There is a need for more awareness about rheumatoid arthritis to prevent the spread of the disease, said Dr. Hussein Halabi, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Association for Rheumatism Diseases and Chairman of the Department of Rheumatism Diseases at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. He was speaking at the 10th Pan Arab Rheumatology Conference here on Tuesday. This is the first conference of its kind to be held in Saudi Arabia and includes many Arab and Western researchers. The conference focuses on rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which could lead to disability if not treated early. He said prevention can only happen if people educate themselves, particularly about Vitamin D deficiency, which is prevalent in Saudi Arabia. He recommended that people take Vitamin D and calcium supplements. He said an initiative at the Red Sea Mall was used to educate people about the disease. People suffering from aches, pains or fatigue should check their Vitamin D levels, to prevent such deficiencies from turning into osteoporosis. Halabi said a national disease registry was needed in the country to check the size of the problem here. He said a project has been developed by the Saudi Society of Rheumatology to help treat patients in remote areas of the Kingdom. __
