Prevalence of prediabetes and associated risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review

Prediabetes increases the risk of diabetes mellitus and complications. The current study was planned to assess the prevalence and risk factors of prediabetes in Eastern Mediterranean Region countries.

The PRISMA reporting guidelines were followed when reporting this study. Five electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science, were searched to identify relevant studies. We included observational studies that used either the American Diabetes Association or World Health Organization prediabetes criteria as definitions for adult populations in any of the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. We identified 13,851 references, of which 41 were included for data extraction. The Quality Assessment Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for other studies were used to assess the quality of the included studies.

The overall prevalence of prediabetes ranged from 2.2% to 47.9%; Age, gender, obesity, and high blood pressure were the most reported risk factors in the EMR. Factors like low education, smoking, family history of diabetes, and physical inactivity were associated with prediabetes in some populations.

The region was found to have a high prevalence of prediabetes, ranking it among regions with the most significant frequency. Modifiable factors such as obesity, hypertension, and inactivity, in addition to age and gender, are among the region's most frequently identified risk factors for prediabetes.