Dubai: To provide fasting and dietary advice for diabetic residents, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will host a live forum on Thursday.
The live Twitter Q&A forum (@DHA_Dubai) will take place from 9.30pm to 11.00pm.
Experts on diabetes management will address topics such as meal planning, physical activity, glucose monitoring, and dosage and timing of medication. They will also explain the associated risks of fasting.
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to eye, kidney and nerve damage as well as cardiovascular disease. For fasting residents, diabetes management is crucial.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), patients with type 1 diabetes are at very high risk of life-threatening complications, especially those with a history of recurrent hypoglycaemia (drop in the blood sugar). Whereas hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) may also occur in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr M. Hamed Farooqi, Director of the Dubai Diabetes Centre under the DHA, and one of the experts on the online forum, said that fasting can pose a challenge to the health and fitness of a fasting diabetic patient.
“The severity of diabetes varies greatly from one person to the other. So each situation has to be evaluated individually,” he said.
He reiterated that fasting diabetics should have undergone a pre-Ramadan assessment on education and instructions.
Ganem Lootah, Acting-Director of Institutional Marketing and Communications at the DHA, told Gulf News: “Given the high prevalence of diabetes, education is key. The Twitter clinic will give advice on how to reduce risks and complications.”
