Review article: risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Libya

ABSTRACT

This review article highlights the current situation of some non-communicable diseases in Libya and factors contributing to its prevalence such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), high blood pressure and cancer. Obesity is a global epidemic resulting in major morbidity and premature death. Between 26-41% among adult Libyan women and 11¬21 % among adult Libyan men (about 64% of Libyan adults are either overweight or obese), obesity progressively increasing with age, and two times more common among Libyan women than men. Hypertension is a common co-morbidity of diabetes, affecting 20-60% of people with diabetes. Hypertension is also a major risk factor for CVD as well as microvascular complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy. About 68.4% of Libyan males and 48.4 % of Libyan females who suffer from high blood pressure are under treatment. The average rate of those who suffer from diabetes mellitus among Libyans reached between 11 ¬ 23.3 % for both sexes. The main causes of death are cardiovascular diseases (43%), cancer (14%), chronic respiratory diseases (4%), diabetes (5%), other Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (12%), communicable maternal perinatal and nutritional conditions (10%), and road traffic injuries (12%). The prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases has risen as a result of changing lifestyles. More than 30% of the adult male population smokes regularly. Approximately, 1.2 percent of the population is blind, mainly due to cataract. Trachoma remains endemic in some pockets in the country. Road traffic crashes, which result in 6 deaths per day and even higher figures for disability, account for a significant burden of disease