SWE allows the elastic properties of the calcaneal tendon to be evaluated quantitatively in vivo, but interobserver reproducibility is questionable. It confirms the tendinous elastographic anisotropy and stiffness augmentation of stretched tendon.

Aim To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis to determine the risk of cardiovascular events and all‐cause mortality associated with sulphonylureas (SUs) vs other glucose lowering drugs in patients with T2DM (T2DM). Materials and methods A systematic review of Medline, Embase, Cochrane and http://clinicaltrials.gov was conducted for studies comparing SUs with placebo or other antihyperglycaemic drugs in patients with T2DM. A cloglog model was used in the Bayesian framework to obtain comparative hazard ratios (HRs) for the different interventions. For the analysis of observational data, conventional fixed‐effect pairwise meta‐analyses were used. Results The systematic review identified 82 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 26 observational studies. Meta‐analyses of RCT data showed an increased risk of all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular‐related mortality for SUs compared with all other treatments combined (HR 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10‐1.44 and HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.21‐1.77, respectively). The risk of myocardial infarction was significantly higher for SUs compared with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors and sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.14‐6.57 and HR 41.80, 95% CI 1.64‐360.4, respectively). The risk of stroke was significantly higher for SUs than for DPP‐4 inhibitors, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 agonists, thiazolidinediones and insulin. Conclusions The present meta‐analysis showed an association between SU therapy and a higher risk of major cardiovascular disease‐related events compared with other glucose lowering drugs. Results of ongoing RCTs, which should be available in 2018, will provide definitive results on the risk of cardiovascular events and all‐cause mortality associated with SUs vs other antihyperglycaemic drugs.

ObjectiveTo understand the severity and potential impact of heterogeneity in definitions of hypoglycemia used in diabetes research, we aimed to review the hypoglycemia definitions adopted in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).MethodsWe reviewed 109 RCTs included in the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health reports for the second- and third-line therapy for the patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).ResultsNearly 60% (n=66) of the studies reviewed presented the definitions for overall hypoglycemia, and another 20% (n=22) of the studies reported the results for hypoglycemia but did not report a definition. Among these 66 studies, only 9 (14%) followed the American Diabetes Association/European Medicines Agency specified guidelines to define hypoglycemia, with an exact threshold of plasma glucose ≤3.9 mmol/L. Fifty-two of the 66 studies (79%) used a threshold considerably lower than the recommended ≤3.9 mmol/L, and 16 studies used a threshold between 3.8 and 4.0 mmol/L. The proportion of the trials that used a cutoff value of <3.1 mmol/L appeared to be slightly similar among the more commonly used non-insulin treatments, GLP-1s (7 of 18 [39%]), thiazolidinediones (TZDs; 6 of 11 [55%]), DPP-4s (12 of 19 [64%]), and sulfonylureas (11 of 20 [55%]). Among trials with intermediate-long-acting insulins (neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin, detemir, glargine), 7 of 26 trials (27%) used a cutoff of <3.1 mmol/L. The definition of severe hypoglycemia was also subject to substantial heterogeneity, in both the utilized threshold and accompanying soft definitions.ConclusionThis review demonstrates that substantial heterogeneity exists in the definition of overall, severe/major, and nocturnal hypoglycemia across RCTs investigating T2D interventions.

• Complex regional pain syndrome is painful, disabling and often refractory to treatment. • Sixty-seven percent of patients had lasting pain relief (2 years) after radiofrequency neurolysis. • Retrospective study showed a significantly higher success rate for radiofrequency neurolysis. • CT guidance is mandatory for a successful and safe procedure.

Background Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is a rare, metabolic disease primarily affecting the musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Forced vital capacity (FVC) is commonly used to measure pulmonary function; however, associations between FVC and other LOPD outcomes remain unclear. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted on November 2015, updated September 2016 and supplemented with clinical trial data from the sponsor. Outcomes included: 6-min walk test distance (6MWT), FVC, maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressure (MIP/MEP), Medical Research Council-skeletal muscle strength score (MRC), 36-item short-form survey-physical component score (SF-36), Rotterdam Handicap Scale (RHS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and survival. Individual patient data meta-analysis was used for cross-sectional analyses and longitudinal analyses to determine associations between percent of predicted FVC and LOPD measures and outcomes. Results Fifteen studies were selected. From cross-sectional analyses, FVC and MRC were most strongly associated. Specifically, patients with 10% higher FVC (a round number for illustrative purposes only) were associated with a 4.72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.37, 6.07) higher MRC score, indicating a positive association. Similarly, slopes for the 6MWT and SF-36 relative to a 10% higher FVC were estimated at 33.2 meters (95% CI 24.0, 42.4) and 1.2% (95% CI 0.24, 2.16%), respectively. From longitudinal analyses, a 10% incremental increase in predicted FVC was associated with an average increase of 4.12% in MRC score (95% CI 1.29, 6.95), 35.6 m in the 6MWT (95% CI 19.9, 51.6), and 1.34% in SF-36 (95% CI 0.08, 2.60). There was insufficient data to conduct analyses for RHS, FSS and survival. Conclusions FVC is positively associated with LOPD measures and outcomes across multiple domains. Additionally, longitudinal changes in FVC are positively associated with changes in the 6MWT, MRC and SF-36. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-019-09401-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.