood glucose after lunch predicted cardiovascular events, with hazard ratio of the third tertile vs. the first and the second tertiles greater in women (5.54; confidence interval, 1.45–21.20) than in men (2.12; confidence interval, 1.04–4.32; P < 0.01). Conclusions: Postprandial, but not fasting, blood glucose is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes, with a stronger predictive power in women than in men, suggesting that more attention should be paid to postprandial hyperglycemia, particularly in women.

Background People in a lower social position have a higher prevalence of unhealthy behaviour, more difficult access to healthcare, and lower compliance with drug treatment; as a consequence, social differences in mortality are likely to be higher in people with diabetes compared with the non-diabetic population. We compared diabetics with non-diabetics in terms of mortality and social differences in mortality. Methods In all, 31 264 residents in Turin (northern Italy), who were ≥20 years old, registered in the local diabetes register between 1991 and 1999. They were followed up from recruitment to December 1999, and their cause-specific mortality by educational level was analysed. This was compared with that of the local non-diabetic population. Diabetes was classified as type 1 (≤35 years at diagnosis) or type 2 (>35 years). Results For type 1 diabetes, the all-cause standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 197.6 (95% CI:155.7, 247.4) in men and 336.0 (95% CI:259.3, 428.2) in women; for type 2 diabetes, the all-cause SMR was 142.8 (95% CI:138, 147.6) in men and 143.4 (95% CI:138.5, 148.5) in women. Whereas social differences in mortality were evident among non-diabetic men and women for all causes of death considered, no significant differences were found among diabetic women. Mortality was slightly increased among less educated diabetic men, particularly for neoplasms, although this gradient was less steep than that among non-diabetics. Conclusions These results suggest that the regular clinical follow-up and health education provided by the local network of diabetic centres might play an important role in confronting the adverse effects of diabetes and in reducing social differences in health.

Since 2008 Italy has been the destination of the 'central Mediterranean route', used by migrants to reach Europe. The aim of this study is to describe demographic characteristics and health problems of migrants at the time of arrival on the Italian coasts, focussing on dermatological and infectious diseases. Cross-sectional study of data routinely collected (n = 6, 188) by the National Institute for Health Migration and Poverty (INMP) in the centres for migrants of Lampedusa and Trapani-Milo (2015-16). Logistic models were performed to identify factors associated with scabies, varicella and the occurrence of two or more not related diagnosis. The average age was 21.6 years; 83.5% of the patients were males. The most frequent countries of origin were Eritrea, Nigeria, and Somalia. The most frequent diagnosis was scabies (58% of patients), skin infections, pediculosis and dermatitis; respiratory infections and varicella were the most represented infectious diseases. The diagnosis of scabies was more probable among Somalis (OR: 11.60) and Eritreans (OR: 10.05); the diagnosis of varicella was more probable among Ghanaians (OR: 13.58) and Nigerians (OR: 9.79). Somalis (OR: 4.10) and Eritreans (OR: 3.32) were the patients more likely to receive two or more diagnosis. The majority of the diseases affecting migrants is in most cases, related to the migration experience and is likely not to represent a major threat for public health. Up-to-date information regarding the burden of diseases is needed in order to identify the health needs of incoming migrants and to arrange the appropriate response in terms of health services provision.