Diabetes cases on the rise in Saudi Arabia

Diabetics cases in Saudi Arabia are growing at alarming rate holding third place in the world, says Dr. Zuhair Al-Ghareebi, director of the National Diabetes Center and head of the campaign for early detection of diabetic patients in the Kingdom. “Many people in the Kingdom are affected by diabetes without their knowledge,” Al-Ghareebi said and called upon public and private health institutions to provide free check up for people aged above 30 to help them know whether they have high blood sugar or not. “Saudi Arabia holds third position worldwide in the number of diabetic patients, just after the United Arab Emirates, which holds second position, while Bahrain and Kuwait hold fourth and fifth positions respectively,” he said in a statement. He said early detection of diabetes would help 60 percent of people take precautions against the disease by changing their lifestyle and conducting regular physical exercises. “Until now no cure has been found for diabetes, although there is treatment that can help people maintain normal lives,” he said. Scientists across the world — including those associated with the American Diabetes Association — believe that stem cell research holds great promise in the search for a cure and better treatments for diabetes. Stem cell research allows scientists to better explore ways to control and direct stem cells so they can grow into other cells, such as insulin-producing cells. Figures suggest that up to 30 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population suffers from diabetes, costing the government $800m a month in treatment. Over 50 percent of the country’s population is obese and so large numbers are vulnerable to suffering from the condition. The government has set up 20 new diabetes centers across the Kingdom. From Arab News