ABSTRACT
Diabesity [diabetes associated with obesity] is a major global and local public health concern, which has almost reached an epidemic order of magnitude in the countries of the Arabian Gulf and worldwide. We sought to review the lifestyle trends in this region and to highlight the challenges and opportunities that health care professionals face and attempt to address and correct them. In this regard, we aimed to review the regional data and widely held expert opinions in the Arabian Gulf and provide a thematic review of the size of the problem of diabesity and its risk factors, challenges, and opportunities. We also wished to delineate the barriers to health promotion, disease prevention, and identify social customs contributing to these challenges. Lastly, we wished to address specific problems with particular relevance to the region such as minimal exercise and unhealthy nutrition, concerns during pregnancy, the subject of childhood obesity, the impact of Ramadan fasting, and the expanding role of bariatric surgery. Finally, general recommendations for prevention, evidence-based, and culturally competent management strategies are presented to be considered at the levels of the individual, community, and policymakers
ABSTRACT
Despite the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus [DM] in Kuwait, no studies have examined the association between DM and periodontal diseases in Kuwaiti patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and seventy of periodontal disease in Kuwaiti patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to examine the association between periodontal complications and the level of glycemic control. Patients with DM [both types 1 and 2] randomly selected from Al-Amiri hospital were examined by one calibrated dental examiner masked to their diabetic status. Recorded clinical parameters included plaque index [PT], gingival index [GI], calculus index, pocket depth [PD], clinical attachment level [CAL], and bleeding on probing [BOP] on Ram- fjord's index teeth. Results were correlated with medical, dental, and social history variables. 258 patients [mean age = 45.5 years] participated. The majority of patients in this study exhibited high levels of plaque [mean P1 1.75] and gingival inflammation [mean GI = 3.29], and high prevalence and severity of chronic periodontitis. Clinical attachment loss >/= 5 mm was found in 70.4% of subjects, and advanced periodontits [CAL >/= 7 mm] was found in 3 8.4% of the patients. Significant correlations were found between HbAlc and both PD [r = 0.230, p < 0.05] and BOP [r = 0.287, p <0.05]. Factors associated with the severity of periodontitis included smoking, male gender, duration of diabetes, and xerostomia. Periodontal disease is common in both type 1 and 2 diabetic patients in Kuwait, and glycemic control was associated with the severity of periodontal complications