Alex Eckert

Dr. Alex Eckert

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

16Years (2011-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 November 2019 in Journal of Food Products Marketing
Verified
Journal Article
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FFFelippe De Farias
Felippe De Farias
LELuciene Eberle
Luciene Eberle
GMGabriel Sperandio Milan
Gabriel Sperandio Milan
DTDeonir De Toni
Deonir De Toni
AEAlex Eckert
Alex Eckert
The present study aimed to test a theoretical model that contemplates the constructs environmental awareness, healthy consumption, consumer, and subjective norms as determinants of organic food repurchase intention. The method applied consisted of a quantitative approach with a descriptive objective and was implemented through a survey, which counted on a convenience non-probabilistic sample of 241 organic food consumers living in Brazil. Data analysis was performed employing multivariate statistics employing Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) that allowed to measure the relations between the constructs through the test of the proposed hypotheses. The main contribution evidenced is that environmental awareness positively and significantly influences healthy consumption. Besides, the results evidenced that environmental awareness positively influences consumer’s attitude, healthy consumption significantly influences consumer’s attitude, and attitude and subjective norms positively influence repurchase intention in the context of organic food consumption, thus reinforcing signs of healthier and more sustainable consumption behaviors.

1 December 2020 in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
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Journal Article
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AEAlex Eckert
Alex Eckert
OSOliver Semler
Oliver Semler
DSDirk Schnabel
Dirk Schnabel
KKKatharina Köstner
Katharina Köstner
DWDonald Wurm
Donald Wurm
RHReinhard W. Holl
Reinhard W. Holl
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a known risk factor for fractures, but the underlying pathophysiology is still not fully understood. This study aims to define age peaks and frequent fracture sites of children and young adults with T1D. Additionally, associations of fractures with metabolic and lifestyle factors as well as with additional complications in individuals with T1D were analyzed. A total of 750 individuals with T1D aged ≤25 years with fractures were matched to 3750 patients with T1D without fractures by demographics and insulin regimen. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values were compared using linear regression, and logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for fractures in individuals with acute complications and diseases. Median (Q1–Q3) age was 12.7 (9.9 to 14.9) years in individuals with fractures and 16.3 (12.6 to 17.8) years in the entire control group with 65% versus 53% males. Peak age for fractures was 7 to <15 years in males and 9 to <11 years in females, which is earlier than reported for the general population. HbA1c (%) was significantly higher in individuals with fractures than in controls (difference of estimated means: 0.26%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07–0.46), especially in postpubertal females (0.68; 0.10–1.26). Significantly higher odds for fractures were observed in individuals with severe hypoglycemia (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.47–2.47), especially in prepubertal females (OR = 2.81; 1.21–6.52]) and postpubertal males (2.44; 1.11–5.38), celiac disease (2.02; 1.67–2.45), and with a history of smoking (1.38; 1.02–1.88). The age peak of fractures seems to be earlier in T1D than in the general population. Poor glycemic control is related to fractures, even before puberty. Associations of HbA1c and severe hypoglycemia with fractures highly depend on age and sex. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

25 February 2024 in Journal of Diabetes
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Journal Article
Open access
AEAlex Eckert
Alex Eckert
SZStefan Zimny
Stefan Zimny
MAMarcus Altmeier
Marcus Altmeier
ADAna Dugic
Ana Dugic
AGAnton Gillessen
Anton Gillessen
FDFor The Dpv‐Wiss‐Initiative
For The Dpv‐Wiss‐Initiative
Aims: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a leading cause of lower limb amputations in people with diabetes. This study was aimed to retrospectively analyze factors affecting DFU using real‐world data from a large, prospective central‐European diabetes registry (DPV [Diabetes‐Patienten‐Verlaufsdokumentation]).Materials and Methods: We matched adults with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) and DFU to controls without DFU by diabetes type, age, sex, diabetes duration, and treatment year to compare possible risk factors. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios for amputation among those with DFU.Results: In our cohort (N = 63 464), male sex, taller height, and diabetes complications such as neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, nephropathy, and retinopathy were associated with DFU (all p < .001). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was related to DFU only in T1D (mean with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.8 [6.9–9.0] % vs 7.5 [6.8–8.5] %, p < .001). High triglycerides and worse low‐density lipoprotein/high‐density lipoprotein ratio were also associated with DFU in T1D, whereas smoking (14.7% vs 13.1%) and alcohol abuse (6.4% vs 3.8%, both p < .001) were associated with DFU in T2D. Male sex, higher Wagner grades, and high HbA1c in both diabetes types and insulin use in T2D were associated with increased hazard ratios for amputations.Conclusions: Sex, body height, and diabetes complications were associated DFU risk in adults with T1D and T2D. Improvement in glycemic control and lipid levels in T1D and reduction of smoking and drinking in T2D may be appropriate interventions to reduce the risk for DFU or amputations. image

30 May 2023 in Pediatric Diabetes
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Journal Article
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CKClemens Kamrath
Clemens Kamrath
AEAlex Eckert
Alex Eckert
RHReinhard W. Holl
Reinhard W. Holl
JRJoachim Rosenbauer
Joachim Rosenbauer
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on the incidence of type 1 diabetes and frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis. However, the exact relationships are unclear. It is also not known whether this is a short-term phenomenon or whether the effects have long-term relevance. Furthermore, it is not known whether these changes during the pandemic are due to direct effects of SARS-CoV-2 or to changes in the patients environment during the pandemic. Methods. We conducted an extensive literature search on PubMed. For the estimation of relative risks of new-onset type 1 diabetes, we applied a Poisson regression model and for the comparison of incidences and we included the logarithm of person-years. Furthermore, we performed a meta-analysis using the logarithm of the relative risk for new-onset type 1 diabetes as effect size. Results. Pooling the relative risk estimates in a random-effects meta-analysis revealed that the type 1 diabetes incidence rate increased by 20 (relative risk 1.200 (95 CI 1.125, 1.281)), and that the risk of new-onset type 1 diabetes after a SARS-CoV-2 infection increased by 62 (relative risk 1.622 (95 CI 1.347, 1.953)) compared with the prepandemic period. Conclusion. There is considerable evidence that there is an increase in type 1 diabetes in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies suggesting a direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 have methodological weaknesses. As no evidence of an increase in presymptomatic cases with isolated islet autoimmunity was found, this could also suggest an accelerated transition from presymptomatic patients to clinically overt type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, there was a marked exacerbation of the preexisting increase in the prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes during the pandemic. Both the increased incidence of paediatric type 1 diabetes and the higher prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis led to a massive rise in the number of children with diabetic ketoacidosis during the pandemic.

6 November 2024 in Diabetologia
Verified
Journal Article
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RGRosaria Gesuita
Rosaria Gesuita
AEAlex Eckert
Alex Eckert
SBStéphane Besançon
Stéphane Besançon
NCNancy A. Crimmins
Nancy A. Crimmins
FCFred Cavallo
Fred Cavallo
OGon behalf of the SWEET study group
on behalf of the SWEET study group
Aims/hypothesis: The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is increasing in young people worldwide. This study evaluated the frequency and clinical characteristics of young people presenting with type 2 diabetes from the multinational SWEET e.V Registry 2012–2021, including the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a longitudinal observational study based on the SWEET Registry, which collects demographic and clinical data on children and adolescents with diabetes from centres worldwide, with the diagnosis and classification of diabetes provided locally by each centre according to International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes definitions. By July 2022, the SWEET Registry included 96,931 individuals from 130 centres with a total of 1,154,555 visits. Data were analysed by region: Europe (EU), Australia and New Zealand (AU/NZ), South America (SA), North America (NA) and Asia/Middle East and Africa (AS/AF). Trends in proportions for the two-year periods, calculated as cases with type 2 diabetes diagnoses over all cases with diabetes diagnoses, were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for age at onset and sex. Results: Overall, there were 2819 of 58,170 new cases (4.8%) with type 2 diabetes: 614 in EU, 293 in AU/NZ, 79 in SA, 1211 in NA and 622 in AS/AF. The proportion of type 2 diabetes increased from 3.2% to 6.0% from 2012/2013 to 2020/2021, a relative rate of increase of 9% per two-year period (95% CI 5.9, 12.3; p<0.001). In the two-year period of the COVID-19 pandemic, type 2 diabetes continued to follow the observed trend, with a proportion of 6.0% in 2020–2021 compared with 5.4% in 2018–2019. High variability in the proportion of type 2 diabetes was observed across regions, with the lowest values observed in EU and the highest in NA. A significant increase in the proportion of type 2 diabetes was observed in EU, AU/NZ and NA. The median HbA1c was not uniform and was highest in AS/AF (85 mmol/mol [9.9%]; IQR 55–111 [7.2–12.3%]) and lowest in EU (63 mmol/mol [7.9%]; IQR 48–99 [6.5–11.2%]), and the difference between EU and NA (median value 73 mmol/mol [8.8%]; IQR 50–105 [6.7–11.8%]) was statistically significant (p=0.047). There was also a difference in BMI SD score by region: the lowest median BMI SD score was 2.2 (IQR 1.4–2.7) in AS/AF and the highest was 3.1 (IQR 2.5–3.6) in AU/NZ. Conclusions/interpretation: The multinational SWEET data from the years 2012 to 2021 inclusive support recent findings of a worldwide increase in type 2 diabetes in young people, albeit with regional differences. This increase highlights the need for ongoing preventive measures and available advanced treatment modalities worldwide. Graphical