More ‘health campaigns needed’ to tackle rising diabetes menace

The incidence of diabetes is increasing in the Kingdom with nearly 15 per cent of the population already fallen prey to the disease, says data revealed by the Health Ministry.

A quarter of the population will become diabetic by 2030 if proper awareness campaigns are not carried out, according to a study. The study conducted at King Hamad University Hospital, included a random sample of 200 patients from the diabetes clinic, in which the majority were women, showed that 80pc of them were committed to treatment plan and have been taking oral medications. The four-week study conducted by Dr Dalal Ahmed Al Rumaihi, a consultant in endocrinology and diabetes, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of the Royal College of Surgeons in Bahrain, sought to clarify the factors influencing the treatment plan for type 2 diabetics, which will help patients reach a good level of disease control and avoid complications.

The study was conducted on a sample of patients with an average age of 54 years old, of whom 66pc were obese, and 43pc had at least one of the complications of diabetes; such as nephropathy, retina, nerve disorder, heart, brain or blood clots. “Eighty-five per cent of the patients carried out regular exercises and 70pc of them were committed to the treatment plan. And among the patients, 80pc were smokers.

These patients were subjected to a cumulative glycemic test to determine the extent to which the patient’s body controls blood sugar levels. The results of the study showed better results for patients, who had committed to the treatment plan and took appropriate nutrition to tackle diabetes and exercised for three months.