It is a common misunderstanding that as the UAE has a sunny climate, residents receive their daily vitamin D quota. On the contrary, studies have shown high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D – or low levels of vitamin D – in subjects within the UAE, and this varies among different ethnic groups.

Low levels of vitamin D are a major risk factor for the development of metabolic bone diseases, and has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Bone health

According to Dr. Nabila Rashid, Specialist Dermatologist & Venerologist, Medcare Hospital, Dubai, Vitamin D is crucial for the development and maintenance of the skeleton.

“Vitamin D deficiency can adversely affect calcium metabolism, bone remodelling and bone density,” she explains. “There are numerous forms of bone disease that may manifest, including osteoporosis, rickets and Pagets disease, with symptoms of bone pain and predisposition to fractures."

Normal bone growth and mineralisation depends on the availability of adequate calcium and phosphate, while deficient mineralisation at the bone growth plate can result in bone deformities such as rickets. Vitamin D is a prohormone that is essential for the normal absorption of calcium from the gut, so when there is a deficiency of this prohormone, there is a decrease in calcium absorption and a subsequent decrease and impairment in the mineralisation phase of bone remodelling.

“In order to avoid bone impairment, several guidelines exist concerning recommended vitamin D intake. Screening for is recommended, which allows healthcare professionals to advise on appropriate treatment,” Dr Rashid adds.

"Vitamin D deficiency can adversely affect calcium metabolism, bone remodelling and bone density. There are numerous forms of bone disease that may manifest, including osteoporosis, rickets and Pagets disease, with symptoms of bone pain and predisposition to fractures." - Dr. Nabila Rashid

Lifestyle changes

Making simple lifestyle changes can help patients receive sufficient vitamin D levels. Sunlight is undoubtedly the best source of vitamin D – it is synthesised by our bodies when ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight hit our skin. However, darker skin and wearing long-sleeve clothing can both reduce the bodies ability to absorb UVB rays from sunlight, needed to produce vitamin D. You can also receive vitamin D from certain food such as eggs, soy yogurt, almonds and fish such as salmon. Those with severe vitamin D deficiency may need supplement tablets as recommended by their healthcare provider.

References available on request.

Vitamin D is a prohormone that is essential for the normal absorption of calcium from the gut.

Blood cancers essentially affect the production and function of your blood cells, and most originate in the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. Blood cancers can be divided in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Leukaemia

It is a type of cancer that is caused by the rapid production of mutated or abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells are unable to fight infection as normal white blood cells usually do and impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce other blood cells and platelets.

Myeloma

On the other hand, this is a cancer of the plasma cells of the blood. These cells are white blood cells that produce antibodies that fight disease and infection. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, which leaves the body defences weakened and more susceptible to infection. Severity of each type of cancer depends on the staging and extent of disease.

Lymphoma

It is a cancer of a type of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. There are two main types of lymphoma; Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin – the primary difference between these two categories of cancer is the type of cell of origin and when and where the mutation arises in the development of these cells.

“The exact cause of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not known, but viruses, genetics and environmental factors have all been implicated. The Epstein-Barr virus has been linked to cases of some of these cancers. Same-sex siblings, twins and children of the affected individuals can be at a higher risk of developing these cancers. It is most common in adults aged 15 to 35, and in those over the age of 50. It is somewhat more common in males,” explains Dr. Faraz Khan, MD, Consultant Oncologist/Haematologist, American Hospital Dubai.

“Lymphoma symptoms can be similar to those of viral diseases but persist for longer than expected. Patients may notice a swelling of lymph nodes that is usually painless, accompanied by fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats or chills. This overlap of symptoms can often lead to misdiagnosis or delay, which underlines the serious need for awareness on cancer symptom. Early diagnosis will enable early treatment for optimal outcomes,” he adds.

Lymphoma symptoms can be similar to those of viral diseases but persist for longer than expected.

Statistics

According to statistics, there are 4,500 new cases of cancer reported each year and it is the third leading cause of death. As a result of these statistics, the UAE is determined to bring down cancer fatalities by 18 per cent by 2021 and is a key performance indication of the UAE National Agenda. According to reports, leukaemia and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are both amongst the top five cancers diagnosed in both men and women within the UAE.

“As the cause for these cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma remain unknown, it is hard to say exactly how to prevent them. However, avoiding exposure to solvents such as benzene and toluene and avoiding unnecessary exposure to x-rays is a good practise,” says Dr. Khan. “Cancers are also associated with poor diet, lack of exercise and tobacco use, so it is always recommended to avoid these and ensure a healthy lifestyle. There are many innovative and novel approaches for treatment depending on the stage of disease, although some may cause side effects.”

References available on request.

Today, the work of the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) is a complex operation. Surgical techniques continually evolve, and surgical instruments have kept pace with the age of technology. Surgeons need these kinds of sophisticated instruments to achieve their goal. With the advent and introduction of advanced sterilisers and instruments made out of various materials ranging from the good old stainless steel and titanium to nylon, Teflon, silicon, fibreglass, etc., things have undergone a big change. There is also a constant pressure to speed up the entire process of sterilisation and minimise the amount of turnaround time. This requires highly trained and innovative CSSD professionals who are able to deal with this complex technology and process on a day-to-day scale. Furthermore, with new techniques of surgery evolving, newer surgical instruments also continuously evolve, which requires proper understanding of assembling and subsequently disassembling of these instruments.

Various surgical procedures pertaining to minimally invasive and single incision surgeries have resulted in the introduction of an entirely new breed of surgical instrumentation of different materials as stated above. Surgeons and patients realise the benefits of these advanced surgical procedures such as smaller incisions, which result in smaller scars, reduced tissue trauma, decreased need of blood transfusion, shorter hospitalisation, faster recovery, less post-operative pain, rare occurrence of hernia, and minimise infection rate if these instruments are reprocessed properly.

With this, the entire chain of processing, comprising of handling, disassembling, sorting, transportation, cleaning, lubricating and subsequently assembling and packing, requires a whole new paradigm shift in operations towards final sterilisation and sending it to the operating rooms.

These new breeds of instruments are not only complex by nature but very expensive as well and the hospitals rather than stocking them in multiples prefer a fast turnaround time from the CSSD, which altogether makes things more challenging. The goal of CSSD is to prolong the life of each instrument by proper reprocessing.

This new scenario leads to a highly efficient and coherent way of working from the CSSD professional who not only should have a high degree of understanding of their job but also are quick to adapt and improvise to the newer challenges. It is the duty of the CSSD professionals to ask their workplace about different kinds of instrumentation to adhere and meet the various quality controls, checks and balances and demands from the manufacturers and instruments and equipment, which come for sterilisation by means of different techniques for e.g., Robotic and Minimal Invasive surgical instruments.

Central sterile professionals, the ultimate experts on instrument reprocessing, need to educate themselves and then teach their customers about the factors that can affect instruments turnaround time. There are two types of factors affecting instrument management. One is direct while the other is indirect. The direct factors are CSSD processes that can be controlled by CSSD. Indirect factors are under the control of customers and to control it, CSSD staff should work collaboratively with them. These factors are scheduling parallel cases, case preferences, overbooking, low instrument inventory, lack of communication, transportation etc.

Healthcare management needs to provide different types of testing devices, material and other equipment, e.g., lighted magnifying lens for inspection. As these instruments are very delicate, sharp, fragile or insulated, it requires a special kind of container. The instruments need to be processed as early as possible after the procedure. Also, immediately flush narrow lumens after use. Try to keep these instruments in moist condition till processing to avoid drying of protein. Also, protect these instruments in transportation, do not stack instruments, place heavier instrument at the bottom and lighter at top. Keep all scopes and fragile instruments separately and handle carefully. The surgeon should use these instruments for their intended use only.

Failure to process instruments correctly can lead to nosocomial infection or possible patient injuries. These devices create more processing challenges because some of them are fragile like scope, fibre optic cable, and most of them are smaller in size and compact. Some of them are long and narrow lumen.

Devising and constantly changing the process and documenting them in an easily understandable manner should be an ongoing process of updating the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures). The SOP should be dynamic by nature and should be highly standardised.

Today’s challenges from users are to do it fast, do it right, keep patient and staff safe. Another challenge is loaner instrument. Most of the time these loaner instruments are received just in time and need immediate processing. To reprocess these devices, high temperature, steam sterilisation as well as low-temperature sterilisation is needed in the facility or healthcare centre. Remember no matter how talented the surgeon, surgery cannot be performed without properly cleaned, assembled, tested and functional sterile instruments.

“Man is a tool-using animal… without tools, he is nothing, with tools he is all.” – Thomas Carlyle (1896)

There is an increasing incidence of skin cancer epidemiology around the world and in the region, requiring efforts to raise awareness and implement standardised screening programmes. Patients residing in areas with high annual average sunshine such as the UAE should be taking extra precautions in the fight against skin cancer. Skin cancer represents one of the most common male malignancies in the UAE, with a prevalence rate of 14.5 per cent.

“As the incidence of skin cancer is steadily rising, it has never been more important to educate patients on the importance of early diagnosis and treatment,” explains Dr. Ghada Ashour, Specialist Dermatologist at Medcare Hospital, Dubai. “Mortality from skin cancer is strongly linked to the stage of development, therefore early detection is the most important step to improve prognosis. The first step is always visual examination, so we recommend patients carry these out regularly.”

Risk factors

The risk of skin cancer depends on the skin type. There are six skin types with type one classified as the fairest skin that always burns, but never tans, and type six as dark or black skin that never burns, but always tans.
In addition to the high annual average sunshine, there has been a recent dramatic increase in patients’ lifestyle choices such as vacationing in sunny climates, engaging in outdoor activities and using harmful tanning machines. These factors increase the risk of skin cancers such as melanoma.

The World Health Organization (WHO) note some individual risk factors for skin cancer include fair skin, blue, green or hazel eyes, light-coloured hair, tendency to burn rather than suntan, history of severe sunburns, many moles, freckles and a family history of skin cancer.

Other risks apart from sun exposure include precancerous and cancerous skin lesions, benign tumours, fine and coarse wrinkles, freckles, discoloured areas of the skin or mottled pigmentation, and telangiectasias, which is the dilation of small blood vessels under the skin.

"As the incidence of skin cancer is steadily rising, it has never been more important to educate patients on the importance of early diagnosis and treatment." - Dr. Ghada Ashour

Treatment options

According to Dr. Ashour, new non-invasive techniques for the early diagnosis of melanoma have been developed, which are superior to the naked eye examination, such as total body photography, digital dermoscopy and confocal microscopy, which in addition to dermoscopy assist the dermatologist in differentiating benign markings from early melanomas.

“If caught early, squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas can be treated either invasively or non-invasively with very good prognosis. Simple excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, curettage and electrodesiccation, and cryosurgery are all options to treat basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.”

References available on request.

New non-invasive techniques for the early diagnosis of melanoma have been developed, which are superior to the naked eye examination.

Dubai-based Canadian Specialist Hospital and Al Kuwait Hospital recently signed an MoU to share their combined knowledge with doctors and medical practitioners in the UAE to further raise industry standards. As a result of this MoU, both the hospitals will host around five knowledge sharing events through the year that will create an ecosystem to share best practices within the healthcare sector.

Vivek V. Thigale, Chief Operating Officer & Acting HR Manager, Canadian Specialist Hospital said: “We strongly believe that only through sharing knowledge we will be able to work effectively together with others and grow at both an individual and group level. The newly created knowledge sharing platform acts as a liaison agent between both healthcare providers with a focus in three main areas: building collective knowledge of professional expertise and technology at international standards; accelerating change through innovation and creativity; building effective teams and ultimately affecting participants on a personal level, where they will feel like they are heard, appreciated and more motivated to reach excellence.”

Inaugural conference

Recently, both hospitals played host to top cardiologists in the UAE to discuss the ‘Latest Trends in General Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology’. The inaugural convention attracted 250 medical experts from across the UAE in the field of general and interventional cardiology.

“Our inaugural event attracted over 250 medical experts from across the UAE in the field of general and interventional cardiology,” highlighted Thigale. “The cases presented during the event and the topics chosen by the speakers raised a great interest from the audience. Post the event, we had an overwhelming positive feedback, with doctors contacting us to express their interest to be part of the next event, bringing forward new topics and asking for second opinion for their difficult cases from our doctors which were presented on stage.”

The event brought together healthcare practitioners from all around the UAE including Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and other MoH hospitals to deliberate and share best practices to tackle the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases.

“We are already working on our next event, to be held in September, or mid-October – exact date is yet to be finalised,” he concluded.

As a result of this MoU, both the hospitals will host around five knowledge sharing events through the year.

In line with a directive from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), as of August 01, all cigarettes in the UAE must bear a digital tax stamp. Among other things, the rule is aimed at protecting consumers from a poor-quality product.

While I welcome the ruling, there can be no misconception that medically speaking, smoking is a habit that has an adverse effect on your health if performed for prolonged or even short periods of time. In fact, according to the British Heart Foundation, if you're a smoker, stopping smoking is the single most important step you can take to protect the health of your heart. In fact, they go on to say that smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack compared with people who have never smoked.

Irreversible damage to lungs and lung capacity

Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including over 50 known carcinogens (causes of cancer) and other poisons. Tar is one of the chemicals that coats the surface of the lungs and can also get into the blood vessels and be carried to other parts of the body.

Smoking seriously damages your lungs in several ways. It interferes with your lungs' natural cleaning and repair system. Smoking destroys the tiny hairs known as cilia that line the upper airways and protect against infection. Because smoking destroys cilia, the dirt and pollution stays in your lungs, along with chemicals from cigarette smoke. This resultant collection of bi-product in your lungs can put you at risk of developing lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chest infections and chronic cough.

Smoking also damages the air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe. The alveoli at the ends of your airways are like little stretchy balloons. When you smoke, the alveoli become less stretchy, so it's more difficult for your lungs to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. As alveoli are destroyed, the lungs transfer less and less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing you to feel short of breath.

Busting the shisha myth

The shisha, or hookah, is synonymous with Middle East culture. Particularly over the last few years, it has become extremely popular among those keen to have a social smoke, but at the same time side-step the more negative effects of cigarette smoking. The reason for that is many don't associate the harmful effects of using a water pipe smoker with the more publicised effects of cigarette smoking. Unfortunately, these people are just kidding themselves and damaging their health along the way.

Water pipe smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases that are caused by cigarette smoking, including cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, as well as adverse effects during pregnancy.

In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the smoke that emerges from a water pipe contains several toxins known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases. It delivers the addictive drug nicotine which—as is the case with other tobacco products―means that more frequent use is likely to result in addiction. In addition, the charcoal burned in the pipes often produces its own toxins, including high levels of carbon monoxide and cancer-causing chemicals.

Water pipe smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases that are caused by cigarette smoking.

Even chewing tobacco can damage your health

Many people believe that chewing tobacco is a non-addictive and harmless way of using tobacco without it affecting their health. Once again, they would be wrong in that respect. The fact of the matter is that by chewing tobacco you will be ingesting nicotine, which is addictive, and you will leave yourself open to various types of mouth cancer.

Here in the UAE, chewing Paan has become an acceptable cultural practice, particularly among expats from South Asian communities. The Paan leaf itself is not harmful, but all the other ingredients added to the leaf such as tobacco (sharda/zarda), betel nut (supari) and lime can seriously damage your health.

If you chew Paan with tobacco regularly, you are up to five times more likely to develop mouth cancer than somebody who does not chew tobacco regularly. Once you have mouth cancer it is hard to treat and spreads very quickly. In addition, chewing Paan does not make you feel hungry, which is why many people who chew it skip breakfast and have irregular mealtimes or delayed meals. This can lead to digestive problems, including gastric ulcers.

It doesn't paint a very pleasant picture, does it?

It's not supposed to. That's because no matter how you look at it, tobacco isn't good for you. Kick the habit and your senses of smell and taste get a boost as the body slowly recovers from being dulled by the hundreds of toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

You'll also feel invigorated as within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier. Furthermore, quitting boosts your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. Plus, the increase in oxygen in the body makes ex-smokers less tired and less likely to have headaches.

Last but not least, by stopping smoking you'll be protecting the health of your non-smoking family and friends. And that counts for everything.

References available on request.

The UAE has lately cemented its position as the destination of choice for medical tourists, owing to its wide range of state-of-the-art technology, highly experienced doctors and affordable medical procedures.

Experts across the UAE's medical sector are optimistic about the country's progress in becoming the world's leading destination for quality healthcare in the coming years, more so as the government increases its budget for the sector. Currently, the global medical tourism market is reported to be around US$100 billion and is growing at a rapid rate of approximately 20 per cent year-on-year.

Top rank

The UAE's rise to the list of top 20 most popular medical tourism destinations worldwide vouches for the rapidly increasing medical tourist numbers. The government's vision of making the UAE rank among the top five global medical tourism destinations and the aggressive efforts in this direction are expected to drive more medical tourists to the country. Some noteworthy examples in this direction are the launch of the Dubai government's Dubai Health Experience (DXH) and investor-friendly initiatives like the Dubai Healthcare City.

"The country has developed an advanced infrastructure of specialty healthcare service providers, offering a range of facilities. For example, the Millennium Medical Centre (MMC) IVF attracts patients from across the region who are looking for state-of-the-art infrastructure and effective fertility treatment. A robust healthcare infrastructure, renowned medical experts from around the world, and affordable treatment are some of the major reasons why people prefer the UAE for treatment," says Dr Gautam Allahbadia, an IVF specialist in Dubai.

Primary destination for IVF

The availability of quality fertility treatment in the UAE is also attracting several medical tourists from Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world due to the ease of accessibility, competitive affordability and world-class quality treatment, offered by the country.

The fertility treatments offered by the country draw the largest number of medical tourists every year. A large medical tourism market combined with plenty of amenities and services are making Dubai a primary destination for fertility treatments. There are a number of clinics in Dubai that offer safer services, which otherwise are not available in other parts of the world.

For example, the facility to test for overall chromosomal normalcy in embryos, i.e. to detect if there are any genetic diseases running in the family – are making Dubai’s fertility treatments more preferred. Also, the UAE allows couples to opt for the gender of their choice as part of ‘Family Balancing’ (also known as ‘Gender Selection’) to achieve a proportionate representation of both genders in the family. The U.S. and the UAE are the only two countries where this is legal and is one of the prime reasons attracting medical tourists to the country.

“IVF is sought after not just locally, but it is one of the leading treatments undertaken by medical tourists in the UAE, especially in Dubai,” stated Mansoor Ahmed, director for healthcare and education for Mena region at Colliers International told Khaleej Times.

A robust healthcare infrastructure, renowned medical experts from around the world, and affordable treatment are some of the major reasons why people prefer the UAE for treatment.

Viable options

With skilled ART clinicians and embryologists, fertility clinics in Dubai ensure premium healthcare facilities to patients. IVF Lite is another viable option offered by these clinics, which involves a soft stimulation protocol. It provides an efficient and cost-effective alternative to the conventional IVF.

Dr. Allahbadia, who heads the IVF team at MMC IVF says, “With IVF Lite, we give fertility tablets to the patients instead of injections. All the babies have pre-implantation genetic screening done, and parents are even able to choose the gender of the child.”

He explains further, "The cycle begins with a charted-out regimen of fertility inducing medications. All the confirmatory tests for pregnancy are performed before starting the procedure to avoid complications and offer a risk-free fertility treatment to the patients."

The fertility procedures in UAE are opening new doors to the couples hoping to experience the happiness of parenthood. In the light of the current developments, the Dubai Health Authority reportedly aims to attract around 500,000 medical tourists a year by 2020, making it a medical tourism hub. A number of hospitals and medical professionals have been involved in the process to achieve this target, offering flawless medical services to the foreign patients.

Increasing investment

The recent formation of a strategic partnership with China has also added to the influx. Chinese tourists, having increased by 120 per cent in the last five years are now looking at the UAE as an attractive medical tourism destination. Healthcare providers and investors alike are adjusting their products and services to serve them. According to medical tourism experts, Thailand received about 9 million Chinese medical tourists in 2016, and there is no reason why they would not divert their attention to the UAE.

“The field of reproductive medicine is a relatively younger field as compared to other fields of medicine. Over the past few decades, we have gained significant scientific knowledge and experience, improving the chances for couples to become parents. Our clinical research has helped translate our knowledge into practice, making us the leaders in our field," adds Dr Allahbadia.

In 2018, a gathering of senior officials at the World Economic Forum met in Tianjin, China, to discuss the role of technology in achieving universal health cover. Kenya was picked out as a country where mobile tech had the potential to help the country “leapfrog” the Western world towards healthcare inclusion – just like it did with mobile money helping drive financial inclusion.

Mobile penetration in Kenya is closing in on 100 per cent, with subscription figures hitting 95 per cent earlier this year. The Communications Authority of Kenya has reported that 86 per cent of the Kenyan population now has access to the Internet. The country is the global leader in share of Internet traffic coming from mobile (overtaking Nigeria in 2017), at 83 per cent, largely driven by rapidly increasing smartphone penetration (currently nearly 30 per cent). There is no doubt that the mobile is significantly changing the way we live and care.

Improved access

Internet-connected mobiles have improved access to most of what we need in terms of goods, activities and services. In healthcare, this is even more pronounced. Mobiles can be used to transparently identify what care can be accessed and at what price. Patients and medical professionals don’t always need to be in the same location – diagnosis and treatment can increasingly be delivered virtually.

Improved engagement

Across industries, mobiles are increasing customer engagement in programmes, platforms and products. They form a direct line of contact between an organisation and an individual. Outreach can be personalised, based on preferences and secure data collection. This has been transformative – mobiles can reduce complexity in disease and medication management. They can also deliver proactive wellness programmes.

New business models

Mobile data from sensors and devices is opening new opportunities in data management and value-creation. For enterprises, this can mean big data services and for the individual, it can mean apps to track relevant personal information.

All the big global technology ‘majors’ have chased the idea of personal health records to help individuals make sense of and effectively use the increasing amounts of information being collected from healthcare institutions and wearable devices connected to mobile phones.

Reduced fraud

The advent of big data has opened the door for fraud management systems. Not only can data be collected in real-time, but it can also be cross-referenced with other data sources. For example, location data can be correlated with financial transactions. The potential in healthcare is enormous.

Health insurance penetration across sub-Saharan Africa has remained low, leading to people being forced into poverty through high out of pocket healthcare expenditure. More must be done to offer trusted and transparent products, at a price that individuals can afford. Fraud in the healthcare system must be resolved in order to do this. The mobile offers the ability to be able to tackle this through cross-referencing with data sources and validation to prevent fraud.

Improved quality

Information transparency is the key to improving quality. News, reviews and transparent marketplaces, have highlighted quality issues, moved customer sentiment and even resulted in litigation and regulation. Checklists and access to specialist information have changed the way services are delivered.

In healthcare, this transformation is of vital importance to patients. Mobiles can help patients find out where they can access quality services. They can help with service safety, such as helping with pill reminders, remote monitoring and sending alerts to healthcare providers. Mobiles are giving a new cadre of healthcare professionals help at the simplest level on treating their patients, but also giving them access to information on some of the most complex healthcare issues.

We go about our lives every day busy with work and chores, but when we get sick, doctors help us to get better. However, preventive medicine comes into play before the illness. Most medical practices concentrate on a single disease, age-group, or body parts/organs. These practices do not limit preventive medicine; this makes it an extensive field. This method is beneficial for many UAE residents because it helps to prevent obesity, diabetes, and other lifestyle-related diseases.

What to know about preventive medicine?

All medical practitioners support preventive medicine, although some make this their specialty. This field focuses on the individual and the different factors affecting his health. Chronic diseases, such as heart diseases cause many deaths worldwide. This is why you ought to go for screening. When searching, doctor near me Dubai has many to choose. The physician also advises on a healthy lifestyle. Preventive medicine is practiced in and outside the hospital.

Preventive medicine and common sense

Preventive medicine is important because it minimises the rate of infections, diseases, and death. However, what most people don’t realise is that this method increases the cost of treatment. This does not mean that we should not practice this treatment because our health comes first. The factors below explain more.

Considering common sense

Let’s take a hypothetical disease Z and calculate its costs. If 2 out of 20,000 people contract the fatal diseases Z, which when not detected early could cost around US$100,000 for treatment of the 2. In its early stages, the disease costs US$5 for examination and treatment is US$20.000. If we examine and treat our 2 patients, we get to save US$100,000 - US$5 - US$20,000 = US$79,995 for each patient. This means that common sense surmises that preventive medicine saves money.

Chronic diseases strain both the patient and the health system. These conditions also lead when it comes to death rates putting a burden on the economy as well. It is necessary to find a doctor for regular screening, prevention, and monitoring of any condition. Diseases cost less when detected and treated earlier compared to late stages where it becomes difficult to handle the ailment.

Preventive medicine is important because it minimises the rate of infections, diseases, and death.

Extensive Testing

The issue with widespread screening is that we are unaware of the people who need screening.  Going back to our earlier example, we have to test all the 20,000 people. This means we have to spend US$100,000 to test every individual to find the one with disease Z. According to the example above, early detection would save US$100,000 for a single patient, but now we spend US$50,000 and US$20,000 to test and treat that patient. Our savings at this point are US$100,000 - US$20,000 - US$50,000 = US$30,000 instead of US$79,995, but we get to save something.

Visiting a doctor for regular screening is important, but extensive testing is also beneficial. Visiting your favourite dental clinic in Dubai is also necessary; even if your teeth are healthy. This is because oral health and heart disease have a connection. Advanced gum diseases increase the rate of developing heart disease. When you go for regular check-ups; your dentist can prevent and treat any dental diseases.

False positives

Let us assume that the test is not perfect, and we accidentally identify 2 healthy individuals as having disease Z. The treatment costs US$40,000, but we do not get to save any money since these people are not sick.

Latrogenesis

Going back to our example above, one of the two false-positive individuals develops complications from the treatment. Latrogenesis is the unintended consequences of well-intended medical practice. This condition can develop from a severe reaction to medication and therapeutic procedures.

We use US$30,000 to reverse this condition caused by the treatment. Our programme cuts out US$100,000 for treating 1 patient with disease Z. However, we need to use US$50,000 for analysis, US$60,000 for treating all 3 individuals, and US$30,000 to reverse the side-effects of the healthy person. We now have a loss of US$100,000 - US$50,000 - US$60,000 - US$30,000 = US$-40,000.

Preventive medicine can extend and improve the quality of life. However, the longer you live, the higher your chances of contracting even more costly diseases. This doesn’t mean that we should ignore or shun preventive treatment it shows that as we embrace this method, we should expect the expenses to rise. We all value our health and are willing to spend more to prolong our lives. A healthy individual is productive and able to provide healthcare for himself and his family. On the other hand, a sick person depends on others and cannot even pay the bills. In a nutshell, preventive medicine can be costly, but it is beneficial.

By the age of 29 only 29 per cent of study subjects were in the normal BMI range, while almost 70 per cent were overweight or obese. Meanwhile, 62 per cent of study subjects presented at least one cardiometabolic risk factor such as high BMI, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Findings

Led by Professor Ashraf Hasan Humaidan Alzaabi from Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, the study highlighted that UAE patients who had a high BMI were more likely to present multiple cardiometabolic risk factors and to have hypertension. Alarmingly, around one in four subjects presented with more than one cardiometabolic risk factor.

These trends are not limited to nationals, as other recent studies have reported similarly high rates of obesity and diabetes amongst expatriates residing in the UAE.

“Our findings underline the serious nature of cardiometabolic risk factors and associated disease in this region,” explains Professor Alzaabi, who is the head of the respiratory division at Zayed Military Hospital. “At age 18, 42 per cent of study subjects were in the normal BMI range, but this drastically decreased to only 29 per cent at age 29. These shocking figures make us ask the difficult question of what happens during this critical timeframe to make the majority of young UAE men overweight or obese.”

The findings of the report call for public health initiatives in order to address the findings and to anticipate the future burden of diabetes and major cardiovascular disease for which these men are at high risk.

"At age 18, 42 per cent of study subjects were in the normal BMI range, but this drastically decreased to only 29 per cent at age 29. These shocking figures make us ask the difficult question of what happens during this critical timeframe to make the majority of young UAE men overweight or obese.” - Professor Ashraf Hasan Humaidan Alzaabi

Recommendations

The report outlined a number of policy recommendations including educational measures directed at parents and schools to encourage children to eat healthily and to maintain their weight need to be established. It suggests that young adults need to be screened systematically for diabetes and cardio‐metabolic conditions, and when these are detected, lifestyle modifications or pharmacological management put in place.

“People with identified cardio‐metabolic risk factors need to be monitored closely and managed appropriately to prevent the occurrence of major cardiovascular events at a relatively young age,” the report concluded.

Young adults need to be screened systematically for diabetes and cardio‐metabolic conditions.