New approaches to Diabetes Management could transform Healthcare in KSA

Kingdom Saudi Arabia – Riyadh – 26 February, 2017: Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, recently participated as a co-sponsor in the Fourth International Conference of Endocrinology and Diabetes Conference (ICED), which was held in Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh. The event, which was organized by the Saudi Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SSEM), was attended by leading endocrinologists, diabetologists, cardiologists as well as pediatricians.

The ICED aims to provide an update and comprehensive review across the fields of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism for both adults and pediatrics. Industry professionals came together to find new ways of changing the paradigm around diabetes management, with an objective of driving a better quality of healthcare delivery. 

 According to the International Diabetes Federation, the rate of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region will rise by 96.2% by 2035. There were 3.4 million cases of diabetes in Saudi Arabia in 2015 alone. Diabetes is also the second highest cause of death after road injuries in the Kingdom.

Dr. Atallah Al-Ruhaily, President of Saudi Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism; Consultant Endocrinology at the King Abdulaziz University said, “Type 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia represents around 90% of the cases. The rapid change of lifestyle in Saudi Arabia has led to increased rates of the disease, which are primarily caused by adapting unhealthy lifestyles including, but not limited to physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and smoking, therefore increasing the chances of acquiring other diseases that are linked to diabetes such as cardiovascular diseases. Awareness is key to prevention.”

Dr. Saleh Al-Jasser, Co-Chairman of Saudi Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism; Consultant Endocrinology at the National Guard Hospital also said, “SGLT2 inhibition reduces reabsorption of glucose into the bloodstream, allowing excess glucose to pass through the urine, leading to urinary glucose excretion. SGLT2 inhibition is important because the management of type 2 diabetes is complex and 

challenging – a large number of people with the disease do not achieve their blood glucose targets. Therefore, it has been shown to be an effective way of lowering blood glucose in the management of T2D with a positive effect on body weight and blood pressure.

“Given the important relationship of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes, a broad range of studies are being conducted on a several new treatments of the same class, with the objective of closely investigative long term clinical CV outcomes of adults suffering from type diabetes and are at high risk for CV events. Primary Results have showed a significant reduction of all-cause mortality of CV related deaths,” added Dr. Al-Jasser.

Dr. Afaf Al Shammary, Scientific committee Chairman of Saudi Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism; Consultant Endocrinology at the National Guard Hospital noted, “When patients have both hypertension and diabetes, which is a common combination, the risk for cardiovascular disease increases. We work towards reducing cardiovascular risk, which is a core element of diabetes management.  Completing a regular annual cycle of care can help achieve better outcomes for people with diabetes, while regular assessments can prevent complications and other adverse outcomes associated with the disease.

Mohammed Bayoumy, KSA Country Head said, “Education is key to controlling the spread of the T2D across the Kingdom. The only way the disease can be brought under control is through the joint efforts and close collaboration of all entities that operate across the care continuum in Saudi Arabia. To that extent, we believe that the ICED is a step forward towards supporting epidemiologists, public health researchers, and health policy makers in the country to develop comprehensive programs for diabetes prevention and management among the Saudi population.”