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Dubai: Children as young as six in the UAE are appearing with pre-diabetes, a condition characterised by above-average blood sugar levels that usually precede diabetes.
Health officials report more and more children have shown blood sugar readings that are above normal for their age. The normal range is between 70 and 150mg per decilitre of blood, depending on age and time of day. If it is not treated, either through lifestyle changes or with medication, it usually develops into full-blown diabetes, a debilitating metabolic disorder that can lead to blindness, amputations and death.
Dr. Elham Al Amiri, consultant paediatric endocrinologist at Qasimi Hospital, told Gulf News that young children were at risk from the diabetes epidemic.
"I had this one patient who came in at 6 years old with pre-diabetes. He was extremely obese, weighing about 100kg, with a strong family history of diabetes," she said.
She added the boy's case was unusual as most of her patients with pre-diabetes were "over 10 years old".
Dr. Abdul Razak Al Madani, president of Emirates Diabetes Society, told Gulf News managing pre-diabetes was especially important for the UAE.
"All are at risk in the UAE. Expatriates have a higher incidence of diabetes here than in their native country. Environment plays a role," he said.
The UAE has the second-highest prevalence rate of diabetes, estimated to affect 20 per cent of the population.
Gulf News previously reported children in the UAE were becoming "mini-adults" with kids as young as 10 developing Type II diabetes, while some as young as 8 being put on anti-cholesterol drugs to prevent future heart disease.
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