Dr Ahmed Iqbal

BSc (Hons), MBBS (Hons), MRCP, PgCert, PhD

Department of Oncology and Metabolism

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Diabetes and Endocrinology

ahmed.iqbal@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9238

E Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Dr Ahmed Iqbal
Department of Oncology and Metabolism
E Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX

Profile

For enquiries, please contact - om-operational@sheffield.ac.uk

My career goals are to develop as an academic physician in diabetes and endocrinology and to continually find ways to improve the lives of my patients.

I developed a passion for research during my intercalated BSc in the Medical Sciences with Haematology at Imperial College London. Following this, I completed my undergraduate training at Newcastle Medical School graduating with honours and was successful in obtaining a place on the Academic Foundation Programme in Endocrinology at the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol. I then moved to Sheffield as a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) in Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Under joint supervision from Professors Heller, Francis and Sabroe and Dr Lynne Prince I was successful in obtaining a Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Research Training Fellowship to pursue a PhD at the University of Sheffield.

I am currently a NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and an Honorary Specialty Registrar at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. My clinical interests are in managing hypoglycaemia and the use of novel technologies in the management of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Research interests

I am interested in exploring mechanisms whereby hypoglycaemia might lead to progression of atherosclerosis and mortality, helping to explain why intensive glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes has failed to reduce macrovascular disease.

Importantly, in addition to further dissection of mechanisms that underpin the relationship between hypoglycaemia and atherosclerosis, I want to conduct research to come up with novel therapeutic options that are urgently needed to mitigate the risk hypoglycaemia poses on the cardiovascular system in those with diabetes.

Current projects

Hypoglycaemia and Inflammation.
Risk of cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiological responses during spontaneous hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Heller SR, Geybels MS, Iqbal A, Liu L, Wagner L & Chow E (2021) A higher non-severe hypoglycaemia rate is associated with an increased risk of subsequent severe hypoglycaemia and major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes in the LEADER study. Diabetologia.
Iqbal A, Prince LR, Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Thomas MR, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay LJ, Wright FJ, Macdonald IA , Jacques RM et al (2019) Effect of Hypoglycemia on Inflammatory Responses and the Response to Low Dose Endotoxemia in Humans.. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 104(4), 1187-1199. View this article in WRRO
Chow E, Iqbal A, Walkinshaw E, Phoenix F, Macdonald IA, Storey RF, Ajjan R & Heller SR (2018) Prolonged Prothrombotic Effects of Antecedent Hypoglycemia in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 41(12), 2625-2633. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A & Heller SR (2017) The role of structured education in the management of hypoglycaemia. Diabetologia. View this article in WRRO
Thabit H, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Leelarathna L, Walkinshaw E, Pernet A, Allen JM, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Kumareswaran K , Nodale M et al (2014) Home use of closed-loop insulin delivery for overnight glucose control in adults with type 1 diabetes: a 4-week, multicentre, randomised crossover study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2(9), 701-709. View this article in WRRO
Ruan Y, Ryder REJ, De P, Field BCT, Narendran P, Iqbal A, Gandhi R, Harris S, Nagi D, Aziz U , Karra E et al () A UK nationwide study of people with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital with COVID-19 infection. Diabetologia.

All publications

Journal articles

Arshad MF, Iqbal A, Weeks J, Fonseca I, Munir A & Bennet W (2022) Hypertonic saline for severe symptomatic hyponatraemia: real-world findings from the UK.. Endocr Connect.
Dowey R, Cole J, Roger Thompson AA, Hull RC, Huang C, Whatmore J, Iqbal A, Bradley KL, McKenzie J, Lawrie A , Condliffe AM et al (2022) Enhanced neutrophil extracellular trap formation in COVID-19 is inhibited by the PKC inhibitor ruboxistaurin. ERJ Open Research. View this article in WRRO
Heller SR, Geybels MS, Iqbal A, Liu L, Wagner L & Chow E (2021) A higher non-severe hypoglycaemia rate is associated with an increased risk of subsequent severe hypoglycaemia and major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes in the LEADER study. Diabetologia.
Mubarak Mohamed AS, Iqbal A, Prasad S, Hoggard N & Blackburn D (2021) Cushing’s disease presenting with psychosis. Practical Neurology, 21(4), 351-353.
Iqbal A, Greig M, Fahad Arshad M, Julian TH, Ee Tan S & Elliott J (2021) Higher admission activated partial thromboplastin time, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, serum sodium, and anticoagulant use predict in-hospital COVID-19 mortality in people with Diabetes: Findings from Two University Hospitals in the U.K. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 108955-108955.
Dowey R, Iqbal A, Heller SR, Sabroe I & Prince LR (2021) A bittersweet response to infection in diabetes ; targeting neutrophils to modify inflammation and improve host immunity. Frontiers in Immunology, 12.
Bernjak A, Novodvorsky P, Chow E, Iqbal A, Sellors L, Williams S, Fawdry RA, Marques JLB, Jacques RM, Campbell MJ , Sheridan PJ et al (2021) Cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiologic responses during spontaneous hyperglycaemia in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes & Metabolism, 101237-101237.
Dhami A, Iqbal A, Novodvorsky P & Grech ED (2020) Coronary Artery Spasm–Induced Cardiac Arrest Precipitated by Iodine Contrast Load in Unknown Pre-Existing Graves’ Disease. JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, 13(16), e147-e149.
Kelsall A, Iqbal A & Newell-Price J (2020) Adrenal incidentaloma: cardiovascular and metabolic effects of mild cortisol excess. Gland Surgery, 9(1), 94-104.
Iqbal A & Newell-Price J (2019) Therapy of mild cortisol excess. Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research, 8, 183-188.
Novodvorsky P, Hussein Z, Arshad MF, Iqbal A, Fernando M, Munir A & Balasubramanian SP (2019) Two cases of spontaneous remission of primary hyperparathyroidism due to auto-infarction : different management and their outcomes. Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism Case Reports, 2019(1). View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A, Prince LR, Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Thomas MR, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay LJ, Wright FJ, Macdonald IA , Jacques RM et al (2019) Effect of Hypoglycemia on Inflammatory Responses and the Response to Low Dose Endotoxemia in Humans.. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 104(4), 1187-1199. View this article in WRRO
Chow E, Iqbal A, Walkinshaw E, Phoenix F, Macdonald IA, Storey RF, Ajjan R & Heller SR (2018) Prolonged Prothrombotic Effects of Antecedent Hypoglycemia in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 41(12), 2625-2633. View this article in WRRO
Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Robinson EJ, Iqbal A, Macdonald IA, Jacques RM, Marques JLB, Sheridan PJ & Heller SR (2018) Salbutamol-induced electrophysiological changes show no correlation with electrophysiological changes during hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemic clamp in young people with Type 1 diabetes.. Diabetic Medicine, 35(9), 1264-1272. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A, Novodvorsky P & Heller SR (2018) Corrigendum: Recent updates on type 1 diabetes mellitus management for clinicians [Diabetes Metab J 2018;42:3-18] doi 10.4093/dmj.2018.42.1.3. Diabetes and Metabolism Journal, 42(2), 177-177. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A, Novodvorsky P & Heller SR (2018) Recent updates on type 1 diabetes mellitus management for clinicians. Diabetes and Metabolism Journal, 42(1), 3-18. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A & Heller SR (2017) The role of structured education in the management of hypoglycaemia. Diabetologia. View this article in WRRO
Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Chow E, Iqbal A, Sellors L, Williams S, Fawdry RA, Parekh B, Jacques RM, Marques JLB , Sheridan PJ et al (2017) Diurnal Differences in Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmias During Spontaneous Hypoglycemia in Young People With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 40(5), 655-662. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A & Heller S (2016) Managing hypoglycaemia. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 30(3), 413-430. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal A, Novodvorsky P, Lubina-Solomon A, Kew FM & Webster J (2016) Juvenile granulosa cell tumour of the ovary presenting with hyperprolactinaemic amenorrhoea and galactorrhoea. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports, 2016. View this article in WRRO
Tauschmann M, Thabit H, Leelarathna L, Elleri D, Allen JM, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Choudhary P , Wilinska ME et al (2015) Factors Associated With Glycemic Control During Free-Living Overnight Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery in Children and Adults With Type 1 Diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 9(6), 1346-1347. View this article in WRRO
Thabit H, Elleri D, Leelarathna L, Allen JM, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Wilinska ME , Barnard KD et al (2015) Unsupervised home use of an overnight closed-loop system over 3-4 weeks: A pooled analysis of randomized controlled studies in adults and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 17(5), 452-458. View this article in WRRO
Barnard KD, Wysocki T, Thabit H, Evans ML, Amiel S, Heller S, Young A & Hovorka R (2015) Psychosocial aspects of closed- and open-loop insulin delivery: closing the loop in adults with Type 1 diabetes in the home setting. Diabetic Medicine, 32(5), 601-608.
Taylor PN, Minassian C, Rehman A, Iqbal A, Draman MS, Hamilton W, Dunlop D, Robinson A, Vaidya B, Lazarus JH , Thomas S et al (2014) TSH Levels and Risk of Miscarriage in Women on Long-Term Levothyroxine: A Community-Based Study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 99(10), 3895-3902.
Thabit H, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Leelarathna L, Walkinshaw E, Pernet A, Allen JM, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Kumareswaran K , Nodale M et al (2014) Home use of closed-loop insulin delivery for overnight glucose control in adults with type 1 diabetes: a 4-week, multicentre, randomised crossover study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2(9), 701-709. View this article in WRRO
Taylor PN, Iqbal A, Minassian C, Sayers A, Draman MS, Greenwood R, Hamilton W, Okosieme O, Panicker V, Thomas SL & Dayan C (2014) Falling Threshold for Treatment of Borderline Elevated Thyrotropin Levels—Balancing Benefits and Risks. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(1), 32-32.
Fent GJ, Kamaruddin H, Garg P, Iqbal A, Kelland NF & Hall IR (2014) Hypertensive Emergency and Type 2 Myocardial Infarction Resulting From Pheochromocytoma and Concurrent Capnocytophaga Canimorsus Infection. The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal, 8(1), 43-47. View this article in WRRO
Iqbal AM, Blackburn D, Rafiq M & Sharrack B (2013) Wegener's granulomatosis presenting with multiple cranial nerve palsies and pachymeningitis. Practical Neurology, 13(3), 193-195.
Taylor PN, Panicker V, Sayers A, Shields B, Iqbal A, Bremner AP, Beilby JP, Leedman PJ, Hattersley AT, Vaidya B , Frayling T et al (2011) A meta-analysis of the associations between common variation in the PDE8B gene and thyroid hormone parameters, including assessment of longitudinal stability of associations over time and effect of thyroid hormone replacement. European Journal of Endocrinology, 164(5), 773-780.
Khorashad JS, Anand M, Marin D, Saunders S, Al-Jabary T, Iqbal A, Margerison S, Melo JV, Goldman JM, Apperley JF & Kaeda J (2006) The presence of a BCR-ABL mutant allele in CML does not always explain clinical resistance to imatinib. Leukemia, 20(4), 658-663.
Ruan Y, Ryder REJ, De P, Field BCT, Narendran P, Iqbal A, Gandhi R, Harris S, Nagi D, Aziz U , Karra E et al () A UK nationwide study of people with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital with COVID-19 infection. Diabetologia.
Bernjak A, Iqbal A, Heller S & Clayton R () Hypoglycaemia combined with mild hypokalaemia reduces the heart rate and causes abnormal pacemaker activity in a computational model of a human sinoatrial cell.. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. View this article in WRRO

Chapters

Iqbal A & Heller S () Clinical management of type 1 diabetes, Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics in Diabetes (pp. 60-66). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Conference proceedings papers

Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Smith A, Downs E, Arshad MF, Oprescu AI, Jacques RM, Lee J, Ahmed I & Heller SR (2020) Electrophysiological responses to hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes and impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 63(SUPPL 1) (pp S359-S360)
Arshad MF, Kaluarachchi V, Iqbal A, Munir A & Newell-Price JDC (2020) SUN-299 Flash Glucose Sensor Monitoring for Patients with Endogenous Hyperinsulinaemic Hypoglycaemia. Journal of the Endocrine Society, Vol. 4(Supplement_1)
Mohamed AM, Blackburn D, Iqbal A & Prasad S (2019) 047 An unusual cause of psychosis. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Vol. 90(12) (pp a21)
Iqbal A, Prince L, Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Thomas M, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay L, Wright F, Jacques R , Storey R et al (2018) Acute hypoglycaemia results in increased activation of responses to an inflammatory challenge induced 48 hours later in human subjects. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 61 (pp S446-S446)
Bernjak A, Chow E, Lee J, Iqbal A, Lubina-Solomon A, Walkinshaw E, Macdonald IA, Heller SR, Clayton RH & Sheridan PJ (2017) Pharmacological autonomic blockade during experimental hypoglycaemia exacerbates cardiac repolarisation abnormalities. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 60 (pp S74-S74)
Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Chow E, Iqbal A, Sellors L, Williams S, Fawdry RA, Jacques RM, Sheridan PJ & Heller SR (2017) Risk of cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiological responses during spontaneous hyperglycaemia in young people with type 1 diabetes. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 60 (pp S534-S534)
Iqbal A, Thomas M, Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay L, Wright F, Prince L, Francis S , Storey R et al (2017) Hypoglycaemia increases platelet reactivity and promotes formation of proatherogenic platelet-leucocyte aggregates. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 60 (pp S532-S532)
Iqbal A, Thomas M, Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay L, Wright F, Prince L, Francis S , Storey R et al (2017) Effect of Hypoglycemia on Platelet Reactivity and Platelet-Leukocyte Kinetics. DIABETES, Vol. 66 (pp A41-A41)
Bernjak A, Chow E, Lee J, Iqbal A, Lubina-Solomon A, Walkinshaw E, Heller SR, Clayton RH & Sheridan PJ (2017) Pharmacological Autonomic Blockade Exacerbates Cardiac Repolarization Abnormalities during Experimental Hypoglycemia. DIABETES, Vol. 66 (pp A95-A95)
Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Chow E, Iqbal A, Sellors L, Williams S, Fawdry RA, Jacques RMJ, Sheridan PJ & Heller S (2017) Risk of cardiac arrhythmias and electrophysiological responses during spontaneous hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia in young people with Type 1 diabetes. DIABETIC MEDICINE, Vol. 34 (pp 34-35)
Thomas MR, Iqbal A, Outteridge SN, Judge HM, Dockrell DH, Sabroe I & Storey RF (2016) Platelet P2Y12 inhibitors enhance expansion of the intermediate monocyte population following systemic inflammation in humans. EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL, Vol. 37 (pp 904-904)
Iqbal A, Novodvorksy P, Bernjak A, Chow E, Birch L, Lambert D, Kay L, Wright FJ, Prince L, Francis S , Sabroe I et al (2016) Hypoglycemia Increases Circulating Proatherogenic Intermediate Monocytes in Healthy Volunteers. DIABETES, Vol. 65 (pp A104-A104)
Novodvorsky P, Bernjak A, Chow E, Iqbal A, Sellors L, Williams S, Fawdry RA, Jacques R, Marques JLB, Sheridan PJ & Heller SR (2016) Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmias during Spontaneous Hypoglycemia in Young People with Type 1 Diabetes. DIABETES, Vol. 65 (pp A101-A101)
Thabit H, Elleri D, Leelarathna L, Allen J, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Wilinska M , Barnard K et al (2015) Unsupervised overnight closed loop insulin delivery during free living: analysis of randomised cross-over home studies in adults and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The Lancet, Vol. 385 (pp S96-S96)
Habit H, Leelarathna L, Elleri D, Allen JM, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Wilinska ME , Heller SR et al (2014) Three to four weeks of overnight closed loop insulin delivery during free living: analysis of randomised crossover studies in adults and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 57 (pp S89-S89)
Tauschmann M, Thabit H, Leelarathna L, Elleri D, Allen JM, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Choudhary P , Heller SR et al (2014) Factors predictive of overnight closed loop performance during free living in children and adults with type 1 diabetes. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 57 (pp S414-S414)
Barnard K, Thabit H, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Walkinshaw E, Iqbal A, Nisbet C, Pernet A, Leelarathna L, Allen J , Tinati T et al (2014) Overnight Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery: Psychosocial Impact for Adults with Type 1 Diabetes. DIABETES, Vol. 63 (pp A198-A198)
Thabit H, Lubina-Solomon A, Stadler M, Leelarathna L, Walkinshaw E, Pernet A, Allen JM, Iqbal A, Choudhary P, Kumareswaran K , Nodale M et al (2014) Four Weeks' Home Use of Overnight Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicentre, Randomised, Crossover Study. DIABETES, Vol. 63 (pp A61-A61)
Chow E, Iqbal A, Bernjak A, Ajjan R & Heller SR (2014) Effect of hypoglycaemia on thrombosis and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. The Lancet, Vol. 383 (pp S35-S35)
Chow EYK, Iqbal A, Phoenix F, Heller SR & Ajjan R (2013) Hypoglycaemia promotes thrombosis and inflammation for at least one week in patients with type 2 diabetes. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 56 (pp S243-S243)
Chow EYK, Iqbal A, Walkinshaw E, Solomon AL, Daly R, Judge HM, Storey RF & Heller SR (2013) Hypoglycemia Increases Platelet Reactivity in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. DIABETES, Vol. 62 (pp A100-A100)
Sokhi D, Iqbal A, Randall M & Sarangmat N (2012) I CANNOT SMILE, DOCTOR. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Vol. 83(Suppl 2) (pp A24.2-A24)
Iqbal A, Blackburn D, Rafiq M & Sharrack B (2012) MULTIPLE CRANIAL NERVE PALSIES IN A YOUNG SINGER. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Vol. 83(Suppl 2) (pp A18.1-A18)
Arshad MF, Iqbal A, Bury J, Wadsley J & Munir A () Functional or non-function pancreatic NET; Novel use of a flash glucose monitoring system. Endocrine Abstracts
Follows J, Iqbal A & Allahabadia A () Four years of tolvaptan: experience from two large teaching hospitals. Endocrine Abstracts

Professional activities

Undergraduate

Foundation Clinical Skills Couse-Thyroid Teaching, MBChB programme, University of Sheffield.

Postgraduate

MRCP (UK) PACES Examination, Royal College of Physicians, London, Host Registrar.

Committee Membership

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Study Group, European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
UK-wide Diabetes Research Strategy Steering Group formed by NIHR and Diabetes UK.

Reviewer

Diabetic Medicine.
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation.
International Journal of Endocrinology.
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.
Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism.
Diabetes and Vascular Disease.
Primary Care Diabetes.