DUBAI // One in five new patients who had their eyes screened for diabetic damage at a medical centre in Dubai were found to be already suffering from retinal damage.
The statistic indicates that people with diabetes were often unaware of complications they had developed due to the disease and were too late in seeking medical attention, according to staff at Dubai Diabetes Centre, which opened two years ago.
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When a patient's blood glucose levels fluctuate it can damage the body's blood vessels. In the eye, this can cause retinal damage, sometimes resulting in total blindness.
"We have been consistently conducting screening for diabetic damage to the eyes and results showed that approximately one in five diabetics are unaware that they already suffer from retinal damage," said Dr Bruno Blanchon, a consultant at Dubai Diabetes Centre.
In 2010, the centre received 1,260 new patients - 678 women and 582 men - as well as 7,084 follow-up patients.
Dr M Hamed Farooqi, the director of Dubai Diabetes Centre, said: "Diabetics need to be aware that a reduction in their sugar level is directly related to a reduction in the risk of developing diabetic complications like blindness, heart attacks, strokes and in severe cases, amputations."
The A1C test, which assesses the average three month blood sugar level of a diabetic, should have a reading of seven per cent or less in most cases. However, the centre had come across cases where the reading was 14 per cent, which pointed towards uncontrolled diabetes.
"We find many diabetics approach us when their blood sugar levels are significantly high and they need immediate medical attention," said Dr Farooqi. "For those who don't have diabetes, the message is to make the effort to get screened, especially if they belong to a high risk group and have a family history or obesity. If they have diabetes, they need to control their blood sugar level so that their body does not suffer the effects of diabetes."
balqabbani@thenational.ae
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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