‘46% of Jordanians who are 25 and older are diabetic’

AMMAN — Forty-six per cent of Jordanians who are 25 years and older suffer from diabetes, National Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics Director Kamel Ajlouni said on Thursday.

Speaking at a ceremony held by the Jordanian Association of Diabetic Care at Al Hussein Cultural Centre to mark the World Diabetes Day, Ajlouni said that according to the latest national study, 66 per cent of Jordanians suffer from lack of HDL cholesterol while 80 per cent suffer from LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

He said that the study also revealed that 51 per cent of the same age group suffer from high levels of triglycerides, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Having a high level of triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in the blood, can increase risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Ajlouni called for accuracy when reporting numbers related to the spread of diabetes and other diseases, stressing that the need to cite scientific studies that do not depend on assumptions and contradicting figures. 

In a speech he delivered on behalf of Health Minister Mahmoud Sheyyab, Amman Health Director Layl Fayez showcased the ministry's efforts to adopt preventive and effective measures to monitor diabetes and its repercussions.

The ministry also holds workshops for doctors and nurses around the Kingdom on the proper management of diabetes using unified measures, and implements the "diabetes clinics" programme in cooperation with the Royal Health Awareness Society.