Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Print
Email
Discuss this article (0 Comments)Diabetes: an expert's view
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Monday, 10 November 2008
I can't really think of any other medical condition that is as wicked as diabetes mellitus. It creeps into every single organ of the body, damaging its nerves and blood vessels, attracting various microbes to breed with its seductive sugar-coated yet dreadful features.
Some diseases really scare people, such as cancer, but what people don’t realise is that diabetes is dangerous too. In fact there are great resemblances between cancer and diabetes - both are chronic debilitating diseases associated with poor quality of life that will kill you in the end.
The only difference is that cancer kills faster than diabetes. Diabetes waits until it is disguised as a heart attack or stroke before it does its worst. But only after it has wreaked havoc in the rest of the body, causing blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage.
Quite simply, it is a frightening and growing disease that needs to be taken more seriously. And here are the facts to prove it; it has been estimated that 246 million people were diagnosed with diabetes worldwide in 2007, it is the largest cause of renal failure and blindness in the developed world and every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes.
This makes understanding its prevalence, risk factors, implications, management, and prevention a major health priority for all communities, but especially for the United Arab Emirates [UAE], which has the second highest rate of the diabetes in the world.
The statistics speak for themselves. Up to 20 percent of all UAE residents are diagnosed with the disease. Most prevalence is seen in nationals, with 25 percent of this group suffering from diabetes, followed by Asians (21 percent), North Africans (19 percent), East Africans (17 percent), and people from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine (16 percent).
It is true that some people are more genetically susceptible to the condition and the effect of major environmental factors such as rapid urbanization and the outstanding economical development in the region can not be overlooked.
However, sedentary lifestyles and junk-food that have lead to a burgeoning of obesity and high blood pressure have played major roles in the country’s diabetes epidemic.
Three major studies carried out in the UAE in 1996, 2000 and 2006 all indicated that over two thirds of the country’s inhabitants are either overweight or obese. Moreover, it has been estimated that 40 percent of people with diabetes have high blood pressure compared with 20 percent in non-diabetics.
But, the one good thing about diabetes, which is not seen in most of other chronic diseases, is that to a large extent it can be prevented. Over the past 10 years several studies have shown that a combination of weight reduction, exercise and healthy eating can stop diabetes from developing by up to 58 percent.
Lifestyle change is one of the most effective methods of preventing and controlling diabetes, provided it is done seriously and for a long period of time.
It’s not necessary, however, to start pounding the tread-mill - just walking briskly for 15 minutes twice a day has the same benefit as walking for a stretch of 30 minutes.
In fact, brisk walking is absolutely fantastic. It’s cheap, there’s no need to join a gym and it can be done indoors at your work place or in a shopping mall.
Studies have shown that reducing 10 percent of body weight reduces the risk of developing diabetes by up to 50 percent, and reduces the fasting blood sugar levels of diabetics by up to 50 percent. This small percentage of weight reduction can also reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels by 10 percent.
People can not change their genetic factors, and it’s not easy to change environmental factors, but individual behavior can be changed. It’s up to each and every one of us to do that, and with the help of continuous public education campaigns, the UAE can finally start to turn the tide of this frightening disease.
Dr Huda Ezzeddin Mustafa, specialist in endocrinology and diabetes at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
READERS' COMMENTS
Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.
Mobile
