Burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its risk factors in North Africa and the Middle East, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in the North Africa and Middle East region is alarmingly high, prompting us to investigate the burden and factors contributing to it through the GBD study. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge about the epidemiological status of T2DM in this region, so our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the burden of T2DM and its associated risk factors. METHODS: Using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, we calculated the attributable burden of T2DM for each of the 21 countries in the region for the years 1990 and 2019. This included prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and risk factors. RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2019, there was a significant increase in the age-standardized incidence (79.6%; 95% Uncertainty Interval: 75.0 to 84.5) and prevalence (85.5%; [80.8 to 90.3]) rates of T2DM per 100,000 populations. The age-standardized mortality rate (1.7%; [-10.4 to 14.9]), DALYs (31.2%; [18.3 to 42.2]), and years lived with disability (YLDs) (82.6%; [77.2 to 88.1]) also increased during this period. Modifiable risk factors, such as high body mass index (56.4%; [42.8 to 69.8]), low physical activity (15.5%; [9.0 to 22.8]), and ambient particulate matter pollution (20.9%; [15.2 to 26.2]), were the main contributors to the number of deaths. CONCLUSION: The burden of T2DM, in terms of mortality, DALYs, and YLDs, continues to rise in the region. The incidence rate of T2DM has increased in many areas. The burden of T2DM attributed to modifiable risk factors continues to grow in most countries. Targeting these modifiable risk factors could effectively reduce the growth and disease burden of T2DM in the region.

Immunological effects of convalescent plasma therapy for coronavirus: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary studies revealed the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma (CP) therapy for patients with coronavirus. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and summarize the available evidence on CP therapy, identify the research gap regarding the immunological response to CP therapy and pave the road for future studies. METHODS: This study was conducted according to the Hilary Arksey and Lisa O'Malley framework. To find out the relevant studies, we searched PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases up to 30th May 2021. Data have been extracted according to three categories: (1) patients' characteristics, (2) clinical and immunological responses to CP therapy and (3) pre-infusion screening of the CP samples. RESULTS: A total of 12,553 articles were identified. One hundred fifty-four studies met the inclusion criteria for full-text review. More than half of the included studies (112 studies, (75.6%)) concluded satisfactory outcomes and or safety of CP infusion in patients. Results of studies showed the efficacy of CP therapy in clinical improvement (101 studies), decreasing in the level of inflammatory factors (62 studies), elimination or decreasing in viral load (60 studies), and induction or increase in antibody response (37 studies). Despite these promising results, the results of the 49 studies revealed that CP therapy was ineffective in the survival of patients, clinical improvement, viral infection elimination or decrease in the inflammatory factor levels. Furthermore, the adaptive immune response was evaluated in 3 studies. Information related to the pre-infusion screening for human leukocyte antigen/human neutrophil antigen (HLA/HNA) antibodies was not reported in most of the studies. Our gap analysis revealed that the influence of the CP infusion on the adaptive immune and inflammatory responses in patients with coronavirus needs further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of most included studies, CP infusion was safe and resulted in clinical improvement of patients and decreasing the viral load. The effect of the CP infusion on adaptive immune response and inflammatory cytokines in patients with coronavirus needs further investigation.

Apelin and stem cells: the role played in the cardiovascular system and energy metabolism.

Apelin, a member of the adipokine family, is widely distributed in the body and exerts cytoprotective effects on many organs. Apelin isoforms are involved in different physiological processes, including regulation of the cardiovascular system, cardiac contractility, angiogenesis, and energy metabolism. Several investigations have been performed to study the effect of apelin on stem cell therapy. This review aims to summarize the literature representing the effects of apelin on stem cell properties. Furthermore, this review discusses the therapeutic potential of apelin-treated stem cells for cardiovascular diseases and demonstrates the effect of stem cells overexpressing apelin on energy metabolism. Stem cells with their unique characteristics play a crucial role in the maintenance of tissue integrity. These cells participate in tissue regeneration via multiple mechanisms. Although preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of stem cells in various diseases, their application in regenerative medicine has not been efficient. A number of strategies such as genetic modification or treatment of stem cells with different factors have been used to improve the efficacy of cell therapy and to increase their survival after transplantation. This article reviews the effect of apelin treatment on the efficacy of cell therapy.

Neutropenia and SARS-CoV-2 infection, A review of the literature.

According to reports, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with various complications, including hematological abnormalities. Lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia have been recognized as common hematological abnormalities. Moreover, some reports have shown cases of neutropenia occurring during or after infection with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). Neutropenia is a condition characterized by a decrease in the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to less than 1500/µ. Although neutropenia has been considered a rare complication of SARS-Cov-2 infection, it is important to closely monitor patients and thoroughly investigate all laboratory findings, particularly in those with severe COVID-19. This will allow for effective therapeutic intervention and appropriate disease management in challenging conditions. In this study, our aim was to conduct a comprehensive review of the current literature on neutropenia during or after SARS-CoV2 infection. Furthermore, we assessed whether there have been any documented cases of immune-mediated neutropenia following COVID-19 and if the appropriate laboratory investigations have been carried out in these patients.

The Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Attributable Risk Factors in Iran, 1990-2019: Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Background: This study presents estimates for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) burden and attributable risk factors in Iran from 1990-2019, using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Methods: This study reports prevalence, incidence, death, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) of T2DM in Iran, by sex, age, and province, from 1990 to 2019. We also present the T2DM burden attributable to risk factors. Results are reported in absolute number and age-standardized rates. Results: Overall, the burden of T2DM had increased greatly since 1990. In 2019, the T2DM incidence and prevalence cases were 291,482 (a 374% increase) and 5,035,012 (a 417% increase) respectively. Moreover, the number of death and DALYs were 14,191 (a 488% increase) and 716,457 (a 417% increase) respectively. DALYs and YLDs in women were consistently higher than men were, whereas women experienced slower increases in YLLs from 1990 to 2019. The age-standardized DALYs rate increased for all Iranian provinces during study period. High body-mass index, ambient particulate matter pollution, and low physical activity remained the three major attributable risk factors in all provinces in 2019. Conclusion: T2DM constitutes a major health burden in Iran. The remarkable upsurge in the T2DM burden represents an ongoing challenge, given the rapidly aging population in Iran. Thus, integrated and multi-sectoral actions that decrease exposure to risk factors and improve the prevention and early diagnosis are needed.

National and sub-national burden and trend of type 1 diabetes in 31 provinces of Iran, 1990-2019.

The aim of the study was to report the burden of type one diabetes mellitus (T1DM) by sex, age, year, and province in Iran over the past 30 years, according to data provided by the global burden of disease (GBD) study. Incidence, prevalence, death, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), years of life lost, and years lived with disability due to T1DM by age groups and sex was reported for 31 provinces of Iran from 1990 to 2019 with their 95% uncertainty intervals (UI). In 2019, national age-standardized incidence (11.0 (95% UI: 8.9-13.5)), prevalence (388.9 (306.1-482.1)), death (0.7 (0.6-0.8)), and DALYs (51.7 (40.9-65.1)) rates per 100,000 wre higher than 1990 except for death. Also, the mortality to incidence ratio reduced in all provinces over time particularly after 2014 as well. GBD data analysis showed that age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of T1DM have increased, the death rate reduced, and DALYs remained unchanged during the past 30 years in Iran and its 31 provinces. death rate reduced and DALYs remained unchanged during the past 30 years in Iran and its 31 provinces.

Mapping research in diabetes complications; A scoping review.

Purpose: The study goal was to report research gaps in this field of diabetes complications in the past five years in Iran. Methods: All diabetes research outputs by Iranians from Jan 2015 to Jan 2020 were retrieved by a comprehensive search in Scopus and Pubmed. After screening, remained documents were categorized into areas including complications, comorbidity, prevention, psychology, nutrition, physical activity, treatment, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Results: 838 documents about complications were received and among the remained records, the most common topics respectively were about microvascular (44.99%), non-vascular complications (19.13%) and macrovascular (16.74%) complications. Regarding the level of evidence the most common studies were respectively animal studies (68%), case-control (57%) and randomized clinical trial (RCT) (39%). Conclusions: The most common topics studied in Iran in the field of diabetes complication are microvascular compilations followed by non-vascular and macrovascular complications, respectively.

Epidemiology of diabetes in Iran: A scoping review of studies published during 2015-2019.

Background: Proper synthesis of existing epidemiologic studies on diabetes in Iran can guide future research efforts. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive scoping review on all research articles that investigated any aspect of diabetes epidemiology in Iran during 2015-2019. Methods: This work was conducted as a part of the Iran Diabetes Research Roadmap and completed under Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews. The Scopus and PubMed databases were searched on Feb 15th, 2020. Eligible document types on diabetes epidemiology in the Iranian population, in Persian or English, that published during the 2015-2019 period underwent eligibility assessment. A total of 315 relevant articles were included and further analysis was performed on the original studies (n = 268). Through classifying them into six domains: Diabetes incidence; the prevalence of diabetes and associated factors; the incidence/prevalence of complications/comorbid conditions; mortality/survival; burden; and prediction modeling. Results: In total, 64 (20.3%) papers were published in Q1 journals, and 40 (12.6%) were international collaborations. No clear annual trend was present in the number of published primary or secondary articles, the portion of papers published in Q1 journals, international collaborations or relative domain proportions. Few review articles were found on prediction modeling, mortality or burden (excluding global studies). Conclusions: Our findings show a minor portion of works on diabetic epidemiology in Iran meets the quality standards of Q1 journals. Researchers have neglected some critical subjects and have occasionally fallen for common pitfalls of epidemiologic research. In particular, adhering to established guidelines can help authors implement rigorous methods to develop, validate, and deploy practical clinical prediction models. Researchers should prioritize investigating longitudinally collected data that aid in measuring disease incidence and enable casual inference. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-022-01094-0.

Mapping evidence of Iran diabetes research: protocol for a scoping review.

Background: A considerable amount of research funding goes to diabetes management strategies to improve therapeutic goals and reduce the burden of diabetes. A vast amount of the budget is wasted due to unnecessary studies. A scoping review is a pivotal study to overview the available evidence and avoid research waste. In this review, we will try to find out the scope of available studies on diabetes management interventions, identify associated research gaps, and prioritize future studies. Method: We will carry out a study using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework. We will search the Scopus and PubMed databases from 01/01/2015 till 01/01/2020. Only original articles related to pharmacological and non-pharmacological management interventions will be included. These interventional studies should be conducted on the Iranian population. After data extraction, a descriptive data analysis will be used to present information in different charts or tables. We will evaluate related published articles based on their document type, level of evidence, type of diabetes, subject area, interventions types, main findings and outcomes. Discussion: This study represents the first attempt to sum up available studies related to diabetes management interventions performed in Iran. The results of this study will be useful for all the stakeholders and policy-makers involved in diabetes research. It can help clinicians to be informed about studies on management interventions and can guide scientists eager to diabetes research to choose their future research plans based on diabetes research requirements and gaps.

Knowledge gaps in diabetes research: an evidence mapping of the literature.

Background: Mapping the available evidence can be used to inform current diabetes research, identify relevant gaps, and prioritize future research. In this regard, we mapped diabetes research performed in Iran. Method: We searched the Scopus and PubMed databases from 01/01/2015 till 01/01/2020 using keywords such as diabetes and Iran. The included articles were classified according to their document types, level of evidence, and subject areas. Results: The majority of the included articles (53%) were related to diabetes types, followed by complications (28%). Most of the documents were original articles (82%), and reviews were 18% of the publications. Systematic reviews constitute only 6% of the total documents. Observational studies were the most common types of study designs (26%), followed by clinical trials (20%). Moreover, topics on control and management of diabetes were the most prevalent subject areas (58%), and fewer studies were on preventive strategies (6%). In diabetes management studies, less attention has been paid to evaluate psychological (10%), educational (9%), and physical activity-related (7%) interventions. There was a shortage of secondary studies related to physical activity, psychology, diagnostic, and screening-related studies. Conclusion: To fill diabetes research gaps, more investment in cost-effectiveness interventions, such as preventive strategies and behavioral self-management programs, need. Moreover, we need to pay more attention on applied sciences and real world evidence to bridge translational gaps from bench to bedside. In this regard, further data synthesis can be helpful in evaluating the effectiveness of the available studies and avoiding unnecessary investigations.

Burden of type 1 diabetes mellitus in the North Africa and Middle East Region, 1990-2019; findings from the global burden of disease study.

AIMS: We aimed to report the burden of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the North Africa and Middle East region and its 21 countries from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Information related to incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) of T1DM was acquired from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. The burden was estimated by sex, age groups, and socio-demographic index (SDI) in 21 countries. RESULTS: Over the past 30 years, regional incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs of T1DM increase by 188.7%, 304.8%, 43.7%, and 71.6%, respectively. While the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased by 84% and 91%, the mortality and DALYs rates decreased by 34% and 13%. During these years, the contribution of YLDs to total DALYs increased considerably (from 17% to 42%). The highest increase in the incidence and prevalence rates occurred in high SDI countries. Moreover, the Mortality to Incidence Ratio (MIR) decreased in the region countries. CONCLUSIONS: Despite progress made in diabetes care, there is a persistently increasing burden of T1DM in the region countries. This indicates that T1DM is still one of the major health challenges in the region countries, especially in high SDI Arab countries.

Evidence Gap and Knowledge Map of Physical Activity Research in Diabetes in Iran: A Scoping Review.

CONTEXT: The important role of physical activity in the prevention and management of diabetes necessitates a review of current research to shed light on gaps in national diabetes guidelines. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: This scoping review was part of the Iran Diabetes Research Roadmap (IDRR) study. A systematic search was used based on the Arksey and O'Malley method consisting of six steps. The descriptive analysis was done with SPSS software. Additionally, VOS veiwer software was used to draw the knowledge map of the included studies. RESULTS: There were 169 articles included from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2019 in Iran. Aerobic and resistance exercises were types of physical activity with more number of articles. Most of the included clinical studies were randomized clinical trials and had a level of evidence two. Also, there was more interest in outcomes such as glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, metabolic syndrome, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. The network of co-authorship was drawn, and "controlled study", "male", and "rat" were the most frequent keywords. CONCLUSIONS: The number of Iranian diabetes researchers on physical activity is increasing, and the majority of clinical studies had a high level of evidence. With maintaining previous interests and investigations, there should be more emphasis on research in elderly and children age groups as evidence gap in Iran. Also, longitudinal cohort studies should be highlighted and Iranian researchers should be encouraged to participate in new topics of research worldwide.

Nutrition and Diet Therapy in Diabetes Mellitus: A Roadmap based on available evidence.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is considered as a primary approach for diabetes management. It needs a comprehensive assessment of evidence to identify nutritional dimensions that should be explored in the future. We aimed to provide a roadmap on diabetes and nutrition and clarify research gaps in this field. METHODS: In the present review, we searched Scopus and PubMed electronic databases to collect eligible publications with English and Farsi languages from 2015 to December 2019 in the field of nutrition and diabetes. Relevant papers were classified into six subgroups including biochemistry/ animal studies, clinical nutrition, food industry, genetic, public health, and dietary supplements. Based on evidence-based pyramid, publications were categorized as well. Publications trend from 2015 to 2019 and frequency of publications in each category were provided. RESULTS: Finally, we reached 438 eligible papers. Most studies (40.86%) were clinical trials and in most human studies (n = 224) patients with type 2 diabetes were considered. Probiotic/prebiotic/ symbiotic, vitamin D, and omega-3/fish oil were the most frequent studied dietary supplements. Low portions of studies were dedicated to diabetic children (n = 3), type 1 diabetes (n = 6), diabetes complications (n = 23) and GDM (n = 25). CONCLUSION: An increasing trend in nutrition publications in the field of diabetes was observed. Publications were mostly dedicated to clinical trials with a focus on dietary supplements. Low portion of studies have been dedicated to children with diabetes, diabetes complications, and GDM. More attention to high quality basic research, product-based projects, and interdisciplinary studies in the field of nutrition and diabetes are needed.

Empowering Health Care Providers and Self-management Education in Diabetes? A Scoping Review.

CONTEXT: There has been an increasing emphasis on the role of education in diabetes prevention and management, and shedding light on evidence gaps is mandatory for national action plans establishment. DATA SOURCES: This scoping review was part of the Iranian Diabetes Road Map project that used a systematic method based on the Arksey and O'Malley approach. RESULTS: After the screening, 173 articles were included, most of which were published in 2018 and focused on self-management. Most included articles were considered patient-related self-management/care/efficacy, while only a limited number of articles studied healthcare provider education and educational establishment. Additionally, a significant number of included studies were addressed virtual education, an issue as the strength of Iranian studies in diabetes education. CONCLUSIONS: Education is an important part of diabetes, and specific needs for Iranian patients should be addressed in future studies. Paying attention to new topics and conducting high-quality interventional studies will help fill evidence gaps in this field in Iran.

Iran diabetes research study; knowledge discovery in diagnosis: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: The rising prevalence of diabetes shows high health and socio-economic burdens. Therefore, the development and evaluation of new diagnostic methods may improve the detection of disease and its complications in the early stages. This study aimed to analyze the scope of the studies related to diabetes diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Publications from January 2015 until December 2019 (5 years) were searched with keywords of (diabetes OR diabetic) AND (Iran) in Scopus and PubMed databases. All data were reviewed by two reviewers and the included publications were categorized based on the subjects, study design, and publication year. RESULTS: Based on the selected criteria, 103 articles were included. The highest number of publications was observed in 2019. The trend of publication was slightly increased during the study period (2015-2019). Case-control and cross-sectional studies were the most common type of study design used in the included documents. Publications in the field of diagnostic models, biomarkers, and biosensors from 2015 to 2019 showed an increasing trend compared to others subjects. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Studies about proper diabetes diagnostic procedures such as new diagnostic techniques, using diagnostic models, and evaluation of new diagnostic biomarkers in Iran are remarkably increased. However, more original and review studies are needed to improve scientific methods in the field of early detection of diabetes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-021-00843-x.

Knowledge discovery in genetics of diabetes in Iran, a roadmap for future researches.

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of diabetes is considered polygenic as a result of complex interactions between genetic/epigenetic and environmental factors. This review intended to evaluate the scientometric and knowledge gap of diabetes genetics researches conducted in Iran as a case of developing countries, and drawn up a roadmap for future studies. METHODS: We searched Scopus and PubMed databases from January 2015 until December 2019 using the keywords: (diabetes OR diabetic) AND (Iran). All publications were reviewed by two experts and after choosing relevant articles, they were categorized based on the subject, level of evidence, study design, publication year, and type of genetic studies. RESULTS: Of 10,540 records, 428 articles were met the inclusion criteria. Generally, the number of researches about diabetes genetics rose since 2015. Case-control/cross-sectional and animal studies were the common types of study design and based on the subject, the most frequent researches were about genetic factors involved in diabetes development (38%). Briefly, the top seven genes that were evaluated for T2DM were TCF7L2, APOAII, FTO, PON1, ADIPOQ, MTHFR, and PPARG respectively, and also, CTL4 for T1DM. miR-21, miR-155, and miR-375 respectively were the most micro-RNAs that were evaluated. Furthermore, there were six studies about lncRNAs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Investigation about the genetic of diabetes is progressed although there are some limitations like non-homogenous data from Iran, heterogeneity of ethnicity, and rationale of studies. Compared to the previous analysis in Iran, still, GWAS and large-scale studies are required to achieve better policies for manage and control of diabetes disease. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-021-00838-8.