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Microvascular complications among patients with diabetes: An emerging health problem in Saudi Arabia
Asirvatham Alwin Robert1, Mohamed Abdulaziz Al Dawish1
1Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Diabetes mellitus causes serious vascular issues. This review examines microvascular complications in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the need for prevention and early detection to manage this growing health concern.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Vascular Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus disrupts carbohydrate metabolism and causes widespread vascular disease, leading to significant morbidity and mortality.
- Microvascular complications like retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy affect millions globally and can manifest early or even at diagnosis.
- Saudi Arabia faces a rapidly escalating diabetes mellitus prevalence, projected to exceed 50% by 2030, with a tenfold increase in three decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus patients within Saudi Arabia.
- To synthesize current data on the prevalence and risk factors of these complications in the region.
- To inform government and healthcare systems about the importance of prevention and early management.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of currently available published literature.
- Data synthesis on microvascular complications in Saudi Arabian diabetes mellitus patients.
- Analysis of prevalence and risk factor information.
Main Results:
- The prevalence and specific risk factors for microvascular complications in Saudi Arabia remain inadequately documented.
- A significant increase in diabetes mellitus prevalence in Saudi Arabia necessitates urgent attention to its complications.
- Existing literature suggests a substantial burden of microvascular complications in the region.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for comprehensive documentation of microvascular complications and their risk factors in Saudi Arabia.
- Early detection, prevention, and management strategies are crucial for mitigating the impact of diabetes mellitus complications.
- This review serves as a foundational step to raise awareness and guide future healthcare policies in Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
Diabetes mellitus, besides disrupting the carbohydrate metabolism process, also induces vascular disease and impacts nearly all the types and sizes of blood vessels. In fact, vascular complications cause majority of the morbidity, hospitalizations and mortality of patients with diabetes mellitus. Retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy (microvascular complications) impact hundreds of millions of diabetics and normally target those having long-term or uncontrolled forms of the disease; however, these disorders can also exist at the time of diagnosis or in those yet to be diagnosed. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the biggest country in the Middle East that occupies around four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula supporting a population of more than 33.3 million people. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate in Saudi Arabia. Over 25% of the adult population is suffering and that figure is projected to more than double by 2030. In fact, diabetes mellitus has approximately registered a 10-fold upsurge in the past three decades in Saudi Arabia. However, the prevalence and risk factors of microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus patients have not yet been clearly documented in Saudi Arabia. Hence, in this review, we aim to provide an overview of the microvascular complications among patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia, utilizing data from the currently available published literature. This is an attempt to facilitate the government and healthcare systems aware of the enormous worth of prevention, early detection and appropriate management of such microvascular complications.
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