· Diabetic or Obese patients should be screened for diabetic eye diseases, and should be treated immediately
· This was the topic of a Continued Medical Education event organized by Aster Medical Centre, in co-ordination with the Dubai Health Authority
· Over 90 doctors from various specialties from across the UAE participated in the event
Dubai: June 26, 2012: Diabetes and Hypertension leads to various eye ailments, two senior ophthalmologists have said. Cases of both diabetes and hypertension are on the rise amongst the residents of the region, the doctors said.
The ophthalmologists, Dr. Ajay Aurora and Dr. Manoj Rai Mehta were talking at Synerge, a Continual Medical Education (CME) programme organized by ASTER in Dubai recently. The event was organized in co-ordination with the Dubai Health Authority, and followed the CME guidelines laid out by the authority.
Over 90 doctors from various hospitals and clinics across the UAE participated in the event.
Dr. Ajay Aurora, MBBS, MS has fellowships in many academic specializations in Ophthalmology. He brings along over 15 years of clinical experience in India.
Renowned Ophthalmologist Dr. Manoj Rai Mehta has performed over 5000 intraocular lens implants and more than 9000 cataract surgeries. A gold medalist in academics, Dr. Mehta holds more than 100 publications to his credit. Both, Dr. Ajay Aurora and Dr. Manoj Rai Mehta are part of the Aster Eye Clinic, New Delhi. Aster Eyecare has two high end centres in NCR, in Lajpat Nagar and Faridabad, and are very soon opening one in Tagore Garden.
These issues were chosen with relevance to the UAE’s medical conditions like Diabetes and Obesity, which are on a rise among the countries residence.
Dr. Ajay Aurora, Director at Delhi Retina Centre, and Senior Consultant Viteoretina at Aster Eye Clinic, New Delhi. Said: “Diabetes is an epidemic and currently one of the major cause of concern in the UAE and worldwide. We are extremely overwhelmed with the response from the doctors of various specialties at the seminar today.”
“Our body system is interrelated and it does not take much time for a disease like Diabetes to also affect the eyes. At Aster Eye Clinic, we believe that prevention is better than cure. Early diagnosis and providing the right treatment and medication is essential. To address this issue and creates its awareness is vital and of prime concern for the region’s growing problem.”
UAE has been ranked the second highest worldwide for Diabetes prevalence. Dr. Aurora quoted with figures mentioning showing how Diabetes being on a rise in Dubai. Apparently, over 26 per cent of diabetic cases in the UAE are from Dubai and every fourth person in the region is diabetic in the region. More than 40 to 50 per cent of the people are at a risk of Diabetes in the region.
He explained how eyes get affected in diabetic conditions, and those who are diabetic for over 20 years are at 60 per cent risk of their eyes being affected. In 2007, at Al Ain Hospital, more than 54 per cent patients were found diabetic or obese.
Diabetic or Obese patients should be screened for diabetic eye diseases, and should be treated immediately, he said.
Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the main eye diseases, which occurs when blood vessels in the retina change and the vessels may even swell and leak fluid in severe cases or close off completely. “In some cases, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. Severe Diabetic Retinopathy cannot be treated even with a cataract surgery. Micro Infusion, is used in advance cases. With the increase in Diabetes cases, chances of having Diabetic Retinopathy is also high, “he said.
Dr. Manoj Rai Mehta, a Medical Director and the mentor of Aster Eye Care initiative, has been the key advisor in setting up the clinics not only in the clinical dimensions but also providing all the elements of quality assurance in the patient care at Aster, New Delhi.
The main focus of Dr. Mehta’s seminar topic was on how hypertension can cause eye problems and the need for Physicians and Ophthalmologists to keep the patient’s medical condition in mind and provide an effective treatment.
Dr. Mehta said: “Doctors should intra-communicate the problems that may affect a patient’s eye. Sometimes, it is the smaller problems in life which are of greater concern. Stress and Hypertension are two evils of our hearts and our minds, and also our eyes. It is very important that doctors communicate within each other and a physician provides medication keeping the ophthalmologists diagnosis in mind, and vice versa. The UAE has a lot of hypertension cases, which leads to further problems. Hence it is essential that medication for hypertension is given to reduce the risk for eye diseases.”
Some of the eye related conditions are: Keratocomes (the highest in the Middle East), Cataract, Diebetice, Infective, Computer Vision Syndrome, and Dry Eye Syndrome. There is around nine thousand cataract surgeries performed, which are cause due to hypertension. Frequent eye check-ups are essential to prevent eye problems in the long run.
About DM Healthcare
DM Healthcare is a healthcare group in the Middle East and India. Founded in 1987 by Padma Shri Dr Azad Moopen, a doctor turned entrepreneur, the Dubai-headquartered Group has diversified to offer comprehensive healthcare services to all segments of the society. In its quest for excellence, DM Healthcare provides healthcare of the highest quality in the geographies they operate in. Consolidated under the brands Aster and Medcare, the Group covers an array of healthcare verticals including hospitals, clinics, diagnostics and pharmacies.
The DM network presently consists of more than 125 establishments, providing primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare with management and consultancy services, treating more than 20,000 patients per day. The Group is in the midst of an exponential expansion in the GCC and India with the number of units set to grow to 300 by the year 2015 with investments of $500m across Middle East and India.
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