title: DiabCare survey of diabetes management and complications in the Gulf countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the status of diabetes control and complications, and the quality of diabetes management in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, and to obtain an insight into the relationship between these factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with diabetes for>12 months were enrolled from specialist clinics and general hospitals. All available data from the patients' medical files including patient demographics; glycemic, lipid, and blood pressure status; diabetes-related complications; and diabetes management were recorded in data collection forms and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 1290 patients with diabetes were enrolled with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 49.4 ± 12.3 years and duration of diabetes of 8.7 ± 5.9 years. Glycemic control was poor: Mean glycated hemoglobin A1c of 8.3 ± 2.0%, fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels of 155.9 ± 57.1 mg/dL (8.7 ± 3.2 mmol/L), and 218.2 ± 87.4 mg/dL (12.1 ± 4.9 mmol/L), respectively. Diabetes-related complications such as neuropathy (34.9% of patients), background retinopathy (29.9%), and cataract (14.1%) were common. Cardiovascular complications were reported in <10% of patients, and microalbuminuria was detected in 34.4% of patients. Oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) monotherapy (43.3%) was the most common treatment, followed by insulin + OADs (39.3%) and insulin monotherapy (17.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The status of diabetes care was found to be suboptimal. Further improvements in diabetes management are necessary to prevent or delay the development of diabetes-related complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Riyadh Care Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Muhamed Shahed
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ahmadi Hospital, Kuwait Oil Company, Al Ahmadi, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khudada
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Dallah Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safarini
authors.affiliation: Novo Nordisk Pharma Gulf, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Dubai Diabetes Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nafach
keywords: DiabCare survey; Gulf; diabetes; diabetes complications; diabetes management