Glucose-lowering medication associated with weight loss may limit the progression of diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study investigated the effect of glucose lowering medication associated with weight change on DPN.

Methods: Participants with T2D were grouped based on whether their glucose lowering medications were associated with weight gain (WG) or weight loss (WL).

Sustained corneal nerve loss predicts the development of diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: This study was undertaken to investigate whether sustained rather than a single measure of corneal nerve loss was associated with the onset of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and the progression of neuropathic symptoms and deficits in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Participants underwent clinical, metabolic testing and assessment of neuropathic symptoms, vibration perception threshold (VPT), sudomotor function, and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) at baseline, 1, 2, and 4-7 years. Sustained corneal nerve loss was defined as abnormal corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD, <24 fibers/mm), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD, <21 branches/mm), and corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL, <16 mm/mm) persisting for ≥50% of the study duration.

Progressive loss of corneal nerve fibers is associated with physical inactivity and glucose lowering medication associated with weight gain in type 2 diabetes.

Aims/introduction: Limited studies have identified risk factors linked to the progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the association of risk factors with change in neuropathy measures over 2 years.

Materials And Methods: Participants with type 2 diabetes (n = 78) and controls (n = 26) underwent assessment of clinical and metabolic parameters and neuropathy using corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), vibration perception threshold (VPT), and the DN4 questionnaire at baseline and 2 year follow-up.

Prevalence and risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, neuropathic pain and foot ulceration in the Arabian Gulf region.

Aims/introduction: This study determined the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), painful DPN and diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) in patients with type 2 diabetes in secondary healthcare in Qatar, Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Materials And Methods: Adults aged 18-85 years with type 2 diabetes were randomly enrolled from secondary healthcare, and underwent clinical and metabolic assessment. DPN was evaluated using vibration perception threshold and neuropathic symptoms and painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy was evaluated using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire.

Insulin resistance limits corneal nerve regeneration in patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing intensive glycemic control.

Aims/introduction: This study aimed to investigate whether insulin resistance (IR) in individuals with type 2 diabetes undergoing intensive glycemic control determines the extent of improvement in neuropathy.

Materials And Methods: This was an exploratory substudy of an open-label, randomized controlled trial of individuals with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes treated with exenatide and pioglitazone or insulin to achieve a glycated hemoglobin <7.0% (<53 mmol/mol).

Painful diabetic neuropathy is associated with increased nerve regeneration in patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing intensive glycemic control.

Aims/introduction: Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) is associated with small nerve fiber degeneration and regeneration. This study investigated whether the presence of pDPN might influence nerve regeneration in patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing intensive glycemic control.

Materials And Methods: This exploratory substudy of an open-label randomized controlled trial undertook the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questionnaire and assessment of electrochemical skin conductance, vibration perception threshold and corneal nerve morphology using corneal confocal microscopy in participants with and without pDPN treated with exenatide and pioglitazone or basal-bolus insulin at baseline and 1-year follow up, and 18 controls at baseline only.

Prevalence and risk factors for diabetic neuropathy and painful diabetic neuropathy in primary and secondary healthcare in Qatar.

Aims/introduction: This study determined the prevalence and risk factors for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and painful DPN (pDPN) in patients with type 2 diabetes in primary healthcare (PHC) and secondary healthcare (SHC) in Qatar.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study. Adults with type 2 diabetes were randomly enrolled from four PHC centers and two diabetes centers in SHC in Qatar.

First ever case report of co-occurrence of hobnail variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma and intrathyroid parathyroid adenoma in the same thyroid lobe.

Introduction: The hobnail variant of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is rare. Intrathyroid parathyroid adenoma (ITPA) is also rare. Co-ocurrence of PTC and ITPA in the same thyroid lobe is extremely rare.

The largest reported papillary thyroid carcinoma arising in struma ovarii and metastasis to opposite ovary: case report and review of literature.

Background: Malignant struma ovarii (MSO) is a very rare, germ cell tumor of the ovary, histologically identical to differentiated thyroid cancers. Struma ovarii (SO) is difficult to diagnose on clinical basis or imaging and is mostly discovered incidentally, with few published cases in the literature.

Case Presentation: A 42-year old primiparous woman presented with abdominal pain and midline pelvic palpable firm mass arising from the pelvis.

1,5-Anhydroglucitol in saliva is a noninvasive marker of short-term glycemic control.

Context: In most ethnicities at least a quarter of all cases with diabetes is assumed to be undiagnosed. Screening for diabetes using saliva has been suggested as an effective approach to identify affected individuals.

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify a noninvasive metabolic marker of type 2 diabetes in saliva.

Prevalence of the apolipoprotein E Arg145Cys dyslipidemia at-risk polymorphism in African-derived populations.

Apolipoprotein E, a protein component of blood lipid particles, plays an important role in lipid transport. Different mutations in the apolipoprotein E gene have been associated with various clinical phenotypes. In an initiated study of Qataris, we observed that 17% of the African-derived genetic subgroup were heterozygotes for a rare Arg145Cys (R145C) variant that functions as a dominant trait with incomplete penetrance associated with type III hyperlipoproteinemia.

Ethnic and gender differences in advanced glycation end products measured by skin auto-fluorescence.

Background Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been shown to be a predictor of cardiovascular risk in Caucasian subjects. In this study we examine whether the existing reference values are useable for non-Caucasian ethnicities. Furthermore, we assessed whether gender and smoking affect AGEs.

Measuring burden of diseases in a rapidly developing economy: state of Qatar.

Background: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study has provided a conceptual and methodological framework to quantify and compare the health of populations.

Aim: The objective of the study was to assess the national burden of disease in the population of Qatar using the disability-adjusted life year (DALYs) as a measure of disability.

Methods: We adapted the methodology described by the World Health Organization for conducting burden of disease to calculate years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD) and disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

Radioiodine treatment of hyperthyroidism. Success rate and influence of thyrostatic medication.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the response rate of hyperthyroidism to radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, optimum effective dose, effect of pretreatment with thyrostatic medications, etiology, ophthalmopathy, mortality and cancer incidence post RAI treatment.

Methods: Retrospective study analysis of 360 patients records who received RAI treatment (dose 5-15 mCi) for hyperthyroidism in Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar between 1984-1999, treated and analyzed. Follow-up data was available in 215 patients, with a follow-up range of 2-10 years, of these 84 were males and 131 were females, with an age range of 12-74 years.