title: Diabetes-related tuberculosis in the Middle East: an urgent need for regional research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) triples the risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease, complicates TB treatment, and increases the risk of a poor TB outcome. As DM prevalence is increasing across the Middle East, this review was performed to identify regional gaps in knowledge and research priorities for DM/TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online databases were searched for studies published from Middle East countries on DM and TB and the studies summarized based on topic and major findings. Studies included had a principle hypothesis related to both diseases, or described TB patients with individual data on DM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine studies from 10 countries met search criteria. No published studies were found from Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, or the United Arab Emirates. DM prevalence among TB patients was high, but varied considerably across studies. The vast majority of studies were not specifically designed to compare DM/TB and non-DM/TB patients, but many suggested worse treatment outcomes for DM/TB, in accordance with reports from other regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Opportunity exists for the regional study of bidirectional screening, management strategies for both DM and TB diseases, and whether such efforts could take place through the integration of services.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: dr.yusra.alkabab@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yosra M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Alkabab
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hail M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Abdely
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Scott K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Heysell
mesh_terms: D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Iran; Middle East; Saudi Arabia; Tuberculosis; Turkey