The estimated for diabetic cases in Arabian Gulf countries are some of the highest in the world – this is surprising, given that regional trends and the contributing factors are not well documented. So why is it that we assume such high rates of diabetes in these locations? Current studies are being carried out to determine the temporal changes in this condition in Kuwaiti adults.
The research included 2745 males and 3611 females, all aged between 20 and 69 years old, with their demographic and lifestyle information, height, weight and blood samples being collected. The results of the trial were interesting – over the eight year period, the prevalence of IFG in both men and women decreased by 7.4% and 6.8% respectively, and the rates of diabetes lowered by 9.8% and 8.9% in men and women.
Over time, the blood glucose levels regress – the study found that, allowing for age, BMI, blood cholesterol and education level, there was a greater decrease in men than women. The male participants also showed an increase over a yearly period before a marked decrease later on in the timeframe, while women showed a significant decrease at the end of the study. In fact, both sexes showed a decrease in the second half of the study. For both genders, it was discovered that age and BMI levels were positively linked to IFG and diabetes, whilst education and smoking were negatively associated with the two elements. There was no link found for hypercholesterolemia or exercise in either sex.
The study has found that there needs to be a continued monitoring of blood glucose levels in order to see if there are negative trends – likewise, further studies need to take place to research the contributing factors in order to develop targeted intervention strategies. With more in-depth research, we can have a better understanding of how lifestyle affects this condition.
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