KSA has large number of diabetes sufferers

(MENAFN- Arab News) Saudi Arabia has the seventh-highest number of diabetes sufferers in the world according to a local doctor.
Those afflicted with the chronic illness make up 24 percent of the population said Duha Bably a family medicine consultant speaking on Monday during the opening ceremony of a three-day conference on managing diabetes at King Fahd Medical City.
Bably said Kuwait came in at ninth followed by Qatar in 10th. 'It is expected that the Kingdom might rank sixth internationally in 2035 with the rate increasing to 24.5 percent' she said.
She said there is a myth that diabetes is the illness of the rich and wealthy. There has been an 80 percent increase in diabetes in medium and low-income countries she said.
Bably who is the head of the conference's organizing committee said participants would discuss ways to diagnose type one type two and gestational diabetes that some women get briefly during pregnancy.
There would also be discussions held on risk factors including heart disease obesity high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Specialists would look at various treatments for diabetes including food and nutrition sports and movement and medicines and drugs said Bably.
She said two lectures would focus on nutrition therapy and others on the importance of exercise and movement. There would also be talks on medications used to treat diabetes including those taken orally and injections such as insulin.
Bably said the conference participants would also look at new more effective drugs that have entered the Kingdom recently for the treatment of diabetes.
Rana Al-Hamawi a family medicine consultant and head of family medicine and employees' health at King Fahd Medical City said the hospital organizes regular awareness campaigns for the prevention of chronic diseases.
She said that there has been a focus on enhancing the skills of doctors and other health professionals a call on all parties to look at what factors are causing the spike in prevalence and strategic plans to limit new cases.
Bably said that in 2013 there were 382 million people around the world living with diabetes. This included 3 million who had disorders of glucose metabolism which might develop into type two diabetes the most common and serious form of the illness according to the International Association of Diabetes.