Previous studies of the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Greenland are based on either single-point electrocardiograms (ECGs) or patients admitted with stroke. This study estimates the prevalence of AF based on disease classifications in the electronic medical record system (EMR) and prescriptions of oral anticoagulants (OACs). Patients given a diagnose classification code for AF or atrial flutter or prescribed the vitamin K antagonist Warfarin or the direct-acting oral anticoagulant Rivaroxaban were identified in the EMR. Descriptive data and selected laboratory values were extracted, and a minimum CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated for the 790 patients identified in the EMR (66% men). A total prevalence of AF of 1.4% was found in the general population (1.8% among men and 1.0% among women), with a significantly lower prevalence among women younger than 70 years. There was a significant increase in AF-prevalence with advancing age (p<0.001) for both men and women. A minimum CHA2DS2-VASc was estimated and app. 10% of the patients may be undertreated with OACs. The prevalence of AF found in this study is higher than that found in previous studies in Greenland and comparable to the prevalence found in other Western countries, indicating that AF is common in Greenland.

Objective: To investigate the association between treatment induced change in continuous glucose monitored (CGM) time in range (TIR) and microalbuminuria in persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D) treated with sensor-augmented pumps (SAP). Methods: In an open labelled controlled trial, 60 participants with T1D treated with multiple daily injections (MDI) and history of albuminuria were randomised to MDI- or SAP-therapy for 1 year. During the study, the SAP group wore a CGM (Enlite®, Medtronic). The MDI group wore blinded CGMs (Ipro2®, Medtronic) for 6 days at baseline and study end. Anthropometrics, CGM data, blood and urine samples were collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12-month visits. Based on CGM data collected between each visit, the percentage of time spent within 3.9-10.0 mmol/l (%TIR) was calculated. Urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) was measured in 3 samples at all visits. Only CGM data for the SAP group were included in the analysis. A linear mixed model with a participant-specific random intercept was used to analyse the effect of %TIR during 1 year after start of SAP on UACR, adjusting for changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP), HbA1c and body mass index. Results: Twenty-six participants were assigned to the SAP group and had a baseline median (interquartile range) age of 51.5 (45.9; 62.1) years, HbA1c of 66 (58; 77) mmol/mol, UACR of 78.8 (37; 205) mg/g and 51Cr-EDTA-GFR 85.0 (73.0; 96.5) ml/min/1.73m2. From baseline to study end, the mean improvement (95% CI) in %TIR was 11.3 (6.0; 16.6) %, HbA1C was -14.4 (-17.5; -11.2) mmol/mol and UACR was -13 (-33; -22) %; all p<0.001. HbA1c decreased with 4.7 mmol/mol per 10% increase in %TIR (p<0.001). The UACR decreased with 13% per 10% increase in %TIR (p=0.038), with 15% per 10 mmol/mol decrease in HbA1c (p=0.071), and with 31 % per 10 mmHg decrease in MAP (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this longitudinal study, treatment induced increase in CGM-derived %TIR were significantly associated with decrease in albuminuria in T1D. Disclosure A. Ranjan: None. S. Rosenlund: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. T.W. Hansen: None. P. Rossing: Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi. Consultant; Self; Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Novo Nordisk A/S. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. S. Andersen: None. K. Nørgaard: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott, Medtronic. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Medtronic, Novo Nordisk A/S. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. Funding Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF17SA0031406); Medtronic A/S

Aim:To investigate the association between treatment-induced change in continuousglucose monitored (CGM) time-in-range (TIR) and albuminuria in persons with type1 diabetes (T1D) treated with sensor-augmented-pumps (SAP).Methods:Twenty-six of fifty-five participantswith albuminuria and multiple daily injection-therapy (25% females, 51 (46-63)years, HbA1c 75 (68-88) mmol/mol [9.0 (8.4-10.4)%], UACR 89 (37-250)mg/g) were in a randomized-controlled trial assigned to SAP-therapy for one year. Anthropometrics, CGM-data,blood and urine samples were collected every three months.Results:Mean change (95%-CI) in %TIR was +13.2 (6.2;20.2)%,HbA1C was -14.4 (-17.4;-10.5) mmol/mol [-1.3 (-1.6;-1.0)%] and urinaryalbumin-creatinine-ratio (UACR) was -15 (-38;17)%, all p<0.05. UACR decreasedwith 19 (10;28)% per 10% increase in %TIR (p=0.04), 18 (1;30)% per 10 mmol/mol decreasein HbA1C (p=0.07), and 31% per 10 mmHg decrease in mean arterialpressure (p<0.001).Conclusion: In this longitudinal study, treatment-induced increasein %TIR was significantly associated with decrease in albuminuria in T1D.

Background: Accurate assessment of isometric hand grip strength (HGS) and isometric lower limb strength (LS) are often limited to specialized clinics due to high costs and need for specialized equipment and personnel. A mobile and user-friendly device would facilitate a wider use of these measures in the clinical setting. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) is a novel and pragmatic tool that has been validated for measuring muscle strength and other clinically relevant physiological variables. However, reference data for HGS and LS are lacking. The purpose of the current study is to establish reference data for HGS and LS in individuals ≥20 years of age using the WBB method, and to characterize the effects of age in these measurements. Method: Healthy participants were recruited at various locations and their HGS and LS were tested by six assessors using the WBB. Reference data were analysed and presented in age-groups, while the age-related change in HGS and LS was tested and characterized with linear regression models. Results: Three hundred and fifty-four participants between 20 and 99 years of age were tested. Data are presented separately according to gender and the following age categories: 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and 80+, and presented in absolute values as well as percentiles. The main findings were; (1) Significantly higher HGS and LS among males compared to females and for the dominant limb compared to the non-dominant limb, (2) a significant decline in strength with increasing age, and (3) the rate of decline increased significantly (i.e. it was non-linear) with age for HGS, but not for LS. Conclusion: This study reported reference data with percentiles for a novel method for assessing HGS and LS. Data were consistent with previously known effects of age and gender on HGS and LS. The presented data may supplement future trials using the WBB in research or in the clinical setting.

BACKGROUND:Maintaining balance is important throughout life. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) can give reliable quantitative measures of postural balance, but reference data are lacking. Furthermore, one-leg standing balance across the adult lifespan is not fully described. The aim of the study was (1) to provide reference data on postural balance in multiple standing positions using a WBB, (2) to determine an age cut-off for the ability to stand on one-leg in men and women. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study and data was collected in two cities in Denmark (Aalborg and Odense) and Norway (Oslo and Ålesund) during spring and summer of 2016. Postural balance was assessed in individuals across the adult lifespan in three different bases of support positions (hip-wide and narrow two-legged stance, and one-legged stance) using a WBB. Reference data were analyzed and presented in 10-year intervals. RESULTS:A total of 354 individuals aged 20-99 years were recruited. Reference data were presented in percentiles stratified by gender for the following age categories: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80+. Data showed that the difference between men and women's balance was larger at older age with men performing worst. The cut-off ability to stand on one-leg was 72.5 years without statistical evidence of gender difference. CONCLUSION:This study reports reference data for postural balance across the entire adult lifespan using a WBB. More than half of the individuals over 72.5 years of age were unable to stand balanced on one-leg.

Aims: Uric acid (UA) is a risk factor for CKD. We evaluated UA in relation to change in GFR in patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Post hoc analysis of a trial of losartan in diabetic nephropathy, mean follow-up 3 years (IQR 1.5-3.5). UA was measured at baseline. Primary end-point was change in measured GFR. UA was tested in a linear regression model adjusted for known progression factors (gender, HbA(1c), systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, baseline GFR and baseline urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER)). Results: Baseline UA was 0339 mmo1/1 (SD +/- 0.107), GFR 87 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (+/- 23), geometric mean UAER 1023 mg/24 h (IQR, 631 - 1995). Mean rate of decline in GFR was 4.6 (3.7) ml/min/year. In the upper quartile of baseline UA the mean decline in GFR from baseline to the end of the study was 6.2 (4.9) ml/min/1.73 m(2) and 4.1 (3.1) ml/min/1.73 m(2) in the three lower quartiles of UA, (p = 0.088). In a linear model including baseline covariates (UAER, GFR, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol) UA was associated with decline in GFR (r(2) = 0.45, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Uric acid was weakly associated with decline in GFR in type 1 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTEXT Osteoporosis is a frequent disease in many populations. The hallmark is fragility fractures, which are harbingers of future fractures, disability, mortality and cost on society. The occurrence increases with age, low vitamin D level and smoking. Smoking rates are high, vitamin D is low and life expectancy is rising steeply in Greenland, as is the need for focus on osteoporosis. We report a case that uses a simple and readily available tool to diagnose osteoporosis at the hospital in Sisimiut, a town of 5000 inhabitants on the west coast of Greenland. ISSUES A 51-year-old Inuit woman was seen due to lower back pain. No trauma could be recalled. Laboratory results showed a low vitamin D level and normal S-calcium, S-phosphate, S-parathyroid hormone, S-thyrotropin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, S-creatinine and hemoglobin. The lateral chest radiograph demonstrated a reduction of anterior height of the seventh and ninth thoracic vertebral bodies of 50% and 40% respectively. LESSONS LEARNED Chest radiographs are frequently done in the towns along the vast coastline of Greenland, the world's largest island. They are transferred to the hospital in the capital city Nuuk using existing tele-technology, and specialist evaluations are given in electronic records available at the coastal hospitals. Effective therapies for osteoporosis are available and the identification of vertebral fractures that merit treatment may prevent future fractures, morbidity and mortality. Fragility fractures are frequent in old age and the steep rise in life expectancy and in the number of old people in Greenland emphasize the need for a focus on management of osteoporosis. Geography provides a diagnostic challenge to rural and remote areas that can be overcome by the use of lateral chest radiographs as it relies on facilities readily available. Clinical risk assessment tools with high specificity may support further osteoporosis risk prediction in remote Arctic societies.

Lower limb weakness is an important risk factor for fall accidents and a predictor for all-cause mortality among older adults. Unilateral whole-lower limb strength may be a better measure of fall risk than the bilateral measure. In addition, a number of clinical conditions affect only one leg, and thus this type of assessment is relevant in clinical settings.

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are high in Inuit living predominately on the traditional marine diet. Adverse effects of POPs include disruption of the immune system and cardiovascular diseases that are frequent in Greenland Inuit. We aimed to assess the association between exposure to POPs from the marine diet and inflammation, taking into account other factors such as vitamin D. We invited Inuit and non-Inuit living in settlements or the town in rural East Greenland or in the capital city Nuuk. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and donated a blood sample for measurement of the two markers of inflammation YKL-40 and hsCRP, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, eleven organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), fourteen polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), one polybrominated biphenyl, and nine polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) adjusted to the serum lipid content. Participants were 50 through 69 years old, living in settlements, town or city (n = 151/173/211; 95% participation rate). ΣOCP, ΣPCB and ΣPBDE serum levels were higher in Inuit than in non-Inuit (p<0.001/ p<0.001/ p<0.001), in older individuals (p<0.001/p<0.001/p = 0.002) and in participants with the highest intake of Greenlandic food items (p<0.001/p<0.001/p<0.001). Both YKL-40 and hsCRP serum levels were higher in Inuit compared to non-Inuit (p<0.001/p = 0.001), and increased with age (p<0.001/p = 0.001) and with the intake of Greenlandic food items (p<0.001/p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis conformed to a marked influence on both YKL-40 and hsCRP by ΣOCP (p<0.001/p<0.001) and ΣPCBs (p<0.001/p = 0.001) after adjusting for age, BMI, vitamin D, alcohol and smoking. POP levels were associated with the intake of the traditional Inuit diet and with markers of inflammation. This supports a pro-inflammatory role of POPs to promote chronic diseases common to populations in Greenland. These data inform guidelines on 'the Arctic dilemma' and encourage follow-up on the ageing Arctic populations.

Low hand grip strength is a strong predictor for both long-term and short-term disability and mortality. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) is an inexpensive, portable, wide-spread instrument with the potential for multiple purposes in assessing clinically relevant measures including muscle strength. The purpose of the study was to explore intrarater reliability and concurrent validity of the WBB by comparing it to the Jamar hand dynamometer.

Individual patients show a large variability in albuminuria response to angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). Identifying novel biomarkers that predict ARB response may help tailor therapy. We aimed to discover and validate a serum metabolite classifier that predicts albuminuria response to ARBs in patients with diabetes mellitus and micro- or macroalbuminuria.

Iodine nutrition is commonly assessed from iodine excretion in urine. A 24 h urine sample is ideal, but it is cumbersome and inconvenient. Hence, spot urine samples with creatinine to adjust for differences in void volume are widely used. Still, the importance of ethnicity and the timing of spot urine samples need to be settled. We, thus, collected 104 early morning spot urine samples and 24 h urine samples from Inuit and non-Inuit living in Greenland. Diet was assessed by a FFQ. Demographic data were collected from the national registry and by questionnaires. Iodine was measured using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction, creatinine using the Jaffe method and para-amino benzoic acid by the HPLC method for the estimation of completeness of urine sampling and compensation of incomplete urine samples to 24 h excretion. A population-based recruitment was done from the capital city, a major town and a settlement (n 36/48/20). Participants were seventy-eight Inuit and twenty-six non-Inuit. The median 24 h iodine excretion was 138 (25th-75th percentile 89-225) μg/97 (25th-75th percentile 72-124) μg in Inuit/non-Inuit (P= 0.030), and 153 (25th-75th percentile 97-251) μg/102 (25th-75th percentile 73-138) μg (P= 0.026) when including compensated iodine excretion. Iodine excretion in 24 h urine samples increased with a rising intake of traditional Inuit foods (P= 0.005). Iodine excretion was lower in morning spot urine samples than in 24 h urine samples (P< 0.001). This difference was associated with iodine intake levels (P< 0.001), and was statistically significant when the iodine excretion level was above 150 μg/24 h. In conclusion, the iodine intake level was underestimated from morning spot urine samples if iodine excretion was above the recommended level.

AimThe effect of insulin pump [continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)] treatment on diabetes complications in a modern clinical setting is largely unknown. We investigated the effect of 4years CSII treatment on HbA(1c,) albuminuria and kidney function compared with multiple daily injections (MDI) in a single-centre clinical setting.MethodsAll patients initiating CSII treatment from 2004 to 2010 and followed for at least 4years were included in the study: 193 people with Type1 diabetes were matched (1:2) with 386 patients treated with MDI in the same period. Matching was based on diabetes duration, gender, HbA(1c) and normo-, micro- or macroalbuminuria at baseline. Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) was measured yearly and annual change assessed from linear regression.ResultsCSII- vs. MDI-treated patients were comparable at baseline. After 4years, HbA(1c) was 6211 vs. 6811mmol/mol (7.81.0 vs. 8.41.0%) (P<0.001). Annual UACR change in CSII- vs. MDI-treated patients was [mean (95% confidence interval)] -10.1 (-13.3; -6.8) vs. -1.2 (-3.6; 0.9)% (P<0.001). Reduction in UACR was significantly associated with CSII treatment after adjustment for age, gender, diabetes duration, estimated GFR, UACR, mean arterial pressure, HbA(1c), cholesterol, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, anti-hypertensive treatment and smoking (P<0.001). This remained significant (P<0.001) when only including patients on stable renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition during follow-up (n=465).ConclusionsTreatment with CSII over 4years independently reduced HbA(1c) and UACR compared with MDI. Reduced UACR may be due to less glycaemic variability because the effect of CSII on HbA(1c) could only partially explain the effect. This needs confirmation in randomized controlled trials.

Background: The use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in clinical decision making in diabetes could be limited by the inaccuracy of CGM data when compared to plasma glucose measurements. The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of CGM numerical accuracy on the precision of diabetes treatment adjustments. Method: CGM profiles with maximum 5-day duration from 12 patients with type 1 diabetes treated with a basal-bolus insulin regimen were processed by 2 CGM algorithms, with the accuracy of algorithm 2 being higher than the accuracy of algorithm 1, using the median absolute relative difference (MARD) as the measure of accuracy. During 2 separate and similar occasions over a 1-month interval, 3 clinicians reviewed the processed CGM profiles, and adjusted the dose level of basal and prandial insulin. The precision of the dosage adjustments were defined in terms of the interclinician agreement and the intraclinician reproducibility of the decisions. The Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to assess the precision of the decisions. The study was based on retrospective and blind CGM data. Results: For the interclinician agreement, in the first occasion, the kappa of algorithm 1 was .32, and that of algorithm 2 was .36. For the interclinician agreement, in the second occasion, the kappas of algorithms 1 and 2 were .17 and .22, respectively. For the intraclinician reproducibility of the decisions, the kappas of algorithm 1 were .35, .22, and .80 and the kappas of algorithm 2 were .44, .52, and .32, for the 3 clinicians, respectively. For the interclinician agreement, the relative kappa change from algorithm 1 to algorithm 2 was 86.06%, and for the intraclinician reproducibility, the relative kappa change from algorithm 1 to algorithm 2 was 53.99%. Conclusions: Results indicated that the accuracy of CGM algorithms might potentially affect the precision of the CGM-based insulin adjustments for type 1 diabetes patients. However, a larger study with several clinical centers, with higher number of clinicians and patients is required to validate the impact of CGM accuracy on decisions precision.