Diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa

Correlates of time to microvascular complications among diabetes mellitus patients using parametric and non-parametric approaches: a case study of Ayder referral hospital, Ethiopia

“…It was found in this study that female patients have more risk of developing all the three complications than males. This is supported by a similar study conducted in middle-east and North Africa (Zabetian et al, 2013) and India (Brasad and Robinson, 1995). Some other studies reported the associations between sex of a patient and specific complications.…”

Prevalence, correlates and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Lebanon: Findings from a national population-based study

“…Adequate diabetes management emphasizes behavior change, including adherence to medications, self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, regular screening for microvascular (neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy) and macrovascular (cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease) complications, and proper education about nutrition [8,9]. Yet, a recent systematic review by Zabetian and colleagues conducted in the MENA region [10] found that, among people with diabetes, over half do not meet the recommended care targets, with diabetes complications being common outcomes. Furthermore, studies on management of type 2 diabetes across the region and Lebanon, remain small in size and scarce [10,11].…”

Availability of urinary albumin measurement in Southern Brazilian Laboratories

“…A recent systematic review evaluating the standards for DM care in Central and South America found that the prevalence of annual albuminuria screenings among patients with DM ranged from 1-80%, which reveals the presence of significant heterogeneity in patient care, with important barriers to healthcare 13 . Fortunately, some countries have much higher albuminuria screening rates, such as Israel, where approximately 72.6% of patients undergo annual screening tests 11 . In the United States, the first national initiative to establish a set of measures to assess patients with DM has been developed recently and it includes HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein, and blood pressure measurements, in addition to eye and renal examinations 14 .…”

“…Poor accessibility to kidney function assessment has also been reported in other regions in the world. Only 33% of patients in North Africa 11 and 30% of individuals with type 2 DM in some regions of Finland perform urinary albumin tests on a yearly basis 12 . A recent systematic review evaluating the standards for DM care in Central and South America found that the prevalence of annual albuminuria screenings among patients with DM ranged from 1-80%, which reveals the presence of significant heterogeneity in patient care, with important barriers to healthcare 13 .…”