Background: Information on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized Covid-19 patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) is limited in the Arab region. This study aims to fill this gap. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, medical records of hospitalized adults with confirmed Covid-19 [RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV2] at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC)-King Khaled University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from May to July 2020 were analyzed. Clinical, radiological and serological information, as well as outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 439 patients were included (median age 55 years; 68.3% men). The most prevalent comorbidities were vitamin D deficiency (74.7%), DM (68.3%), hypertension (42.6%) and obesity (42.2%). During hospitalization, 77 out of the 439 patients (17.5%) died. DM patients have a significantly higher death rate (20.5% versus 12.3%; p = 0.04) and lower survival time (p = 0.016) than non-DM. Multivariate cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that age [Hazards ratio, HR 3.0 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.7–5.3); p < 0.001], congestive heart failure [adjusted HR 3.5 (CI 1.4–8.3); p = 0.006], smoking [adjusted HR 5.8 (CI 2.0–17.2); p < 0.001], β-blocker use [adjusted HR 1.7 (CI 1.0–2.9); p = 0.04], bilateral lung infiltrates [adjusted HR 1.9 (CI 1.1–3.3); p = 0.02], creatinine > 90 µmol/l [adjusted HR 2.1 (CI 1.3–3.5); p = 0.004] and 25(OH)D < 12.5 nmol/l [adjusted HR 7.0 (CI 1.7–28.2); p = 0.007] were significant predictors of mortality among hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Random blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/l was significantly associated with intensive care admission [adjusted HR 1.5 (CI 1.0–2.2); p = 0.04], as well as smoking, β-blocker use, neutrophil > 7.5, creatinine > 90 µmol/l and alanine aminotransferase > 65U/l. Conclusion: The prevalence of DM is high among hospitalized Covid-19 patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While DM patients have a higher mortality rate than their non-DM counterparts, other factors such as old age, congestive heart failure, smoking, β-blocker use, presence of bilateral lung infiltrates, elevated creatinine and severe vitamin D deficiency, appear to be more significant predictors of fatal outcome. Patients with acute metabolic dysfunctions, including hyperglycemia on admission are more likely to receive intensive care.

Purpose As the world continues to cautiously navigate its way through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several breakthroughs in therapies and vaccines are currently being developed and scrutinized. Consequently, alternative therapies for severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevention, such as vitamin D supplementation, while hypothetically promising, require substantial evidence from countries affected by COVID-19. The present retrospective case–control study aims to identify differences in vitamin D status and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients screened for SARS-CoV-2, and determine associations of vitamin D levels with increased COVID-19 risk and mortality. Methods A total of 222 [SARS-CoV-2 (+) N = 150 (97 males; 53 females); SARS-CoV-2 (−) N = 72 (38 males, 34 females)] out of 550 hospitalized adult patients screened for SARS-CoV-2 and admitted at King Saud University Medical City-King Khalid University Hospital (KSUMC-KKUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from May–July 2020 were included. Clinical, radiologic and serologic data, including 25(OH)D levels were analyzed. Results Vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l) was present in 75% of all patients. Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower among SARS-CoV-2 (+) than SARS-CoV-2 (−) patients after adjusting for age, sex and body mass index (BMI) (35.8 ± 1.5 nmol/l vs. 42.5 ± 3.0 nmol/l; p = 0.037). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that significant predictors for SARS-CoV-2 include age > 60 years and pre-existing conditions (p < 0.05). Statistically significant predictors for mortality adjusted for covariates include male sex [Odds ratio, OR 3.3 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.2–9.2); p = 0.02], chronic kidney disease [OR 3.5 (95% CI 1.4–8.7); p = 0.008] and severe 25(OH)D deficiency (< 12.5 nmol/l), but at borderline significance [OR 4.9 (95% CI (0.9–25.8); p = 0.06]. Conclusion In hospital settings, 25(OH)D deficiency is not associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but may increase risk for mortality in severely deficient cases. Clinical trials are warranted to determine whether vitamin D status correction provides protective effects against worse COVID-19 outcomes.

Objectives: To investigate cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Saudi Arabia using data from the CAPTURE cross-sectional study. Methods: CAPTURE was a non-interventional, multinational study carried out between December 2018 and September 2019. In Saudi Arabia, clinical (including medication) and demographic data were collected across 7 sites (Alhada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif; King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh; Specialized Medical Centre Hospital, Riyadh; King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah; King Abdulaziz Hospital for National Guard, Al Ahsa; Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, Buraidah; and Dallah Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) from adults aged ≥18 years. The prevalence of CVD was estimated and weighted according to care setting, with data between groups not statistically compared. Results: Among the 883 adults enrolled in this study (566 from primary care, 317 from secondary care), 158 had established CVD, making the weighted prevalence of 18% (95% CI: [15.5-20.5]). The weighted prevalence of atherosclerotic CVD was 15.1% (95% CI: [12.8-17.5]), accounting for 82.4% of the CVD cases. Coronary heart disease was the most common subtype of CVD (13.4%), followed by cerebrovascular disease (1.7%). A total of 23.6% of patients were treated with glucose-lowering agents with proven cardiovascular benefit. Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia, approximately one in 5 adults with T2DM had established CVD, lower than the global prevalence, possibly because of disparities in patient characteristics, potential genetic predispositions, or a lack of accurate documentation due to poor coordination between care settings.

This article offers a systematic literature review (SLR) on the use of the MiniMed 780G automated insulin delivery system (MM780G) in people with type 1 diabetes (PwT1D) during Ramadan intermittent fasting. It also presents consensus recommendations on the use of MM780G during the Ramadan period. The SLR was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology. The recommendations resulted from a consensus-forming process involving a panel of experts. The process considered evidence found in the SLR as well as the expert opinions. In total, six studies were included in the SLR. The evidence and expert opinions led to recommendations related to (a) pre-Ramadan counseling of MM780G users who plan to fast; (b) suggested MM780G settings, meal announcement strategy, and safety aspects during Ramadan (including a contingency plan); and (c) post-Ramadan transition into and out of Eid-al-Fitr festivities. The SLR findings showed that the MM780G maintains glycemic control at target in PwT1D during Ramadan (meeting continuous glucose monitoring–based clinical targets proposed by the International Consensus on Time-in-Range) while ensuring low rates of hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. Automated insulin delivery also helps PwT1D fast more days of Ramadan compared with users of other less advanced modalities of treatment. Pre-Ramadan guidance on specific aspects of the MM780G along with the International Diabetes Federation and Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance counseling guidelines is recommended. There is still a challenge with post-Iftar hyperglycemia, which could potentially be mitigated by following the recommendations outlined in this article.

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) is a new approach established for the assessment of malnutrition. This study aimed to validate the GLIM for the diagnosis of malnutrition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Saudi Arabia, using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) as a reference. In addition, the association between the GLIM criteria and vascular complications in those patients was examined. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 patients with T2DM. The level of agreement between the GLIM and SGA tools was calculated using the kappa coefficient (κ). A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the GLIM. In addition, binary logistic regression was performed to investigate the association between each GLIM criterion and T2DM vascular complications. According to both the GLIM and the SGA, malnutrition was found in 15.8% and 17.8% of patients, respectively. The GLIM criteria achieved a very good level of accuracy (AUC = 0.877). The agreement between the tools was substantial (κ = 0.778). The ‘disease/inflammation’ criterion of the GLIM was significantly associated with macrovascular complications. To conclude, the GLIM criteria for diagnosis of malnutrition presented satisfactory levels of validity, and as such are acceptable for assessing the nutritional status of patients with T2DM.

Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus (DM) of both types is a genetically determined disorder and is prevalent in the Saudi population. Furthermore, the rate of consanguineous marriages is also high among Saudis. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of consanguinity among people with DM and investigate the effect of consanguinity on the occurrence of diabetes at different levels. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Obesity, Metabolism and Endocrine Center of King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in January 2021. Information on patients’ demographics (age, gender), family history of DM, and presence of consanguinity, and degree of consanguineous marriage were collected. Results: We included 324 people with DM, 143 (44.1%) with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), and 181 (55.9%) with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We included 201 people without DM for T1DM control and 300 people for T2DM control. The mean age was 26.6 ± 11.1 years for the T1DM group and 57.8 ± 11.6 years for the T2DM group. Consanguinity was noted among 73 (51.4%) T1DM patients, but T1DM was not significantly related to consanguinity. T2DM was significantly correlated with consanguinity (r=0.132, p=0.004) particularly among patients with a degree of consanguinity as first-cousins for both paternal and maternal sides (odds ratio [OR]=1.151 and 1.476). Gender and positive family history for DM and consanguineous marriage between cousins were significant factors for T2DM. After controlling for gender and a positive family history of DM, consanguineous marriage between cousins from both the paternal and maternal sides remained significant. Conclusion: T2DM occurrence increases in presence of consanguinity in the Saudi population. This relationship might contribute to the higher risk of DM prevalence. Further studies are needed to elucidate this relationship deeply. It’s unclear whether lowering consanguineous marriages would decrease the prevalence of diabetes or not. However, a clear message about this correlation has to be delivered to the public.