In an interview with Arab News, Dr. Bassam noted there are signs that the near future would see radical solutions for diabetes by stem cell cultivation or pancreatic transplant, while stressing the need for more treatment centers and medical staff to meet the ever-growing incidence of diabetes.
Endocrine diseases include many that are related to the increased secretion of hormones from the glands, and what is linked to a lack of excretion and deficiency. Each disorder has its own symptoms and attributes. The endocrine glands include the thyroid, pituitary, ovarian, testicular and pancreas glands. The pancreas is a gland known as the most responsible for the secretion of the insulin hormone; its excretion defect is considered the most common disease in the Arab region as well as globally. Indeed, diabetes is the most common disease in the Gulf, because it is linked to things in the culture and lifestyle that are difficult for many of us to avoid, which is a lifestyle of non-balanced diets and bad habits that affect health.
The symptoms depend on which gland is infected and the type of damage that has been done. Since the endocrine glands are multiple, symptoms vary according to the secretion disorder. It may be hormonal secretions that at times are more abnormal and at other times subnormal. For example, excessive weight gain may indicate an increase in the thyroid hormone, especially when accompanied by redness of the skin and bone fragility.
There is, no doubt, a constant evolution in the treatment of diabetes, whether at the level of availability of treatments for type 2 or type 1 diabetes. During the past decade, there have been several drugs that have proven their ability to reduce the cumulative incidences of diabetes, which now have the ability to increase insulin secretion, increase sensitivity, or even reduce the level of glucagon hormone, resistant to insulin. Many types of insulin, whether the new short-acting or long-acting types, have been made into pen shapes that are easy to carry, store and use. There are also signs on the horizon of radical solutions to diabetes, such as the further development and cultivation of stem cells and pancreatic cells for transplantation and the like.
Doctors treating diabetes are always optimistic and never give up hope. As I mentioned earlier, diabetes is a chronic disease and fighting it needs determination and patience from doctors and patients alike. The increase of this disease will only expand our resolve and strength to resist, and our patients will not see despair in our eyes, since we are the ones responsible for giving them hope, and he who gives hope cannot become complacent.
First of all, a family with a diabetic child must see it as a blessing by the grace of Almighty Allah, since dealing with it is not impossible. Many of us suffer from irregularity in meals and are unaware of their content, and many of us suffer from reluctance to exercise or are ignorant of its benefits. However, a sick child in the family will force them to eat a healthy regular diet and lead a better lifestyle that we all are guilty of neglecting.
There is no doubt that we confront an ever-increasing incidence of diabetes. Therefore, we need more treatment centers and medical staff to face the next pandemic. We also need broader health education and awareness programs that can reach the Saudi community at large.
Medical studies have shown the importance of maintaining the level of blood sugar at near normal rates, and these studies have shown how closely and majorly related is the association between the level of blood sugar and the occurrence of chronic complications of diabetes. Based on the results of these studies and experiments, those who are interested in the cure of diabetes managed to find a new medical treatment program for type 1 diabetes that helps reduce complications, which is known as intensive insulin therapy.
One way to use intensive insulin therapy is by giving several injections a day or using the insulin pump. The repeated injection of insulin is a means of intensifying insulin therapy, thus the patient is given four injections throughout a 24-hour period, the last one before bedtime or very early in the morning, paired with short-acting insulin before meals. As for the insulin pump, it is a means of intensive insulin therapy that depends on using it continuously around the clock besides pumping an extra amount before the main meal, light meals or when the level of sugar in the blood is high. To achieve the benefits of this therapy, it requires the frequent analysis of sugar in the blood, before and after meals, and even while sleeping. In addition, diabetics must know how to calculate their intake of carbohydrates by visiting a nutritionist.
As it is obvious to everyone, the global estimates indicate that the total number of patients with type 2 diabetes was close to 200 million in 2004 and is likely to increase to more than 350 million by 2025. That means the increase has exceeded 70 percent. There are more than 100 million patients living in developing countries, meaning that developing countries will contribute 77 percent to the total number of diabetics in the world by 2030.
In Saudi Arabia, the study that was published more than five years ago at King Saud University, found that 24 percent of Saudis have diabetes and over 16 percent have a susceptibility to infection, which means that about 40 percent of Saudis are either infected or have a predisposition to diabetes. Although there are many health educational programs, the number is on the increase, since the disease needs a lot of willpower to overcome or control it, which is rare, and even people with willpower find it hard to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Finally, I wish to add that we cannot confront and deal with individual diabetics. Diabetes is a disease that affects the whole community; therefore, the whole community should learn how to deal with it.
