Bonjour

Connexion
Rejoindre

2023-11-14

Addressing the Diabetes Epidemic

November 14 is World Diabetes Day, an opportunity to reflect on the soaring rates of type 2 diabetes globally. Saudi Arabia, in particular, is experiencing a diabetes epidemic driven by changes in lifestyle habits. Understanding trends in prevalence, at-risk populations, lifestyle factors, and regional disparities can better inform your professional practice.

Diabetes Prevalence Trends

Saudi Arabia has the second-highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and seventh highest in the world. In particular, prevalence has skyrocketed, with 13 percent of the Saudi population affected compared to 2.8 to 4.4 percent globally. 

At the same time, one in 10 people in the rest of the Saudi population have prediabetes and are at risk for developing diabetes. Saudis also have a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), associated with 42 percent of mortalities.

Populations at Risk in Saudi Arabia

Saudi patients who are overweight or obese have the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, rates of type 2 diabetes are higher in older adults and males compared to young people and females. Those aged 54 years and older are more likely to have type 2 diabetes. 

Recent data also shows that 49.2 percent of adults aged 60 and older have diabetes, which is an alarming finding. Without preventative measures and programs, these trends may lead to a future surge in cases and a critical public health concern. 

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle determinants strongly affect the development of type 2 diabetes and are related to socioeconomic changes. An overall unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle drive obesity and lead to poor glycemic control and diabetes risk. 

A diet high in fatty foods, increased food intake, and lack of exercise all have a significant influence on the development of diabetes for Saudis. Additionally, the urbanization of Saudi Arabia and its rural areas may influence health behaviours, creating negative habits. 

These lifestyle factors also come with myriad other conditions, likely comorbidities, and have a bidirectional relationship with diabetes risk. About 50 to 80 percent of Saudis who develop type 2 diabetes also develop hypertension. Additionally, patients are more likely to have other conditions, such as high cholesterol, chronic renal disease, and chronic heart disease.

Regional Disparities

Areas within Saudi Arabia show notable disparities in the prevalence of diabetes, from 7.3 percent in Najran to 11 percent in Makkah. A study of hospital patients in Majmaah also found a prevalence rate of a staggering 34.6 percent. While this figure doesn’t represent the general population in this area, it does indicate rural regions may experience increasing rates of diabetes.

Researchers believe the rise in cases may be related to the urban growth in the Majmaah region, leading to increased financial opportunities and lifestyle changes. These changes may lead to habits based on convenience, favouring unhealthy foods and less physical activity.

Education and Diabetes Management

Education and simple changes toward healthy habits may help diabetes patients gain better glucose control and health outcomes. Healthcare professionals also benefit from understanding current trends and risk factors in diabetes in varying populations. Stay up to date on guidelines and research with the MDBriefCase community. Join for free. 

Recent Blogs

199 Bay Street #4000, Toronto,
ON M5L 1A9

Compagnie
Aider
Juridique
think-research-logo-green
© 2025. Tous droits réservés. Think Research Corporation.
Get Briefed

Author Agreement

In submitting your work (the “Work”) for potential posting on the MDBriefCase Healthcare Leadership Academy website (the “Website”), you (“You”) expressly agree to the following:

Review: MDBriefCase is pleased to consider the publication of Your Work on the Website.   The suitability of the Work for posting shall be determined by MDBRiefCase at its sole discretion. Nothing herein shall obligate MDBriefcase to post or otherwise publish the Work, or the maintain its posting in future.   

Editing; Identification: MDBriefcase shall have the right to edit the Work to conform to our standards of style, technological requirements, language usage, grammar and punctuation, provided that the meaning of the Work is not materially altered.  If posted, You will be identified as the author of the Work, or co-author if applicable.  

Grant of Rights:  As a condition of publication and for no monetary compensation, You hereby grant to MDBriefCase the following rights to the Work in any and all media whether now existing or hereafter developed, including print and electronic/digital formats:  (1) the exclusive right of first publication worldwide;  (2) the perpetual non-exclusive worldwide right to publish, reproduce, distribute, sell, adapt, perform, display, sublicense, and create derivative works, alone or in conjunction with other materials; (3) the perpetual non-exclusive worldwide right to use the Work, or any part thereof, in any other publication produced by MDBriefCase and/or on MDBriefCase’s website; and (4) the perpetual non-exclusive worldwide right to use the Work to promote and publicize MDBriefCase or its publications.  The grant of rights survives termination or expiration of this Agreement.    

Warranty:  You warrant that the Work is original with You and that it is not subject to any third party copyright; that You have authority to grant the rights in this Agreement; that publication of the Work will not libel anyone or infringe on or invade the rights of others; that You have full power and authority to enter into this Agreement; that the Work has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part; and that You have obtained permission from the copyright owner consistent with this Agreement for any third party copyrighted material in the Work.  This warranty survives termination or expiration of this Agreement.

Submission Agreement

Thank you for your interest in writing an article for the MDBriefCase Healthcare Leadership Academy website.

Audience and Appropriate Topics

The  Healthcare Leadership Academy welcomes submissions on all topics relevant to leaders in healthcare. Our topics include Leading in Healthcare, Leadership Lessons from COVID-19 and others. We prioritize stories that provide leadership advice to executives and managers in healthcare companies, offer actionable strategies for executing successful projects, and provide interesting angles on current healthcare topics. Submissions must be original work of the authors and unpublished.  When submitting, authors represent that they have included no material that is in violation of the rights of any other person or entity.

Parameters

Articles must be educational and non-promotional. If they mention the author’s company or any of the company’s products or services by name within the text, such mention should be very limited and used for reference only, not for promotion. (For example, an author might cite a survey conducted by his company but not describe his company’s product as a solution to a business problem.) Articles will be edited for clarity, style and brevity. The final headline is determined by the editor.

Length of Submissions

Guest articles for the MDBriefCase Healthcare Leadership Academy may run between 500 and 1000 words. 

Review

MDBriefCase reserves the right to accept or reject any submission  and the right to condition acceptance upon revision of material to conform to its criteria.   

No Compensation

There is no payment for contributed articles. However, MDBriefCase will give the author a byline. Authors are invited to link to the article on personal  websites, corporate websites and social media platforms.

Author Agreements

Each author understands and agrees that any submission accepted for posting is provided subject to MDBriefCase’s Author Agreement.