Diabetes in the Middle East
Anne L. Peters, MD: Hi. I'm Dr Anne Peters, in Vienna at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meetings. Today I am talking with Dr. Aus Alzaid, a diabetologist from Saudi Arabia.
We are talking about the differences and similarities in healthcare between Saudi Arabia and the United States. I am interested in your perspective, knowing the epidemic of diabetes that you are having in Saudi Arabia. Can you tell us what diabetes care is like there vs what it is like in the West and the United States?
Aus Alzaid, MD: Diabetes is extremely common. The recent International Diabetes Federation (IDF) figures suggest that Saudi Arabia has the highest rate of diabetes in the world after the small island nations in the Pacific. We know from studies done in the past—proper surveys that have been published—that 1 in 4 people after the age of 30 has diabetes.[1] I don't know of any Saudi family that doesn't have a member or two with diabetes. Diabetes is extremely common in the Gulf region as well, the highest on the IDF list.
That part of the Middle East is steeped in history and tradition and culture, which means a lot to people.
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COMMENTARY
'Constant Feast' Drives Up Diabetes Rates in Saudi Arabia
Anne L. Peters, MD; Aus Alzaid, MD
DisclosuresSeptember 29, 2014
Diabetes in the Middle East
Anne L. Peters, MD: Hi. I'm Dr Anne Peters, in Vienna at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meetings. Today I am talking with Dr. Aus Alzaid, a diabetologist from Saudi Arabia.
We are talking about the differences and similarities in healthcare between Saudi Arabia and the United States. I am interested in your perspective, knowing the epidemic of diabetes that you are having in Saudi Arabia. Can you tell us what diabetes care is like there vs what it is like in the West and the United States?
Aus Alzaid, MD: Diabetes is extremely common. The recent International Diabetes Federation (IDF) figures suggest that Saudi Arabia has the highest rate of diabetes in the world after the small island nations in the Pacific. We know from studies done in the past—proper surveys that have been published—that 1 in 4 people after the age of 30 has diabetes.[1] I don't know of any Saudi family that doesn't have a member or two with diabetes. Diabetes is extremely common in the Gulf region as well, the highest on the IDF list.
That part of the Middle East is steeped in history and tradition and culture, which means a lot to people.
Medscape Diabetes © 2014 WebMD, LLC
Cite this: 'Constant Feast' Drives Up Diabetes Rates in Saudi Arabia - Medscape - Sep 29, 2014.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Co-Authors
Anne L. Peters, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director, Clinical Diabetes Programs, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following financial relationships:
Served as director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: (current consultant): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk
Served as a speaker or member of a speakers bureau for: (current speakers bureau member): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Served as a consultant or ad hoc speaker/consultant for: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; Abbott Laboratories; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Dexcom; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Roche; sanofi-aventis
Aus Alzaid, MD
Consultant Diabetologist, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Disclosure: Aus Alzaid, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Novo; Merck Serono; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Serve(d) as a speaker or a member of a speakers bureau for: Merck Serono
Received income in an amount equal to or greater than $250 from: Novo; Merck Serono; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP