The General Health Authority of Abu Dhabi launched the second phase of the Heart Diseases screening program, which entails free screening tests for the general public, that will be engaged at malls, health centers and hospitals, and which closes on June 26th 2005.
The first phase entailed engaging and testing public institution employees and Police staff. The screening was conducted for Cholesterol, high blood pressure, high glucose and obesity, all health issues that are reaching epidemic proportions and cost millions in healthcare services.
The program will help increase awareness of ailments like diabetes, aid in identification, prevention and management of the ailment.
Diabetes is a problem with the body's fuel system. It is caused by lack of insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas that is essential for getting energy from food. There are two kinds of diabetes:
• In type 1 diabetes, which usually starts in children, the body stops making insulin completely.
• In type 2 diabetes, also called adult-onset diabetes, the body still makes some insulin, but cannot use it properly.
Most adults with diabetes have type 2; in fact, type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 percent of all diabetes cases.
How Insulin Works
Food is digested in the stomach and intestines, and carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules, or glucose. Glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream, and blood glucose levels rise. This rise in blood sugar normally signals special cells in the pancreas, called beta cells, to release the right amount of insulin.
Insulin allows glucose and other nutrients (such as amino acids from proteins) to enter muscle cells. There, they can be stored for later or burned for energy.
When the body has a problem making insulin or the cells do not respond to insulin in the right way, diabetes results.
Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease, characterized by hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose-sugar) due to decreased secretion of insulin, decreased work of this insulin or both. This insulin (which is secreted from the pancreas) is responsible for what is called ‘Metabolism’ (regulation) of glucose, proteins, fats, water and Electrolytes (some salts in the blood).
Type I Diabetes Mellitus:
Patients suffering from this type have little or even no insulin secretion from their pancreas. Usually it affects young patients but may occur later in life. This type may appear with the known classical complaints of diabetes like passing big amounts of urine, drinking too much fluids, thirst and weight loss. Unfortunately some patients of this type may come for the first time with the most serious complication of the disease called Diabetic Ketocidosis which is disturbance of the blood salts, increased acidity of the blood, abdominal pain, vomiting or even coma.
Type II Diabetes Mellitus:
Patients suffering from this disease have some insulin secreted by their pancreas but this is not enough to control the level of their blood sugar. Sometimes their insulin may be normal but can not do its function because they are obese. It usually appears in late life and is commonly associated with obesity. Patients may complain of the symptoms of the disease like in type I.
These complaints may be mild and even over years patients may come to the doctor for the first time with complications of the disease.
Management of Diabetes Mellitus can be classified in to two types of goals, short and long term. The short term goal is to make the blood glucose and Electrolytes (salts) as close to normal as possible and improve the sense of well being. In the long term, the goal is to decrease the risk of chronic complications of diabetes mellitus like atherosclerosis, micorvascular diseases (eye and kidneys) and of the nervous system (neuropathy of the limbs).
The ideal treatment for a diabetic patient allows the patient to lead a completely normal life as much as possible, to remain free of complaints, to remain in a good metabolic state and to escape the complications or at least to delay its occurrence.
The success or failure of the treatment relies on the patient himself, the doctor can only advise and give medications.
The General Health Authority of Abu Dhabi is determined to combat diabetes on a national level with this programme with cooperation form the residents of UAE.
