HealthPlus diabetes conference urges the caregiver community to join hands in combating diabetes

• Lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to increased prevalence of diabetes  
• HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center witnesses upward trend of diabetes cases in younger patients, compared to last four years
• Conference chair urged specialist teams including endocrinologists, diabetologists and primary care physicians to work together and find innovative solutions to treat patients better
• H.E. Alexander Schonfelder, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE attended the 7th Annual HealthPlus “Diabetes for Primary Care” Conference

Experts in the field of diabetes converged in Abu Dhabi for the 7th annual “Diabetes for Primary Care” conference, hosted by HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, a Mubadala Health partner, on Saturday, November 5, 2022.

The one-day conference, under the theme, “At the Heart of Diabetes”, was launched by H.E. Alexander Schonfelder, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE and Dr. Mohammed Al-Khatib, Conference Chairman, and Medical Director Consultant, Internal Medicine, Endocrinology & Diabetology, HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Alexander Schonfelder, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE, said: “It’s a pleasure to be here today to open the discussion on global trends in diabetes and related technologies. The UAE has shown tremendous progress in the healthcare sector over the last decade. As the cooperation between Germany and the UAE continues to grow, it is proof of the strong relationship our two countries hold.”

Emphasizing the need to tackle the alarming rise of the chronic disease, the conference attendees, made up of local, regional and global diabetes experts, engaged in a series of sessions. These sessions were designed to guide the medical community to drive awareness and education to tackle some of the contributing factors accelerating the prevalence of diabetes across the UAE and the wider region.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Khatib, Conference Chairman, and Medical Director Consultant, Internal Medicine, Endocrinology & Diabetology, HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Abu Dhabi, said:

“As we’re seeing an upward global trend in the prevalence of diabetes, and with the region prone to these lifestyle diseases, the conference could not have come at a more critical time. The HealthPlus “Diabetes for Primary Care” conference aimed to shed light on the latest guidelines, research and technologies in the field of diabetes. It also served as a platform to help the healthcare community understand the impact the pandemic has had on people’s lifestyles and on their health; particularly as, we’ve seen a rise in younger diabetic patients diagnosed, something that we’ve not seen to this scale before. As we continue to tackle one of the most pressing issues in this field, it is essential for the medical community to urge people to focus on their health.”

The conference agenda covered pressing issues from the field of diabetes including obesity and metabolics, remission, vision management, burden and risks associated with bariatrics and addressing dyslipidemia, one of the major cardiovascular side-effects of diabetes. The conference also discussed the role nutrition plays in managing diabetes in its early stages, the latest guidelines and technologies in managing the disease, as well as areas of research that can help discover the future outlook of this chronic disease.

Speaking on type 2 diabetes post bariatric – remission, burden and risks, Dr. Hazem Al Momani, Head of Surgery and General Surgery Consultant at Danat Al Emarat Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE, said:  “Diabetes and obesity is becoming a disease of the young. We know that with early onset obesity, the likelihood of developing diabetes increases at a younger age. This tells us that the health and sustainability of our society is dependent on us investing in the young.”

Professor Dominik Bergis, Medical Director, Diamedicum Wuerzburg, Germany said: “Today’s event is important to show what’s possible in the management and treatment of diabetes. This includes discussing the latest technologies and something we’ve always dreamed of in diabetology call a “closed loop”; which we’re now starting to implement into patient’s daily practices to help them improve their diabetes control and management.”