AimsTo determine the global extent of hypoglycaemia experienced by patients with diabetes using insulin, as there is a lack of data on the prevalence of hypoglycaemia in developed and developing countries.MethodsThis non‐interventional, multicentre, 6‐month retrospective and 4‐week prospective study using self‐assessment questionnaire and patient diaries included 27 585 patients, aged ≥18 years, with type 1 diabetes (T1D; n = 8022) or type 2 diabetes (T2D; n = 19 563) treated with insulin for >12 months, at 2004 sites in 24 countries worldwide. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients experiencing at least one hypoglycaemic event during the observational period.ResultsDuring the prospective period, 83.0% of patients with T1D and 46.5% of patients with T2D reported hypoglycaemia. Rates of any, nocturnal and severe hypoglycaemia were 73.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 72.6–74.0], 11.3 (95% CI 11.0–11.6) and 4.9 (95% CI 4.7–5.1) events/patient‐year for T1D and 19.3 (95% CI 19.1–19.6), 3.7 (95% CI 3.6–3.8) and 2.5 events/patient‐year (95% CI 2.4–2.5) for T2D, respectively. The highest rates of any hypoglycaemia were observed in Latin America for T1D and Russia for T2D. Glycated haemoglobin level was not a significant predictor of hypoglycaemia.ConclusionsWe report hypoglycaemia rates in a global population, including those in countries without previous data. Overall hypoglycaemia rates were high, with large variations between geographical regions. Further investigation into these differences may help to optimize therapy and reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia.

Hypoglycaemia has a major impact on patients and their behaviour. These global data for the first time reveal regional variations in response to hypoglycaemia and highlight the importance of patient education and management strategies.

The increase in the cardiovascular disease (CVD)-associated mortality rate in the Middle East (ME) is among the highest in the world. The aim of this article is to review the current prevalence of dyslipidaemia and known gaps in its management in the ME region, and to propose initiatives to address the burden of dyslipidaemia. Published literature on the epidemiology of dyslipidaemia in the ME region was presented and discussed at an expert meeting that provided the basis of this review article. The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and consanguineous marriages, in the ME region, results in a pattern of dyslipidaemia (low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high triglycerides) that is different from many other regions of the world. Early prevention and control of dyslipidaemia is of paramount importance to reduce the risk of developing CVD. Education of the public and healthcare professionals and developing preventive programs, FH registries and regional guidelines on dyslipidaemia are the keys to dyslipidaemia management in the ME region.

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Aims Optimal diabetes care requires clear understanding of the incidence of hypoglycaemia in real‐world clinical practice. Current data on hypoglycaemia are generally limited to those reported from randomised controlled clinical trials. The Hypoglycaemia Assessment Tool (HAT) study, a non‐interventional real‐world study of hypoglycaemia, assessed hypoglycaemia in 27 585 individuals across 24 countries. The present study compared the incidence of hypoglycaemia from the HAT study with other similarly designed, large, real‐world studies. Materials and Methods A literature search of PubMed (1995‐2017) for population‐based studies of insulin‐treated patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (T1D, T2D), excluding clinical trials and reviews, identified comparable population‐based studies reporting the incidence of hypoglycaemia. Results The 24 comparative studies, including more than 24 000 participants with T1D and more than 160 000 participants with T2D, varied in design, size, inclusion criteria, definitions of hypoglycaemia and method of recording hypoglycaemia. Reported rates (events per patient‐year [PPY]) of hypoglycaemia were higher in patients with T1D than in those with T2D (overall T1D, 21.8‐73.3 and T2D, 1.3‐37.7; mild/non‐severe T1D, 29.0‐126.7 and T2D, 1.3‐41.5; severe T1D, 0.7‐5.8 and T2D, 0.0‐2.5; nocturnal T1D, 2.6‐11.3 and T2D, 0.38‐9.7) and were similar to the ranges found in the HAT study. Conclusions The HAT data on hypoglycaemia incidence were comparable with those from other real‐world studies and indicate a high incidence of hypoglycaemia among insulin‐treated patients. Differences in rates among studies are mostly explained by differences in patient populations and study methodology. The goal of reducing hypoglycaemia should be a target for continued educational and evidence‐based pharmacological interventions.

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About 10% coronavirus (COVID-19) infected patients are with diabetes comorbidity. Also, diabetes promotes severe progression in COVID-19 patients. Diabetes comorbidity is associated with significant mortality in those people with COVID-19. In this position statement, the management of diabetes in cases of COVID-19, has been presented. The impact of diabetes on the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19, as well as both the target glucose level and the method of blood glucose control have been presented in details.