Regional experts focus on important consequences of diabetes

An estimated 35 million people in the Africa and Middle East region were affected by diabetes in 2007 , which is a significant healthcare problem. Furthermore, it is predicted that the prevalence of diabetes and its complications will rise in the next 15 years and that 63 million people will be affected by 2025 .

The two-day event, hosted by Pfizer, comes before World Diabetes Day on November 14. Distinguished world experts shared their insights on the treatment and management of Diabetic Painful Neuropathy (DPN, or "nerve pain"), and Dyslipidaemia (high cholesterol)—two common but serious conditions associated with diabetes.

Diabetic Painful Neuropathy (DPN or "nerve pain") affects 26 percent of those suffering from diabetes. Symptoms include persistent, burning pain or attacks of shooting pain, but some may also experience tingling, numbness or extreme sensitivity to touch.

Dyslipidaemia, or high cholesterol, is a sinister condition which results in atherosclerosis—a plaque-building disease that leads to narrowing and stiffening of arteries. When this occurs, heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease (reduced blood flow in the limbs, usually the legs) are more common. Heart attacks and strokes are associated with high cholesterol and are two of the leading causes of death in people with diabetes.

Moreover, it is a startling fact that a diabetic person has the same risk of suffering a heart attack as someone who already had one.

"Recognizing that approximately 20 percent of UAE residents suffer from diabetes ,this summit has been organized not only for healthcare professionals to build upon their own knowledge so that evidence-based recommendations are put into practice, but also for the media to help raise the awareness on the serious impact of diabetes in the region. Diabetic Painful Neuropathy (DPN or "nerve pain") is a complex condition which does not respond to traditional pain relief medications. Instead, it requires specific medications targeted on the nerves."

stated Professor Andrew Boulton, Professor of Medicine, and University of Manchester, UK.

Doctors need to be aware of the varying cholesterol targets for high-risk groups such as people suffering from diabetes, as well as provide appropriate guidance on how to reach these targets. Likewise, patients need to be informed of available treatments.
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Risk factors that cannot be controlled include age, family history of cardiovascular disease, ethnicity and gender. Guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend that men over 45 years of age and women over 50 years of age should have regular check-ups for cholesterol levels, as they are at a higher risk of coronary heart disease.

In clinical trials, cholesterol lowering medications have been shown to lower high LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels by up to 60% and have been shown to significantly reduce the overall risk of heart attacks and strokes ,

"It's imperative for Health care professionals to understand the significance of risk factors, such as high cholesterol, faced by diabetics. Patients urgently need to be aware and remain proactive in the management of high cholesterol levels," commented Professor Frederick Raal, a Lipidologist from Johannesburg Hospital in South Africa.