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Introduction Diabetes is a global issue. The aim of this study was to identify the high-risk population and factors associated with the future development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Family Medicine clinics of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2016 to February 2017. Patients or patient care attendants aged 21 to 85 years visiting the clinics were included. Individuals with known diabetes or with serious comorbid conditions were excluded. A total of 600 participants were consecutively approached. QDiabetes (an online diabetes risk calculator) was used to measure the risk of developing T2DM. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for data analysis. Results Information from a total of 522 participants was included in the final analysis. Roughly 53% of them were between 25 and 44 years of age. There was a predominance of females (63%). Thirty-eight percent of patients were at high-risk. The factors associated with high risk of T2DM were as follows: age 65 years or greater (Relative risk [RR]: 5.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01 to 16.76); female (RR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.05 to 3.28, p = 0.03); a past history of hypertension (RR: 5.11; 95% CI: 2.49 to 10.49); a family history of diabetes (RR: 9.76; 95% CI: 5.49 to 13.35). Conclusion Controlling glucose levels and preventing hyperglycemia is a challenging task due to the increasing trend of a sedentary lifestyle and changes in dietary patterns. Counseling should be provided to caregivers and high-risk patients on the prevention of T2DM including lifestyle modifications.

Asthma, a major public health issue, is one of the most common diseases affecting millions of population globally. It is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by increased airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness. Vitamin D is of particular interest in asthma due to its immunomodulatory effects. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is found to be associated with a wide range of pulmonary diseases, including viral and bacterial respiratory infections, asthma, and cancer. Several researches have reported positive associations between vitamin D and asthma. On the other hand, others have reported contrasting effects of vitamin D on asthma. This review provides an examination of current epidemiologic and experimental evidence of a causal association between vitamin D status and asthma or asthma exacerbations, including its probable protective mechanism. Most of the evidence regarding vitamin D and asthma is reported by observational studies. Therefore, results from the experimental trials of vitamin D supplementation are important as they can provide evidence for future recommendations about the significance of vitamin D for asthma. Moreover, the trials can be effective in assessing the correct dosage and safety of vitamin D supplementation when given in diverse age groups such as children, teenagers, and adults for prevention and treatment of asthma.