Mapping research in diabetes complications; A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Public Health
• Medical Research

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus is a global health concern with significant complications.
• Understanding research trends in diabetes complications is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Iran has a notable volume of research output in diabetes care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze research gaps in diabetes complications in Iran.
• To map the landscape of diabetes complication research from 2015-2020.
• To inform future research priorities in diabetes care within Iran.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Scopus and PubMed.
• Iranian research outputs on diabetes from January 2015 to January 2020 were screened.
• Documents were categorized into specific areas, including complications, comorbidity, prevention, and treatment.

Main Results:

• 838 documents focused on diabetes complications.
• Microvascular complications were the most studied (44.99%), followed by non-vascular (19.13%) and macrovascular (16.74%).
• The predominant study types included animal studies (68%), case-control (57%), and randomized clinical trials (39%).

Conclusions:

• Microvascular complications represent the most researched area in Iranian diabetes studies.
• Further research is needed to address non-vascular and macrovascular complications comprehensively.
• The evidence base includes a significant proportion of animal studies, indicating a need for more clinical research.