AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Prolongation of the heart rate corrected QT interval (QTc) is seen during episodes of hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes. We studied the relationship between spontaneous hypoglycaemia and the QT interval and hypothesised that the choice of heart rate correction affects the observed change in QTc.

METHODS: Twenty-one participants with type 1 diabetes (aged 58 +/- 10 years with duration of diabetes 34 +/- 12 years) had continuous glucose and ECG monitoring for 72 h. QT and RR intervals were measured during hypoglycaemia (blood glucose or continuous glucose measurements <or=3.5 mmol/l) and compared with euglycaemia (5-12 mmol/l). QT intervals were measured using the semi-automated tangent method from signal-averaged ECG and corrected using Bazett's formula, Fridericia's formula, the nomogram method and a linear subject-specific method.

RESULTS: Hypoglycaemia was present in 14 participants. With Bazett's formula, QTc changed significantly from euglycaemia to hypoglycaemia (422 +/- 30 vs 432 +/- 33 ms; p = 0.02). Heart rate, QT intervals and QTc corrected with formulas other than Bazett's were not associated with a significant change (p = 0.07-0.29). During hypoglycaemia, significantly lower values of QTc compared with the subject-specific method were seen for Fridericia's formula (p = 0.02) and the nomogram method (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Spontaneous hypoglycaemia was associated with a modest increase in QTc. Bazett's formula resulted in overcorrection of QTc while both Fridericia's formula and the nomogram method undercorrected the QTc compared with the subject-specific method during hypoglycaemia. The results may indicate that the use of a fixed heart rate correction formula can lead to misleading results in investigations of spontaneous hypoglycaemia.

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Global Score (BAS-G) (ranges 0-10) have gained widespread in use as self-reported measures of disease activity, functional impairment and overall well-being in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies (SpA). In Denmark, BASDAI, BASFI and BAS-G are systematically used to monitor treatment response in patients treated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. The purpose of the present study was to examine the reproducibility of the indices in anti-TNF-treated SpA patients already familiar with the use of the indices. Testing was performed twice on two different days (median interval 7 days, range 4-10 days) under standardised conditions in 26 out-clinic patients (median age 39 years, range 22-56 years). Limits of agreement were calculated as the 95% likely range for the difference between paired scores. Test-retest results were significantly intercorrelated with r (s) = 0.90 for BASDAI, 0.92 for BASFI and 0.74 for BAS-G. Limits of agreement for BASDAI, BASFI and BAS-G were +/-1.8, +/-1.4 and +/-3.2, respectively. Reproducibility as expressed as the mean of individual standard deviations was significantly poorer for BAS-G than for BASDAI and BASFI (p <0.01). Internal consistency reliability and construct validity of BASDAI and BASFI were acceptable. In conclusion, in a sample of anti-TNF-treated patients experienced with the use of BASDAI, BASFI and BAS-G, random measurement errors of the scores were not negligible. The finding should be considered when monitoring anti-TNF treatment in daily clinical practice.

To estimate the efficacy and safety of diacerein as a pain-reducing agent in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), using meta-analysis of published randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs).

The aim of this present study is to test the hypotheses that the 18 predetermined sites of examination for tender points (TP sites) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), and that the induced pain from active MTrPs at TP sites may mimic fibromyalgia pain. Each TP site was evaluated with manual palpation followed by intramuscular electromyographic (EMG) registration of spontaneous electrical activity to confirm or refute the existence of an MTrP in 30 FMS patients. Overall spontaneous pain intensity and pain pattern were recorded before manual identification of MTrPs. Local and referred pain pattern from active MTrPs were drawn following manual palpation at TP sites. RESULTS: Showed that most of the TP sites are MTrPs. Local and referred pain from active MTrPs reproduced partly the overall spontaneous pain pattern. The total number of active MTrPs (r = .78, P <.0001), but not latent MTrPs (r = -.001, P = .99), was positively correlated with spontaneous pain intensity in FMS. The current study provides first evidence that pain from active MTrPs at TP sites mimics fibromyalgia pain. MTrPs may relate to generalized increased sensitivity in FMS due to central sensitization. PERSPECTIVE: This article underlies the importance of active MTrPs in FMS patients. Most of the TP sites in FMS are MTrPs. Active MTrPs may serve as a peripheral generator of fibromyalgia pain and inactivation of active MTrPs may thus be an alternative for the treatment of FMS.

RATIONAL AND OBJECTIVE: Disease assessment and follow-up of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients require objective evaluation and quantification. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a large potential to supplement such information for the clinician, however, time spent on data reading and interpretation slow down development in this area. Existing scoring systems of especially synovitis are too rigid and insensitive to measure early treatment response and quantify inflammation. This study tested a novel automated, computer system for analysis of dynamic MRI data acquired from patients with RA, Dynamika-RA, which incorporates efficient data processing and analysis techniques.