Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
10:03
A Zebrafish Model of Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Memory
Published on: February 28, 2013
Candidiasis in Diabetes: Five-Year Retrospective on Glycaemic Control
Aiah M Khateb1,2, Walaa M Mohammedsaeed3, Hajer Bin Shuraym4,5,6
1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Collage of Applied Medical Science, Taibah University, P.O.Box 344, Medina, 42353, Saudi Arabia. AKHATEB@taibahu.edu.sa.
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia face a growing risk of fungal infections, particularly candidiasis. Poor glycemic and renal control are key risk factors, necessitating improved surveillance and targeted treatments.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Fungal infections pose a substantial global health challenge, impacting over a billion people annually.
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) significantly elevates the risk of fungal infections, with millions affected in Saudi Arabia.
- King Fahad Hospital in Medina serves a large diabetic population, making it a key site for studying fungal infections in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify prevalent fungal pathogens in diabetic patients at King Fahad Hospital, Medina.
- To determine the risk factors associated with fungal infections in this patient group.
- To analyze antifungal resistance patterns.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective-observational study design was employed.
- Electronic health records of diabetic patients with positive fungal cultures between 2016 and 2021 were analyzed.
- Data collected included patient demographics, medical history, fungal species, antimicrobial susceptibility, and relevant biochemical markers.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in fungal infections was observed over five years, potentially linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased surveillance.
- Candida parapsilosis was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Candida albicans.
- Elevated fasting glucose, HbA1c, and creatinine levels were strongly associated with increased fungal infection rates. Bloodstream infections were most common.
Conclusions:
- Diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia experience a considerable burden of fungal infections, primarily caused by Candida species.
- Inadequate glycemic control and impaired renal function are critical risk factors.
- The absence of a national surveillance program impedes accurate assessment, underscoring the need for enhanced diagnostics, targeted therapies, and surveillance programs.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and is often asymptomatic in early stages.Clinical ManifestationsWhen symptoms appear, they include fatigue, blurred vision, pruritus, delayed wound healing, and recurrent infections, particularly candidal infections. Peripheral neuropathy may present as numbness or tingling in the extremities. Classic hyperglycemia symptoms—polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia—are less common. Most patients are overweight and frequently have associated hypertension...
01:19Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Type 1 diabetes mellitus typically presents with rapid-onset symptoms due to the body’s inability to utilize glucose in the absence of insulin. Since insulin is required for glucose uptake into cells, its deficiency leads to hyperglycemia and cellular energy deprivation, resulting in characteristic clinical features.Polyuria and PolydipsiaOne of the earliest, most prominent symptoms is polyuria (excessive urination). When blood glucose concentrations rise above the renal threshold, the kidneys...
01:22Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency, resistance, or both. Prolonged hyperglycemia disrupts metabolic homeostasis and leads to acute and chronic complications.Acute ComplicationsAcute complications result from sudden metabolic imbalance.Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) mainly appears in type 1 diabetes but may also develop in type 2 diabetes, particularly under extreme stress. It arises from severe insulin deficiency,...
01:27Diabetic Retinopathy
DefinitionDiabetic retinopathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes affecting the retinal blood vessels.Risk FactorsDiabetic retinopathy is present in almost all individuals with type 1 diabetes and more than 60% of those with type 2 diabetes after two decades of disease.The risk increases with poor glycemic control, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, pregnancy, and puberty.Although cataracts and glaucoma are also more frequent in people with diabetes, retinopathy remains the leading...
01:15Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
The therapy for diabetes aims to alleviate hyperglycemia-related symptoms, prevent acute metabolic decompensation, and reduce chronic end-organ complications. Glycemic control is evaluated through short-term (self-monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring) and long-term (A1c, fructosamine) metrics, enabling near real-time tracking of blood glucose levels and reflecting glycemic control over specific time frames.
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...