Diabetes is a condition where the body does not properly process sugar due to insufficient insulin production or response. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1 caused by no insulin production; type 2 caused by insulin resistance; and gestational diabetes in pregnant women. Before developing type 2 diabetes, many people have pre-diabetes with higher than normal blood sugar levels. Symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, and fatigue. Risk factors include obesity, family history, and certain medical conditions. Diabetes is managed through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise as well as medication but cannot be cured. It poses serious health risks and is a major global health problem.

1. Know Diabetes
Dr. Saif AlJaibeji, MD

2. Definitions
Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough, or does
not properly respond to, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin
enables cells to absorb sugar in order to turn it into energy.
This causes sugar to accumulate in the blood, leading to various potential
complications.
Many types of diabetes are recognized: The principal three are:
Type 1: Results from the body's failure to produce insulin. Persons with type 1
diabetes take insulin injections.
Type 2: Results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin
properly, sometimes combined with absolute insulin deficiency.
Gestational diabetes: Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but
who have high blood sugar. It affects about 4% of all pregnant women

3. Pre-diabetes
Before people develop type 2
diabetes, they almost always have
"pre-diabetes" -- blood glucose
levels that are higher than normal
but not yet high enough to be
diagnosed as diabetes.

4. Signs and symptoms
The classical symptoms:
 Frequent urination
 Increased thirst
 Increased hunger
 Weight loss despite normal or
even increased eating
 Fatigue
Blurred vision is a common
complaint leading to a diabetes
diagnosis

5. Why does it happen?
• Lifestyle
Obesity is found in
approximately 55% of
patients diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes.
• Medical conditions
• Genetics
Twins is close to 100%, and
about 25% of those with
the disease have a family
history of diabetes

6. How does it happen?
Type 1 Type 2

7. How do you confirm the diagnoses?
Fasting Plasma Glucose Oral Glucose Tolerance

8. Risk Factors

9. How can we treat it?
Diabetes once inflicted cannot be
reversed, however it can be managed by:
• Lifestyle modification:
 Exercise
 Weight reduction
 Healthy Eating Habits
 Smoking cessation

10. How can we treat it?
Diabetes once inflicted cannot be
reversed, however it can be managed by:
• Medication:
 Oral medication
 Injection

11. How can we treat it?

12. Did you know?
 Every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes.
 Every 10 seconds two people develop diabetes.
 On average, people with type 2 diabetes will die 5-10 years before people
without diabetes, mostly due to cardiovascular disease.
 Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in diabetes, accounting
for some 50% of all diabetes fatalities, and much disability.
 At least 50% of all people with diabetes are unaware of their condition. In
some countries this figure may reach 80%.
 Up to 80% of type2 diabetes is preventable by adopting a healthy diet and
increasing physical activity.

13. Did you know?
 Diabetes currently affects 246 million people worldwide and is expected
to affect 380 million by 2025
 United Arab Emirates is the world’s second highest rate of diabetes in the
adult population with 19.5%. But did you know that the first country is
Nauru
 One out of five people aged 20 to 79 already live with this disease, while a
similar per cent of the population is at risk of developing it
 the current prevalence among UAE nationals aged 30 to 64 is 29 per cent,
of which nearly half are undiagnosed and a further 24 per cent are at risk
 By 2025, at least a third of the UAE’s population, will be living with
diabetes

14. Did you know?
 Diabetes treatment is costing the emirate of Abu Dhabi US$1 billion a year
(Dh3.7bn)
 Research and statistics report on diabetes across the UAE suggest that the
disease will cost an estimated Dh10 billion by year 2020 if the condition is
not treated
 An average of Dh15,000 is currently spent on diabetes per person a year.

15. Green Crescent and Diabetes
Green Crescent Model for Diabetic Care:
 Designation of Centers of Excellence
 Complete assessment tools
 Access to latest evidence based treatment programs
 Special drugs programs
 State of the art monitoring systems
 Reminders and alerts
 Personal portable electronic medical records
 Personalized connectivity tools

16. Green Crescent and Diabetes
• Sponsoring “know diabetes” campaign in
UAE:
more than 5,000 free diabetes checkups
more than 45 corporate premises
• Sponsoring the family health festival
more than 10,000 free checkups
• Sponsoring the diabetes tips on the radio

17. Putting Your health first
OUR PROMISE