JEDDAH – Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) Saudi Arabia - part of Merck & Co. Inc., a global research-driven pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets many of innovative products - steps up its diabetes awareness initiative by launching a campaign aimed at tackling Type 2 diabetes for those who fast during Ramadan. Currently, around 2,759,600 Saudis suffer from diabetes. According to the latest International Diabetes Federation figures, if prevalence continues to increase at current rates, it will almost double by 2030 to reach 5,461,900 citizens. “Despite the serious health risks that fasting could pose to diabetics, research shows that more than 50 million people with diabetes continue to fast during Ramadan against the advice of healthcare professionals,” Dr. Wail Al-Qassim, General Manager, MSD Saudi Arabia, said at the launch. Recognizing the critical role that healthcare professionals play in providing advice to diabetics who fast, MSD launched a campaign to promote greater awareness about diabetics who choose to fast including the development of a new information kit for healthcare professionals to share and discuss with their patients. He noted earlier that in Saudi Arabia, more than SR12 billion are spent every year on diabetes alone, adding that on average, a diabetic person spends around $1,000 annually for treatment. In the Kingdom, he said, more than 19 percent of the population already suffer from diabetes, out of this, 90 percent are Type 2. On the global scale, he said healthcare expenditure on Type 2 diabetics is expected to increase from $376 billion in 2010, to $490 billion in 2030. Developed countries spend from 2.5 to 15 percent of their annual healthcare budget on diabetes alone. Dr. Soren Bo Christiansen, MSD President of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, who visited the Kingdom for the launch of the diabetes awareness campaign, said the company allocates $8.5 billion every year to fund its research on new medicines, adding that it also supports and collaborates with the government where it has its presence in educating various health practitioners. He emphasized the observance of right eating habit to manage diabetes. In a MSD study on 1,066 patients in 43 clinical centers across the Middle East, which was published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice last year, it showed that patients with Type 2 diabetes who chose to fast during Ramadan and were taking Januvia (sitagliptin) experienced less hypoglycemia than patients taking a sulphonylurea (SU). In addition, the relative risk of symptomatic hypoglycemia was significantly lower in patients treated with sitagliptin versus patients treated with SU. “The results of this study are extremely important. Hypoglycemia is a condition that can greatly impact the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes and a common problem faced by diabetics who fast. Diabetes can result in serious complications and even death when not properly managed. According to the latest IDF results, more than 15,339 Saudis die each year as a result of diabetes and its complications,” Al-Qassim said. Building on the 2011 study, this year MSD has introduced an innovative tool to provide greater support to Saudi Arabian diabetics who choose to fast, an information kit “Facts About Fasting”. Discussing the potential dangers that Saudi Arabian diabetics could face when fasting and the importance of the information kit, Dr. Saud Nafal Al-Sifri, Director, Medical Department at Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, said “for people with Type 2 diabetes, decreased food intake, increased exercise, along with certain diabetes medications, are well-known risk factors for hypoglycemia. If left untreated, it can lead to serious medical problems including loss of consciousness, convulsions and seizures, which require emergency treatment. Being able to record sugar levels throughout the day is extremely important and will allow physicians to better support diabetics in the management of their disease to ensure they don't put themselves at risk of hypoglycemia or other diabetic complications.” He went on saying that “obesity, coupled with increased sedentary lifestyles and lower levels of physical activity are known to be the major reasons for the development and exacerbation of Type 2 diabetes. With the information kit, Saudi diabetics will have a better opportunity to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, allowing them to better manage their weight and reduce the possibility of diabetes-related complications which obese diabetics are at increased risk of developing.” – SG
