Gulf Arabs have highest diabetes rate in world

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have the highest number of diabetic cases in the world.
“The number of diabetic patients in the Kingdom is estimated to be 30 percent of the population and is found mainly among Saudis above the age 30,” said Dr. Naji Al-Johani, a member of the board of directors of the Saudi Diabetes Society in Riyadh.
He said obesity is one of the reasons behind the growing number of diabetics in the Kingdom. “About 35 percent of elderly citizens and 30 percent of children are obese,” he pointed out.
Al-Johani, who is an endocrinologist and diabetes consultant at King Fahd Medical City, said chronic diabetes could affect all the body parts of young men and women and damage their eyesight and kidneys.
“They may also lose the power of sensing. This will lead to major injuries and inflammations. It will also affect blood vessels and cause heart attacks. Diabetes is the fifth most deadly disease in the world,” he added.
The society organized an awareness program in Muhammadiya, Riyadh to raise awareness on how to avoid diabetes through reducing weight by exercising regularly, changing lifestyle habits and regular visits to the doctor for early detection of the disease.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha yesterday organized a conference on the latest developments in diabetes treatment. It was attended by a large number of consultants in the Kingdom. Dr. Khaled Al-Tayeb from Al-Noor Hospital in Makkah gave a presentation on various aspects of diabetes in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom’s health departments have stepped up a campaign against diabetes. In Najran the department distributed blood glucose-checking machines among patients. “We intend to distribute such machines among all diabetic patients in the region through the preliminary health care centers,” the department said in a statement.