scholarly journals Mycoplasma genitalium incidence, persistence, concordance between partners and progression: systematic review and meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 328-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Cina ◽  
Lukas Baumann ◽  
Dianne Egli-Gany ◽  
Florian S Halbeisen ◽  
Hammad Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Infection Status ◽  
Sexually Transmitted

BackgroundMycoplasma genitalium is increasingly seen as an emerging sexually transmitted pathogen, and has been likened to Chlamydia trachomatis, but its natural history is poorly understood. The objectives of this systematic review were to determine M. genitalium incidence, persistence, concordance between sexual partners and the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).MethodsWe searched Medline, EMBASE, LILACS, IndMed and African Index Medicus from 1 January 1981 until 17 March 2018. Two independent researchers screened studies for inclusion and extracted data. We examined results in forest plots, assessed heterogeneity and conducted meta-analysis where appropriate. Risk of bias was assessed for all studies.ResultsWe screened 4634 records and included 18 studies; six (4201 women) reported on incidence, five (636 women) on persistence, 10 (1346 women and men) on concordance and three (5139 women) on PID. Incidence in women in two very highly developed countries was 1.07 per 100 person-years (95% CI 0.61 to 1.53, I2 0%). Median persistence of M. genitalium was estimated from one to three months in four studies but 15 months in one study. In 10 studies measuring M. genitalium infection status in couples, 39%–50% of male or female sexual partners of infected participants also had M. genitalium detected. In prospective studies, PID incidence was higher in women with M. genitalium than those without (risk ratio 1.73, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.28, I2 0%, two studies).DiscussionIncidence of M. genitalium in very highly developed countries is similar to that for C. trachomatis, but concordance might be lower. Taken together with other evidence about age distribution and antimicrobial resistance in the two infections, M. genitalium is not the new chlamydia. Synthesised data about prevalence, incidence and persistence of M. genitalium infection are inconsistent. These findings can be used for mathematical modelling to investigate the dynamics of M. genitalium.Registration numbersCRD42015020420, CRD42015020405

scholarly journals Mycoplasma genitaliumincidence, persistence, concordance between partners and progression: systematic review and meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Cina ◽  
Lukas Baumann ◽  
Dianne Egli-Gany ◽  
Florian S Halbeisen ◽  
Hammad Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sexually Transmitted

ABSTRACTBackgroundMycoplasma genitaliumis increasingly seen as an emerging sexually transmitted pathogen, and has been likened toChlamydia trachomatis, but its natural history is poorly understood. The objectives of this systematic review were to determineM. genitaliumincidence, persistence, concordance between sexual partners, and the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).MethodsWe searched Medline, EMBASE, LILACS, IndMed and African Index Medicus from 1 January 1981 until 17 March 2018. Two independent researchers screened studies for inclusion and extracted data. We examined results in forest plots, assessed heterogeneity and conducted meta-analysis where appropriate. Risk of bias was assessed for all studies.ResultsWe screened 4634 records and included 17 studies; five (4100 women) reported on incidence, five (636 women) on persistence, 10 (1346 women and men) on concordance and three (5139 women) on PID. Incidence in women in two very highly developed countries was 1.07 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 0.61 to 1.53, I2 0%). Median persistence ofM. genitaliumwas estimated from one to three months in four studies but 15 months in one study. In ten studies measuringM. genitaliuminfection status in couples, 39-50% of male or female sexual partners of infected participants also hadM. genitaliumdetected. In prospective studies, the incidence of PID was higher in women withM. genitaliumthan those without (RR 1.68, 95% CI 0.59 to 2.77, I20%, 2 studies).DiscussionBased on findings from this and our linked review of prevalence, concordantM. genitaliummight be less common than forC. trachomatisand the age distributions of the infections differ. The synthesised data about prevalence, incidence and persistence ofM. genitaliuminfection are inconsistent. Taken together with evidence about antimicrobial resistance in the two infections,M. genitaliumis not the new chlamydia.Registration NumbersPROSPERO: CRD42015020420, CRD42015020405KEY MESSAGESThere are calls for widespread screening forMycoplasma genitalium, but the natural history of this emerging sexually transmitted pathogen is poorly understood.M. genitaliumincidence was 1.07 (95% confidence intervals, CI 0.61 to 1.53) per 100-person years in women in highly developed countries, 39-50% of infected individuals had a heterosexual partner withM. genitaliumand the risk ratio for pelvic inflammatory disease was 1.68 (95% CI 0.59 to 2.77).The duration of untreatedM. genitaliuminfection is probably longer than persistent detection ofM. genitalium, as measured in most cohort studies, in which inadvertent treatment cannot be ruled out.The results of this systematic review and other evidence sources show important differences in the epidemiology and dynamics ofM. genitaliumandChlamydia trachomatisinfection.

scholarly journals Use of dating sites and applications by women and their risk of sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e038738
Author(s):  
Janice França Queiroz ◽  
Kleyton Santos Medeiros ◽  
Ayane Cristine Alves Sarmento ◽  
Michelly Nóbrega Monteiro ◽  
Ricardo Ney Cobucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Unprotected Sex ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Risky Sexual Behaviours

IntroductionThe use of social networks has been increasing worldwide. Mobile websites and applications (apps) allow people to network more quickly and have more partners for sex. This can facilitate risky sexual behaviours, such as having multiple partners and unprotected sex, which can lead to a higher incidence of sexually transmitted infections. This systematic review/meta-analysis will assess the effects of the use of dating sites and apps by women on their level of engagement in risky sexual behaviours and their incidence of sexually transmitted infections.Methods and analysisThe Cochrane Central Controlled Trials Registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, MEDLINE, Embase, SciELO, Web of Science, Scopus and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature will be searched for cross-sectional studies, clinical trials and observational studies published between January 1990 and July 2020. This systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies investigating the use of mobile apps by women, risky sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections. The outcome will be an increase in new cases of sexually transmitted infections and HIV among women using dating sites and apps. Three independent reviewers will select the studies and extract data from the original articles. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and Risk Of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions. Data synthesis will be performed using Review Manager software (RevMan V.5.2.3). To assess heterogeneity, we will compute the I2 statistic. In addition, a quantitative synthesis will be carried out if the included studies are sufficiently homogeneous.Ethics and disseminationThis study will be a review of the published data, and thus ethical approval is not required. The findings of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019120494.

scholarly journals Adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes associated with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and U. parvum: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e024175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M Vallely ◽  
Dianne Egli-Gany ◽  
William Pomat ◽  
Caroline SE Homer ◽  
Rebecca Guy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Ureaplasma Urealyticum ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Mycoplasma Genitalium ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

IntroductionSeveral bacterial sexually transmitted and genital mycoplasma infections during pregnancy have been associated with poor pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. Comprehensive and systematic information about associations between sexually transmitted infections (STI) and genital infections in pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes is needed to improve understanding about the evidence for causal associations between these infections and adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Our primary objective is to systematically review the literature about associations between: (1) Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pregnancy and preterm birth; (2) Mycoplasma genitalium in pregnancy and preterm birth; (3) M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and/or U. parvum in pregnancy and preterm birth.Methods and analysisWe will undertake a systematic search of Medline, Excerpta Medica database and the Cochrane Library and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Following an initial screening of titles by one reviewer, abstracts will be independently assessed by two reviewers before screening of full-text articles. To exclude a manuscript, both reviewers need to agree on the decision. Any discrepancies will be resolved by discussion, or the adjudication of a third reviewer. Studies will be included if they report testing for one or more of N. gonorrhoeae, M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum and/or U. parvum during pregnancy and report pregnancy and/or birth outcomes. In this review, the primary outcome is preterm birth. Secondary outcomes are premature rupture of membranes, low birth weight, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal mortality and ophthalmia neonatorum. We will use standard definitions, or definitions reported by study authors. We will examine associations between exposure and outcome in forest plots, using the I2 statistic to examine between study heterogeneity. Where appropriate, we will use meta-analysis to combine results of individual studies.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review of published literature does not require ethical committee approval. Results of this review will be published in a peer reviewed, open access journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016050962.

Exercise interventions in lateral elbow tendinopathy have better outcomes than passive interventions, but the effects are small: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2123 subjects in 30 trials

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102525
Author(s):  
Stefanos Karanasios ◽  
Vasileios Korakakis ◽  
Rod Whiteley ◽  
Ioannis Vasilogeorgis ◽  
Sarah Woodbridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Lateral Elbow ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Wait And See ◽  
Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of exercise compared with other conservative interventions in the management of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) on pain and function.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsWe used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology to grade the certainty of evidence. Self-perceived improvement, pain intensity, pain-free grip strength (PFGS) and elbow disability were used as primary outcome measures.Eligibility criteriaRCTs assessing the effectiveness of exercise alone or as an additive intervention compared with passive interventions, wait-and-see or injections in patients with LET.Results30 RCTs (2123 participants, 5 comparator interventions) were identified. Exercise outperformed (low certainty) corticosteroid injections in all outcomes at all time points except short-term pain reduction. Clinically significant differences were found in PFGS at short-term (mean difference (MD): 12.15, (95% CI) 1.69 to 22.6), mid-term (MD: 22.45, 95% CI 3.63 to 41.3) and long-term follow-up (MD: 18, 95% CI 11.17 to 24.84). Statistically significant differences (very low certainty) for exercise compared with wait-and-see were found only in self-perceived improvement at short-term, pain reduction and elbow disability at short-term and long-term follow-up. Substantial heterogeneity in descriptions of equipment, load, duration and frequency of exercise programmes were evident.ConclusionsLow and very low certainty evidence suggests exercise is effective compared with passive interventions with or without invasive treatment in LET, but the effect is small.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018082703.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Nutritional Education for Obese Older Adults With Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 401-401
Author(s):  
Yue-Heng Yin ◽  
Liu Yat Justina
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Nutritional Education ◽  
Hand Search ◽  
Education Interventions

Abstract Obesity has been shown to intensify the decline of physical function and lead to frailty. Nutrition is an important method in managing obesity and frailty, while seldom reviews have ever explored the effects of nutritional education interventions. We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42019142403) to explore the effectiveness of nutritional education interventions in managing body composition and physio-psychosocial parameters related to frailty. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were searched in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus from 2001 to 2019. Hand search for the reference lists of included papers was conducted as well. We assessed the quality of included studies by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analyses and narrative synthesis were used to analyse the data. Two studies with low risk of bias were screened from 180 articles, which involved 177 older people with an average age of 69.69±4.08 years old. The results showed that nutritional education was significantly effective in reducing body weight and fat mass than exercises, and it was beneficial to enhancing physical function and psychosocial well-being. But the effects of nutritional education in increasing muscle strength were not better than exercises. The combined effects of nutritional education and exercises were superior than either exercises or nutritional education interventions solely in preventing the loss of lean mass and bone marrow density, and in improving physical function. Due to limited numbers of relevant studies, the strong evidence of effectiveness of nutritional education interventions on reversing frailty is still lacking.

scholarly journals Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data

BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. m4743
Author(s):  
Joshua Z Goldenberg ◽  
Andrew Day ◽  
Grant D Brinkworth ◽  
Junko Sato ◽  
Satoru Yamada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Low Carbohydrate ◽  
Remission Of Diabetes

Abstract Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of low carbohydrate diets (LCDs) and very low carbohydrate diets (VLCDs) for people with type 2 diabetes. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Searches of CENTRAL, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, CAB, and grey literature sources from inception to 25 August 2020. Study selection Randomized clinical trials evaluating LCDs (<130 g/day or <26% of a 2000 kcal/day diet) and VLCDs (<10% calories from carbohydrates) for at least 12 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes were eligible. Data extraction Primary outcomes were remission of diabetes (HbA 1c <6.5% or fasting glucose <7.0 mmol/L, with or without the use of diabetes medication), weight loss, HbA 1c , fasting glucose, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes included health related quality of life and biochemical laboratory data. All articles and outcomes were independently screened, extracted, and assessed for risk of bias and GRADE certainty of evidence at six and 12 month follow-up. Risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random effects meta-analysis. Outcomes were assessed according to a priori determined minimal important differences to determine clinical importance, and heterogeneity was investigated on the basis of risk of bias and seven a priori subgroups. Any subgroup effects with a statistically significant test of interaction were subjected to a five point credibility checklist. Results Searches identified 14 759 citations yielding 23 trials (1357 participants), and 40.6% of outcomes were judged to be at low risk of bias. At six months, compared with control diets, LCDs achieved higher rates of diabetes remission (defined as HbA 1c <6.5%) (76/133 (57%) v 41/131 (31%); risk difference 0.32, 95% confidence interval 0.17 to 0.47; 8 studies, n=264, I 2 =58%). Conversely, smaller, non-significant effect sizes occurred when a remission definition of HbA 1c <6.5% without medication was used. Subgroup assessments determined as meeting credibility criteria indicated that remission with LCDs markedly decreased in studies that included patients using insulin. At 12 months, data on remission were sparse, ranging from a small effect to a trivial increased risk of diabetes. Large clinically important improvements were seen in weight loss, triglycerides, and insulin sensitivity at six months, which diminished at 12 months. On the basis of subgroup assessments deemed credible, VLCDs were less effective than less restrictive LCDs for weight loss at six months. However, this effect was explained by diet adherence. That is, among highly adherent patients on VLCDs, a clinically important reduction in weight was seen compared with studies with less adherent patients on VLCDs. Participants experienced no significant difference in quality of life at six months but did experience clinically important, but not statistically significant, worsening of quality of life and low density lipoprotein cholesterol at 12 months. Otherwise, no significant or clinically important between group differences were found in terms of adverse events or blood lipids at six and 12 months. Conclusions On the basis of moderate to low certainty evidence, patients adhering to an LCD for six months may experience remission of diabetes without adverse consequences. Limitations include continued debate around what constitutes remission of diabetes, as well as the efficacy, safety, and dietary satisfaction of longer term LCDs. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020161795.

scholarly journals Effect of interventions based on educational technologies on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e043373
Author(s):  
Isaiane da Silva Carvalho ◽  
Ryanne Carolynne Marques Gomes Mendes ◽  
Priscila de Oliveira Cabral Melo ◽  
Caroline Ferraz Simões ◽  
Luciana Pedrosa Leal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Incarcerated Women ◽  
Mean Difference ◽  
World Health ◽  
Educational Technologies ◽  
Sexually Transmitted

IntroductionPrisons are places with high vulnerability and high risk for the development of sexually transmitted infections. World Health Agencies recommend establishing intervention measures, such as information and education, on the prevention of diseases. Thus, technologies as tools for health education have been used to reduce sexually transmitted infections. However, no systematic review has investigated the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, this review’s objective is to examine the effect of educational technologies used for preventing sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women.Methods and analysisPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines will be strictly followed. The following electronic databases will be searched: Scopus; Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Education Resources Information Center, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Randomised clinical trials of interventions that used educational technologies to prevent sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated women will be searched in the databases from the beginning of 2020 until December by two researchers independently. A narrative synthesis will be constructed for all included studies, and if there are sufficient data, a meta-analysis will be performed using the Review Manager software (V.5.3). Continuous results will be presented as the weighted mean difference or the standardised mean difference with 95% CIs. Under the heterogeneity of the included studies, a random-effects or fixed-effects model will be used. The studies’ heterogeneity will be assessed by the I2 method. The sensitivity analysis will be carried out to examine the magnitude of each study’s influence on the general results. A significance level of p≤0.05 will be adopted.Ethics and disclosureEthical approval is not required because no primary data will be collected. The results will be published in journals reviewed by peers.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020163820.

scholarly journals Risk of colectomy after conservative treatment of diverticulitis of the left hemicolon complicated by abdominal or pelvic abscess: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e042350
Author(s):  
Maximilian Sohn ◽  
Ayman Agha ◽  
Igors Iesalnieks ◽  
Anna Tiefes ◽  
Alfred Hochrein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Emergency Surgery ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Acute Diverticulitis ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Pelvic Abscess ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Review Manager

IntroductionAcute diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon is increasingly treated by a non-operative approach. The need for colectomy after recovery from a flare of acute diverticulitis of the left colon, complicated diverticular abscess is still controversial. The primary aim of this study is to assess the risk of interval emergency surgery by systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods and analysisThe systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols statement. PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE will be screened for the predefined searching term: (Diverticulitis OR Diverticulum) AND (Abscess OR pelvic abscess OR pericolic abscess OR intraabdominal abscess) AND (surgery OR operation OR sigmoidectomy OR drainage OR percutaneous drainage OR conservative therapy OR watchful waiting). All studies published in an English or German-speaking peer-reviewed journal will be suitable for this analysis. Case reports, case series of less than five patients, studies without follow-up information, systematic and non-systematic reviews and meta-analyses will be excluded. Primary endpoint is the rate of interval emergency surgery. Using the Review Manager Software (Review Manager/RevMan, V.5.3, Copenhagen, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2012) meta-analysis will be pooled using the Mantel-Haenszel method for random effects. The Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool will be used to assess methodological quality of non-randomised studies. Risk of bias in randomised studies will be assessed using the Cochrane developed RoB 2-tool.Ethics and disseminationAs no new data are being collected, ethical approval is exempt for this study. This systematic review is to provide a new insight on the need for surgical treatment after a first attack of acute diverticulitis, complicated by intra-abdominal or pelvic abscesses. The results of this study will be presented at national and international meetings and published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020164813.

scholarly journals Prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e040997
Author(s):  
Varo Kirthi ◽  
Paul Nderitu ◽  
Uazman Alam ◽  
Jennifer Evans ◽  
Sarah Nevitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Diabetic Retinopathy ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
International Diabetes Federation ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Fundus Photography ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cochrane Library

IntroductionThere is growing evidence of a higher than expected prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes. This paper presents the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of retinopathy in prediabetes. The aim of the review is to estimate the prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes and to summarise the current data.Methods and analysisThis protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. A comprehensive electronic bibliographic search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies will report prevalence data for retinopathy on fundus photography in adults with prediabetes. No time restrictions will be placed on the date of publication. Screening for eligible studies and data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers independently, using predefined inclusion criteria and prepiloted data extraction forms. Disagreements between the reviewers will be resolved by discussion, and if required, a third (senior) reviewer will arbitrate.The primary outcome is the prevalence of any standard features of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on fundus photography, as per International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (ICDRSS) classification. Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of (1) any retinal microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography that are not standard features of DR as per ICDRSS classification and (2) any macular microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography, including but not limited to the presence of macular exudates, microaneurysms and haemorrhages. Risk of bias for included studies will be assessed using a validated risk of bias tool for prevalence studies. Pooled estimates for the prespecified outcomes of interest will be calculated using random effects meta-analytic techniques. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 statistic.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required as this is a protocol for a systematic review and no primary data are to be collected. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international meetings including Diabetes UK, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, American Diabetes Association and International Diabetes Federation conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020184820.

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