Cameras flash, fashionistas gasp and designers scratch their heads as they puzzle over the genius in their midst. CKD, a new clothing line, dropped this year.
But as one sweeps through the bat wings and miniskirts, mentally assembling an #OOTD, or "outfit of the day", it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
“Looking glam isn’t the only reason to get fit,” declares one oversized clothing tag. “Healthy kidneys never go out of style,” insists another.
We are not kidding about the kidneys. Because CKD isn’t a fashion line, but rather an acronym for chronic kidney disease. The visionary behind the “collection” is pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca, which is focusing on the UAE’s fashion-conscious population as a way to raise awareness.
“We turned the silent disease of CKD into a brand like we see from fashion houses, to make people stop in their tracks and pay attention,” says Suzan Shuman, GCC business unit director of the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic unit at AstraZeneca.
Under the campaign, the pharma company teamed up with medical communications specialists McCann Health Dubai to dream up a distinctive movement that the “generally fashion-conscious people in the Emirates” would relate to.
A team of local designers was then commissioned to craft a collection from scratch, before displaying it to crowds during Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Each design was tagged with an important message,” says Shuman. “Visitors were given information about the disease and encouraged to schedule a screening at the earliest if they were in the risk category.”
One of the major challenges of CKD is patient awareness, with the majority of diagnoses occurring at a progressed stage, leading the team to take this unconventional approach.
“We had to share the story in an impactful manner across the city, so we focused our launch with a unique activation at the Expo 2020 Swedish pavilion on World Kidney Day,” says McCann Health's Mena general manager Karen Kamel.
“We have seen an encouraging rise of CKD screening and testing, which is ultimately the key success factor of our campaign.”
Lifestyle factors affecting kidney health
Kidney health is not something most of us think about too often, but according to Professor Marie Richards, director of renal services at Mubadala Health, it is a bigger problem than we might think.
“Kidney disease is common both worldwide and in the UAE, and affects about one in 10 adults,” she says. “The global burden is increasing, and CKD is projected to become the fifth most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040.”
Kidney disease is referred to as a silent disease because many of the symptoms do not become apparent until ... kidney damage is already advanced
Dr Mustafa Ahmed,
senior consultant nephrologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi
According to Dr Foroozan Khezri, a urologist at Medcare Hospital Al Safa in Dubai, your day-to-day habits could be putting you at risk, including everything from eating too much protein to not getting enough sleep.
“Many factors can affect your kidney health, including low water intake, high salt intake, high protein intake and even overusing painkillers,” she says.
“Dietary factors such as eating processed foods, high sugar intake and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can also negatively affect kidney health.
“Other factors such as diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise and not getting enough sleep can heavily impact how effectively your kidneys function.”
Signs and symptoms
It is thought that patients can lose up to 90 per cent of kidney function before experiencing any symptoms of kidney failure, which makes early detection extremely difficult.
“Kidney disease is often referred to as a silent disease because many of the symptoms do not become apparent until the late stages, when kidney damage is already advanced,” says Dr Mustafa Ahmed, senior consultant nephrologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi.
“Later signs and symptoms include tiredness and fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle cramps, weight loss, itchy skin, passing urine more often than normal, a metallic taste in the mouth, bad breath, high blood pressure, blood and protein in the urine.”
Tips for boosting kidney function
Although detection can be problematic, there are plenty of ways to adjust your lifestyle to prevent kidney failure and stay healthy, say experts.
Khezri advises her patients to make small changes to their routine and aim for prevention rather than cure.
Day-to-day things you can do to promote kidney health include drinking enough water, lowering your salt and sugar intake, monitoring your weight and participating in regular physical activity.
“A few simple changes can make a huge difference, but the time to act is now.”
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
