Diabetes in the Middle East

Diabetes is a rapidly growing disease that is affecting people worldwide, particularly due to the rise in unhealthy lifestyles and increased risk factor levels. Although different countries are affected differently, the Middle East in general has witnessed a spike in the occurrence of diabetes. The Gulf region has experienced an especially marked and sudden increase in rates of diabetes where countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain now rank among the top 10 countries with highest incidence of type 2 diabetes worldwide. Additionally, children have also experienced a dramatic increase in rates of type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes in this region. Urgent action has been called for in order to tackle this problem in the Middle East, with the aim of reducing and preventing new cases of diabetes and complications due to diabetes.

This Research Topic will be broadly focused on diabetes research in the Middle East, highlighting the increasing burden of the disease through recent epidemiological data. It will also cover research conducted on diabetes-related pathways involving genomics, obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation dyslipidaemia as well as diabetes complications. We welcome manuscripts focusing on the pathophysiology, management, and prevention of diabetes. Special attention will be given to work conducted on diabetes complications such as cardiovascular complications, diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease and diabetic foot. It will also be open for findings from clinical trials on new drugs and lifestyle management, as well as research on diabetes and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

All types of articles will be welcomed including (Original research, Review articles, etc.). The Research Topic will be open to basic biomedical, public health and clinical research conducted in the Middle East and/or in collaboration with other researchers around the world.