How QF’s diabetes center helped one man gain “victory over this disease”

When Adel Al-Tijani noticed an increase in his weight and a decrease in his ability to see things clearly, he went to a friend who works in one of the health centers in Qatar, who then recommended him to a specialist.

When Al-Tijani’s blood test results came, the doctor noticed that his cumulative blood sugar test was 6.1 percent – a value that indicates pre-diabetes. The doctor went on to explain to Al-Tijani that in this stage his body did not require insulin, but he remained at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within the next ten years.

“The doctor told me that if I exceed the cumulative blood sugar rate of 6.4 percent, I would become diabetic. He advised me to exercise, and get on a healthy and balanced diet so that the cumulative rate of my blood sugar would decrease,” Al-Tijani said.

“I wasn’t afraid when the doctor told me that I am in the pre-diabetic stage, because I know very well that it is possible to live with it. But I decided to follow the right steps in order to avoid becoming diabetic, and the most important step was visiting the Qatar Diabetes Association,” he added.

At Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) – a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) – Al-Tijani learned the many ways he could bring down his sugar levels, and develop healthy lifestyle habits. The steps he took at this stage were mainly focused on diet change, he said. “I started eating more vegetables and stopping all foods that would increase my weight and raise my sugar levels. I even signed up at a gym and started exercising for an hour everyday.”

At QDA, the nutritionist did an analysis which gave her the readings for Al-Tijani’s weight, height, body mass, body fat percentage, and blood sugar. Al-Tijani also attended several sessions to discuss his diet that suited his condition.

“I continued to perform examinations and monitor my cumulative blood sugar levels, and after three months, my cumulative sugar rate decreased to 6 percent. It was then that I realized that I was on the right path. And after another three months, it further decreased to 5.9 percent. It kept decreasing until my cumulative sugar rate came down to 5.5 percent. My weight also decreased to 87 kg from 102 kg. I finally started enjoying my victory over this disease.”

Qatar Diabetes Association plays an important role in spreading awareness about diabetes. Kitty Nahas, Program Manager at QDA, noted that Al-Tijani’s experience was an ideal model that demonstrates the association’s success in achieving its main goal – which is to educate community members about pre-diabetes, and learn about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.