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Ministry Extends Screening for Lifestyle Diseases by a Year

DUBAI — The Ministry of Health has decided to extend an ongoing campaign to screen people for lifestyle diseases to another year.

Minister of Health Dr Hanif Hassan said on Thursday that the campaign, being held in collaboration with Ibn Sina pharmacies, was being extended after its success and to disseminate the concept of prevention and treatment for diseases such as diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension and obesity.

Until now, 28,000 residents have been screened at Ibn Sina pharmacies for Dh15 (per person) as part of the campaign. It was found that 27 per cent of the people screened had high cholesterol levels and 68 per cent were overweight or obese. Eighty-five per cent of those with high cholesterol level were unaware of their condition.

Clinicians used body mass index, a number derived from a person’s height to weight ratio, to determine weight categories.

Obesity can cause other health problems such as diabetes, a condition which 19.6 per cent of the UAE population suffers from.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com