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5 March 2010
The authority, which had launched the first phase of the screening programme in 2009, is now launching its second phase to cover households, schools and colleges, officials said on Thursday.
A total of 5,000 people who visited primary health centres, hospitals and other health institutions were screened in the first of the programme that was initiated to assess the actual prevalence of the silent killer’s condition in the emirate.
“The second phase is starting in April. We will be launching a door-to-door screening programme in households,” said Dr Mohammad Farghaly, head of Chronic Care Unit in Primary Health Care (PHC) Department of DHA.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr Farghaly said the second phase of the screening programme would also address students in schools, colleges and universities.
“We will be conducting random screening in young students as well because now there is more possibility for them to get type 2 diabetes due to genetic conditions and obesity,” he told Khaleej Times later.
Dr Farghaly, who also heads the Diabetic Scientific Group in PHC, said the screening programme would continue throughout this year and in 2011. “The project will help us find the prevalence of diabetes and the risk factors in people here. It will also help analyse the knowledge, tracts and attitude of people towards the disease and its management,” he explained.
Results of the programme, he said, will be announced at the International Diabetes Conference scheduled to be held in Dubai in 2011.
Announcing the completion of the international diabetes training programme for 200 doctors in Dubai, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston Dr Osama Hamdy said these physicians in primary health centres here will now offer comprehensive, tailor-made diabetic care and management for patients after considering their cultural, ethnic and dietary background.
They are also expected to help better analyse the prevalence of cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmic and other complications associated with diabetes. Quoting a 2008 study, Dr Hamdy, who is also a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, said 61 per cent of diabetic patients in the UAE had kidney diseases. “We are yet to know the actual prevalence of various complications related to diabetes here. There is a need to assess this for offering better management of the diseases associated with diabetes,” he told Khaleej Times later.
Diabetes is a disease in which the human body fails to produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. There are three types of the disease: 1. Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an auto-immune disease in which the body does not produce any insulin, most often occurring in children and young adults. 2. Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a metabolic disorder stemming from the body’s inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It is strongly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases. 3. Gestational diabetes which is first recognised during pregnancy. The exact cause is unknown, but heredity and lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to be among the causes. There is no cure for diabetes and treatment involves lowering blood glucose and other known risk factors that damage blood vessels. Insulin, first isolated by Frederic Banting and Charles Best in 1921 in Canada, transformed diabetes from a fatal disease to one in which long-term survival became possible. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to stay alive while type 2 people need it as and when their glucose levels go up. What are the warning signs of diabetes? For type 1, warning signs include excessive thirst; constant hunger; excessive urination; weight loss for no reason; rapid, hard breathing; vision changes; drowsiness or exhaustion. These symptoms may occur suddenly. People with type 2 diabetes may have similar, but less obvious, symptoms. Many have no symptoms and are only diagnosed many years after onset. Almost half of all people with type 2 diabetes are not aware they have this life-threatening condition. Type 2 diabetes is associated with age, overweight, hypertension, abnormal cholesterol levels, an inactive lifestyle, stroke and genetic factors. Its risk is greater in Hispanics, blacks, Native Americans and Asians. Getting diabetes during pregnancy or delivering a baby over nine pounds (4.1 kg) can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and of new cases of blindness in people. Aside from accidents, diabetes is the most frequent cause of lower limb amputations. Diabetics face a much higher risk of heart disease and stroke. How many people have diabetes? At least 194 million people worldwide have diabetes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects the number to rise to over 300 million by 2025. The majority will live in the developing world. Who is mostly affected? People in low- and middle-income countries, who are middle-aged (45-64) and not elderly (65+). This means they are robbed of a quality life while they are still in their prime, a time when they are raising and providing for children. Diabetes was responsible for 3.8 million deaths worldwide in 2007. Many diabetics die directly of heart disease or kidney failure. Diabetes is linked to heart disease and strokes, high blood pressure, blindness, and damage to the kidneys, blood vessels and nerves. It also causes infections and gum disease. The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double that for non-sufferers.
What is Diabetes?
What causes diabetes?
How is it treated?
Risk factors
What complications can it cause?
Mortality
Morbidity and complications
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