Effectiveness of self-financing patient-led support groups in the management of hypertension and diabetes in low- and middle-income countries: Systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: There is insufficient evidence on the role of self-financing patient support groups in the control of blood pressure (BP) and/or diabetes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of these groups in BP and glycaemic control. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Global Health, African Journals Online, CINAHL and African Index Medicus for published peer-reviewed articles from inception up to November 2021. Grey literature was obtained from OpenGrey. Studies on patient support groups for hypertension and/or diabetes with a component of pooling financial resources, conducted in LMICs, were included. Narrative reviews, commentaries, editorials and articles published in languages other than English and French were excluded. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality assessment tool and the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results are reported according to PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: Of 724 records screened, three studies met the criteria: two trials conducted in Kenya and a retrospective cohort study conducted in Cambodia. All studies reported improvement in BP control after 12 months follow-up with reductions in systolic BP of 23, 14.8, and 16.9 mmHg, respectively. Two studies reported diabetes parameters. The first reported improvement in HbA1c (reduction from baseline 10.8%, to 10.6% at 6 months) and random blood sugar (baseline 8.9 mmol/L, to 8.5 mmol/L at 6 months) but these changes did not achieve statistical significance. The second reported a reduction in fasting blood glucose (baseline-216 mg/dl, 12 months-159 mg/dl) in diabetic patients on medication. CONCLUSION: Self-financing patient support groups for diabetes and hypertension are potentially effective in the control of BP and diabetes in LMICs. More studies are needed to add to the scarce evidence base on the role of self-financing patient support groups.

N-acetylcysteine for non-paracetamol drug-induced liver injury: a systematic review.

AIMS: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may be useful in the management of non-paracetamol drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Our objective was to review systematically evidence for the use of NAC as a therapeutic option for non-paracetamol DILI. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies. We searched several bibliographic databases, grey literature sources, conference proceedings and ongoing trials. Our pre-specified primary outcomes were all cause and DILI related mortality, time to normalization of liver biochemistry and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were proportion receiving liver transplant, time to transplantation, transplant-free survival and hospitalization duration. RESULTS: We identified one RCT of NAC vs. placebo in patients with non-paracetamol acute liver failure. There was no difference in the primary outcomes of overall survival at 3 weeks between NAC [70%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 60%, 81%, n = 81] and placebo (66%, 95% CI = 56%, 77%, n = 92). NAC significantly improved the secondary outcomes of transplant-free survival compared with placebo: 40% NAC (95% CI = 28%, 51%) vs. 27% placebo (95% CI = 18%, 37%). A subgroup analysis according to aetiology found improved transplant-free survival in patients with non-paracetamol DILI, NAC (58%, n = 19) vs. placebo (27%, n = 26), odds ratio (OR) 0.27 (95% CI = 0.076, 0.942). Overall survival was similar, NAC (79%) vs. placebo (65%);, OR 0.50 (95% CI = 0.13, 1.98). CONCLUSION: Current available evidence is limited and does not allow for any firm conclusions to be made regarding the role of NAC in non-paracetamol DILI. We therefore highlight the need for further research in this area.

Integrated Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes in the Context of Multi-Morbidity in Africa: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Many adults diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) also have other known or unknown comorbid conditions. The rising prevalence of GDM and T2DM within a broader context of multimorbidity can best be addressed through an integrated management response, instead of stand-alone programs targeting specific infectious and/or chronic diseases. Aim: To describe GDM and T2DM screening, care and cost-effectiveness outcomes in the context of multimorbidity through integrated interventions in Africa. Methods: A systematic review of all published studies was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Risk Of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to assess risk of bias. Data synthesis was conducted using narrative synthesis of included studies. Results: A total of 9 out of 13 included studies reported integrated diabetes mellitus (DM) screening, 7 included integrated care and 9 studies addressed cases of newly detected DM who were asymptomatic in pre-diabetes stage. Only 1 study clearly analysed cost-effectiveness in home-based care; another 5 did not evaluate cost-effectiveness but discussed potential cost benefits of an integrated approach to DM screening and care. Compared to partial integration, only 2 fully integrated interventions yielded tangible results regarding DM screening, care and early detection of cases despite many that reported barriers to its sustainability. Conclusion: Though few, integrated interventions for screening and/or care of DM in the context of multimorbidity within available resources in health systems throughout Africa exist and suggest that this approach is possible and could improve health outcomes.

IDF Diabetes Atlas: Estimation of Global and Regional Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevalence for 2021 by International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group's Criteria.

AIMS: The approaches used to screen and diagnose gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) vary widely. We generated a comparable estimate of the global and regional prevalence of GDM by International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG)'s criteria. METHODS: We searched PubMed and other databases and retrieved 57 studies to estimate the prevalence of GDM. Prevalence rate ratios of different diagnostic criteria, screening strategies and age groups, were used to standardize the prevalence of GDM in individual studies included in the analysis. Fixed effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate standardized pooled prevalence of GDM by IDF regions and World Bank country income groups. RESULTS: The pooled global standardized prevalence of GDM was 14.0% (95% confidence interval: 13.97-14.04%). The regional standardized prevalence of GDM were 7.1% (7.0-7.2%) in North America and Caribbean (NAC), 7.8% (7.2-8.4%) in Europe (EUR), 10.4% (10.1-10.7%) in South America and Central America (SACA), 14.2% (14.0-14.4%) in Africa (AFR), 14.7% (14.7-14.8%) in Western Pacific (WP), 20.8% (20.2-21.4%) in South-East Asia (SEA) and 27.6% (26.9-28.4%) in Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The standardized prevalence of GDM in low-, middle- and high-income countries were 12.7% (11.0-14.6%), 9.2% (9.0-9.3%) and 14.2% (14.1-14.2%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The highest standardized prevalence of GDM was in MENA and SEA, followed by WP and AFR. Among the three World Bank country income groups, high income countries had the highest standardized prevalence of GDM. The standardized estimates for the prevalence of GDM provide an insight for the global picture of GDM.

IDF Diabetes Atlas: The prevalence of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy - A systematic reviewand meta-analysis of studies published during 2010-2020.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy from studies published during 2010-2020. METHODS: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and other sources for relevant data sources. The prevalence of overall pre-existing, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, by country, region and period of study was synthesised from included studies using the inverse-variance heterogeneity model and the Freeman-Tukey transformation. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic and publication bias using funnel plots. RESULTS: We identified 2479 records, of which 42 data sources with a total of 78 943 376 women, met the eligibility criteria. The included studies were from 17 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Australasia, Asia and Africa. The lowest prevalence was in Europe (0.5%, 95 %CI 0.4-0.7) and the highest in the Middle East and North Africa (2.4%, 95 %CI 1.5-3.1). The prevalence of pre-existing diabetes doubled from 0.5% (95 %CI 0.1-1.0) to 1.0% (95 %CI 0.6-1.5) during the period 1990-2020. The pooled prevalences of pre-existing type 1 and type 2 diabetes were 0.3% (95 %CI 0.2-0.4) and 0.2% (95 %CI 0.0-0.9) respectively. CONCLUSION: While the prevalence of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy is low, it has doubled from 1990 to 2020.

Outcomes of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in Africa: systematic review study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus globally has increased considerably over the past decades with a resultant increase in the incidence of diabetes-complicated pregnancies. Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy is the most common metabolic complication encountered during pregnancy and is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. This systematic review aims to examine maternal, fetal, neonatal, childhood and long-term maternal outcomes of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review of all studies that investigated hyperglycaemia in pregnancy outcomes, carried out in Africa from 1998 to 2019. A comprehensive search of all published articles indexed in PubMed-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase and Web of Science databases will be performed. Studies will be screened for eligibility by title, abstract and full text in duplicate by two independent reviewers. For data where meta-analysis is not possible, narrative analysis will be carried out using themes from data. For data where meta-analysis is possible, random effects meta-analysis will be conducted. This systematic review will be reported according to the Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this study considering this is a systematic review protocol that uses only published data. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020184573.

Does social support effect knowledge and diabetes self-management practices in older persons with Type 2 diabetes attending primary care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa?

BACKGROUND: In South Africa with one of the most rapidly ageing populations in Africa despite the demographic impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Self-management is challenging for all those with the condition but is likely to create a higher demand for those who may have existing co-morbidities associated with age, and long-standing chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of social support, especially that of family and friends with their self-management. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was undertaken in the Cape Town metropole primary care clinics. The sample comprised 406 people drawn from four community health centres (CHC) that are served by Groote Schuur Hospital at the tertiary level. RESULTS: Of the 406 participants, 68.5% were females, 60.5% were living with a family member, and almost half were married. The mean duration of diabetes from diagnosis was eight years. More than half (57.4%) had no or only primary education. Half the participants (50.2%) had poor knowledge level in relation to symptoms and complications of diabetes. Multivariable linear regression showed older age was associated with poor knowledge (®: -1.893, 95% CI-3.754; -0.031) and higher income was associated with self-management practice (®: 3.434, 95% CI 0.797; 6.070). Most participants received family support to follow aspects of diabetes self-management. The ordinal logistic regression indicated that family support was positively associated with the self-management practice score for following a diabetic meal plan, taking care of feet, physical activity, testing blood sugar and handling participants' feelings about being diabetic, but not for taking medication. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration needs to be given to developing and testing education programmes that focus on needs of older people with diabetes and emphases the role of family and friends.

The effectiveness of peer and community health worker-led self-management support programs for improving diabetes health-related outcomes in adults in low- and-middle-income countries: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Community-based peer and community health worker-led diabetes self-management programs (COMP-DSMP) can benefit diabetes care, but the supporting evidence has been inadequately assessed. This systematic review explores the nature of COMP-DSMP in low- and middle-income countries' (LMIC) primary care settings and evaluates implementation strategies and diabetes-related health outcomes. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed-MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL PsycINFO Database, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Clinicaltrials.gov, Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR), and HINARI (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative) for studies that evaluated a COMP-DSMP in adults with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes in World Bank-defined LMIC from January 2000 to December 2019. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials with at least 3 months follow-up and reporting on a behavioural, a primary psychological, and/or a clinical outcome were included. Implementation strategies were analysed using the standardised implementation framework by Proctor et al. Heterogeneity in study designs, outcomes, the scale of measurements, and measurement times precluded meta-analysis; thus, a narrative description of studies is provided. RESULTS: Of the 702 records identified, eleven studies with 6090 participants were included. COMP-DSMPs were inconsistently associated with improvements in clinical, behavioural, and psychological outcomes. Many of the included studies were evaluated as being of low quality, most had a substantial risk of bias, and there was a significant heterogeneity of the intervention characteristics (for example, peer definition, selection, recruitment, training and type, dose, and duration of delivered intervention), such that generalisation was not possible. CONCLUSIONS: The level of evidence of this systematic review was considered low according to the GRADE criteria. The existing evidence however does show some improvements in outcomes. We recommend ongoing, but well-designed studies using a framework such as the MRC framework for the development and evaluation of complex interventions to inform the evidence base on the contribution of COMP-DSMP in LMIC.

Current policies and practices for the provision of diabetes care and self-management support programmes for older South Africans.

BACKGROUND: One of the most important primary health challenges currently affecting older people in South Africa (SA) is the increasing prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD). Research is needed to investigate the current state of care and self-management support available to older diabetic patients in SA and the potential for interventions promoting self-management and community involvement. AIM: This study aimed to review current policies, programmes and any other interventions as they relate to older people with diabetes with a view to assess the potential for the development of a self-management programme for older persons attending public sector primary health care services in Cape Town, South Africa. SETTING: Eighteen community health centres (CHCs) formed the sampling frame for the study. METHODS: This study aimed to review current policies and programmes as they relate to older people with diabetes. It involved a documentary review and qualitative individual interviews with key informants in the health services and Department of Health. RESULTS: Several national initiatives have sought to advance the health of older people, but they have only been partially successful. There are however multiple efforts to re-orientate the health-care system to focus more effectively on NCDs, which benefit older patients with diabetes. The establishment of community-based services to provide self-management support, promote health and ease access to medicine helps overcome many of the commonly cited barriers to care experienced by older patients. What may be equally important is that practitioners gain the communication skills and educational resources to effectively educate and counsel patients on lifestyle behaviour change and self-care management. CONCLUSION: This article alerts policy-makers and clinicians to some of the specific issues considered to be pertinent and important in the care and management of older diabetic patients. Many of these would also be applicable to older patients with other chronic conditions.

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women of childbearing age in Africa during 2000-2016: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), in African women of childbearing age. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant African studies published from January 2000 to December 2016. DATA SOURCES: We searched several databases, including EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, grey literature and references of included studies. SETTING: Studies carried out in African communities or any population-based studies were included. PARTICIPANTS: We included studies, carried out in Africa, with non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Studies must have been published between the years 2000 and 2016. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was prevalent T2DM. The secondary outcomes were IFG and IGT. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data and, using the adapted Hoy risk of bias tool, independently assessed for risk of bias. We used random-effects meta-analysis models to pool prevalence estimates across studies. We used Cochran's Q statistic and the I2 statistic to assess heterogeneity. RESULTS: A total of 39 studies from 27 countries were included, totaling 52 075 participants, of which 3813 had T2DM. The pooled prevalence of T2DM was 7.2% (95% CI 5.6% to 8.9%) overall and increased with age. The pooled prevalence was 6.0% (95% CI 4.2% to 8.2%) for impaired fasting glycemia while the prevalence of IGT ranged from 0.9% to 37.0% in women aged 15-24 and 45-54 years, respectively. Substantial heterogeneity across studies was not explained by major studies characteristics such as period of publication, rural/urban setting or whether a study was nationally representative or not. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the need for interventions to prevent and control diabetes in African women of childbearing age, in view of the significant prevalence of T2DM and prediabetes. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42015027635.

Integrated management of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes within multi-morbidity conditions in Africa: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Multi-morbidity, defined as the co-existence of more than one chronic condition in one person, has been increasing due to comorbid non-communicable and infectious chronic diseases (CNCICDs). Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) incidences within the CNCICDs conditions are increasing and overwhelming already weak and under-resourced healthcare systems in Africa. There is then an urgent need for the integrated management of CNCICDs. We aim to review the integrated management of T2D and GDM within multi-morbidity conditions in Africa. METHODS: Studies that have assessed the integrated management of T2D and GDM within multi-morbidity conditions in Africa will be considered based on the Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcome method: population (adult diagnosed with T2D and GDM, who also have other diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and infectious, in public primary and secondary healthcare facilities in Africa); Intervention (integrated management of T2D and GDM, also suffering from other diseases in Africa), Comparator (Unintegrated management of T2D and GDM in Africa) and Outcomes (integrated management of T2D and GDM in Africa). The following databases Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed and SCOPUS, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, among others will be searched. Two reviewers (JCM and MW) will independently screen, select eligible studies and extract data. Discrepancies will be resolved by consensus or by a discussion with the third author (AR). Quality of included studies will be assessed using both the newly developed tool, 'the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool' and 'Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I)". A narrative synthesis of extracted data and meta-analysis, if necessary will be conducted and then reported according to the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis. ETHICS CONSIDERATION AND DISSEMINATION: By only using the published data, there is no ethics approval required for this study. This systematic review will be included in JCM's PhD thesis and its findings will also be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentation. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016046630.

Diabetes in South African older adults: prevalence and impact on quality of life and functional disability - as assessed using SAGE Wave 1 data.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic disease with severe late complications. It is known to impact the quality of life and cause disability, which may affect an individual's capacity to manage and maintain longer-term health and well-being. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of self-report diabetes, and association between diabetes and each of health-related quality of life and disability amongst South Africa's older adults. To study both the direct relationship between diabetes and these two measures, as well as moderation effects, i.e. whether associations between other factors and these measures of well-being differed between individuals with diabetes and those without. METHODS: Secondary analyses of data on participants aged 50 years and older from the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) in South Africa Wave 1 (2007-2008) were conducted. Prevalence of self-reported diabetes was assessed. Multivariable regressions describe the relationships between each of quality of life (WHOQoL) and disability (WHODAS), and diabetes, while controlling for selected socio-demographic characteristics, health risk behaviours and co-morbid conditions. In the regression models, we also investigated whether diabetes moderates the relationships between these additional factors and WHOQoL/WHODAS. RESULTS: Self-reported diabetes prevalence was 9.2% (95% CI: 7.8,10.9) and increased with age. Having diabetes was associated with poorer WHOQoL scores (additive effect: -4.2; 95% CI: -9.2,0.9; p-value <0.001) and greater disability (multiplicative effect: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.5,2.9; p-value <0.001). Lower quality of life and greater disability were both related to not being in a relationship, lower education, less wealth, lower physical activity and a larger number of chronic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes is associated with lower quality of life and greater disability amongst older South Africans. Attention needs to be given to enhancing the capacity of health systems to meet the changing needs of ageing populations with diabetes in SA as well as facilitating social support networks in communities.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among older people in Africa: a systematic review.

Little information is available on the prevalence of diabetes in people aged 55 years or older living on the African continent. We did a systematic review of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in studies reported from Jan 1, 2000, to June 30, 2015, to provide accurate data for monitoring future trends. We did a comprehensive literature search using an African search filter and extracted and synthesised data from full papers. Among 1473 identified citations, 41 studies providing 49 separate data contributions involving 16 086 individuals met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of diabetes was 13·7% (95% CI 11·3-16·3) and was higher in studies based on the oral glucose tolerance test (23·9%, 17·7-30·7, 12 contributions with 3415 participants) than fasting blood glucose criteria (10·9%, 8·9-13·0, 37 contributions with 12 671 participants; p<0·001). Prevalence was also higher in non-STEPS than in STEPS studies (17·1%, 95% CI 13·6-20·9) vs 9·6%, 6·6-13·0, p=0·003) and in urban than in rural settings (19·7%, 15·0-24·9 vs 7·9%, 4·6-12·0, p=0·0002), but did not differ significantly across age groups, sex, sample size, year of publication, region, or population coverage. These data highlight the need to reduce diabetes risk factors and implement adequate management strategies. In addition, they suggest that uniform diagnostic methods should be used across African countries and elsewhere to enable assessment of trends in diabetes prevalence and the success of diabetes prevention strategies. A collaborative initiative is required between key international and national diabetes and geriatric organisations to improve diabetes care for the older population in Africa and worldwide.

Effectiveness of community-based peer-led diabetes self-management programmes (COMP-DSMP) for improving clinical outcomes and quality of life of adults with diabetes in primary care settings in low and middle-income countries (LMIC): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, an estimated 380 million people live with diabetes today--80% in low-income and middle-income countries. The Middle East, Western Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia remain the most affected regions where economic development has transformed lifestyles, people live longer and there is an increase in the adult population. Although peer support has been used in different conditions with varied results, yet there is limited evidence to date supporting its effectiveness, particularly for individuals with diabetes. In this review, we will focus on community-based peer-led diabetes self-management programmes (COMP-DSMP) and examine the implementation strategies and diabetes-related health outcomes associated with them in LMIC primary healthcare settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In accordance with reporting equity-focused systematic reviews PRISMA-P (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols 2015 checklist) guidelines, a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised controlled trials (CCTs) that involve contact with an individual or group of peers (paid or voluntary). Electronic searches will be performed in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOUPS, CINAHL and PsycINFO Database for the period January up to July 2000 along with manual searches in the reference lists of relevant papers. The analyses will be performed based on baseline data from RCTs, CCTs and preintervention and postintervention means or proportions will be reported for both intervention and control groups, and the absolute change from baseline will be calculated, together with 95% CIs. For dichotomous outcomes, the relative risk of the outcome will be presented compared to the control group. The risk difference will be calculated, which is the absolute difference in the proportions in each treatment group. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics is not required for this study, given that this is a protocol for a systematic review, which utilises published data. The findings of this study will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO (2014:CRD42014007531).

N-acetylcysteine for non-paracetamol drug-induced liver injury: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) refers to acute or chronic liver injury that may occur as a consequence of using drugs and herbal or dietary supplements. Specific therapies for DILI are limited. There is considerable evidence for efficacy and safety of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in management of paracetamol-induced liver injury. More recently, research has explored the use of NAC in non-paracetamol drug-induced liver injury. It is important to summarise the evidence of NAC for non-paracetamol DILI to determine if NAC may be considered a therapeutic option in this condition. METHODS/DESIGN: We will conduct a systematic review of the benefit and harm of NAC in non-paracetamol drug-induced liver injury. Primary and secondary outcomes of interest are pre-specified. Primary outcomes include all-cause mortality, mortality due to DILI, time to normalisation of liver biochemistry (e.g. return of alanine transaminase to <100 U/l and/or international normalized ratio (INR) <1.5) and adverse events. Secondary outcomes include transplantation rate, time to transplantation, transplant-free survival and duration of hospitalisation. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies. RCTs will contribute to the evaluation of safety and efficacy of NAC, whereas, the cohort studies will contribute exclusively to the evaluation of safety. We will search several bibliographic databases (including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, CENTRAL), grey literature sources, conference proceedings and ongoing trials. Following data extraction and assessment of the risk of bias, we will conduct a meta-analysis if feasible, as well as subgroup analyses. We will assess and explore clinical and statistical heterogeneity. DISCUSSION: The aim of this review is to provide evidence on the effectiveness and safety of NAC in non-paracetamol DILI. We anticipate that the results could aid health care practitioners, researchers and policymakers in the decision-making regarding the use of NAC in patients with non-paracetamol DILI. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014008771.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among older people in Africa: a systematic review study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The number of people with diabetes in Africa is projected to increase substantially in the next two decades, due to factors including rapid urbanisation, adoption of unhealthy diets and exercise patterns and the ageing of the population. There are currently uncertainties regarding the incidence, prevalence and management patterns of diabetes in older people across the diversity of African countries. We wish to perform a systematic review to determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Africa in the older individual, over the age of 55 years, reported in studies from 2000 to 2013. METHODS AND ANALYSES: A comprehensive literature search among a number of databases will be undertaken, using an African search filter to identify diabetes prevalence studies that were published from 2000 to 2013. Full copies of articles identified by the search, and considered to meet the inclusion criteria, will be obtained for data extraction and synthesis. Statistical analysis of the primary measures, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test will include two steps: (1) identification of data sources and documenting estimates and (2) application of the random-effects meta-analysis model to aggregate prevalence estimates and account for between study variability in calculating the overall pooled estimates and 95% CI for diabetes prevalence. Heterogeneity will be evaluated using the I(2) statistic to determine the extent of variation in effect estimates that is due to heterogeneity rather than chance. This systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics is not required for this study, given that this is a protocol for a systematic review, which utilises published data. The findings of this study will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.