摘要
The prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) has increased dramatically during the last 2 decades, a fact driven by the increased prevalence of obesity, the primary risk factor for T2 DM. The figures for diabetes in the Arab world are particularly startling as the number of people with diabetes is projected to increase by 96.2% by 2035. Genetic risk factors may play a crucial role in this uncontrolled raise in the prevalence of T2 DM in the Middle Eastern region. However, factors such as obesity, rapid urbanization and lack of exercise are other key determinants of this rapid increase in the rate of T2 DM in the Arab world. The unavailability of an effective program to defeat T2 DM has serious consequences on the increasing rise of this disease, where available data indicates an unusually high prevalence of T2 DM in Arabian children less than 18 years old. Living with T2 DM is problematic as well, since T2 DM has become the 5th leading cause of disability, which was ranked 10 th as recently as 1990. Giving the current status of T2 DM in the Arab world, a collaborative international effort is needed for fighting further spread of this disease.
The prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) has increased dramatically during the last 2 decades, a fact driven by the increased prevalence of obesity, the primary risk factor for T2 DM. The figures for diabetes in the Arab world are particularly startling as the number of people with diabetes is projected to increase by 96.2% by 2035. Genetic risk factors may play a crucial role in this uncontrolled raise in the prevalence of T2 DM in the Middle Eastern region. However, factors such as obesity, rapid urbanization and lack of exercise are other key determinants of this rapid increase in the rate of T2 DM in the Arab world. The unavailability of an effective program to defeat T2 DM has serious consequences on the increasing rise of this disease, where available data indicates an unusually high prevalence of T2 DM in Arabian children less than 18 years old. Living with T2 DM is problematic as well, since T2 DM has become the 5th leading cause of disability, which was ranked 10 th as recently as 1990. Giving the current status of T2 DM in the Arab world, a collaborative international effort is needed for fighting further spread of this disease.
