Health Check Qatar

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ISSUE 15

TANG IS SAFE FOR USE, SUPREME COUNCIL OF HEALTH SAYS

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

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he Supreme Council of Health (SCH) stated that tests conducted on Tang, the fruit-flavoured drink showed that it posed no hazard.

The council released a statement to the press, stating that the product’s stock available in the market have received the required monitoring .before entering country The statement added that the council also took large samples for tests and found the product in line with GCC specifications. Social media users had earlier shared a video that showed holes in one of the covers of a Tang product. The council contacted the importing company and found that the holes were to allow the passage of air into .the package The council also called on social media users to verify their information before publication, especially in matters related to the health of citizens and expatriates. Retailers, who earlier stopped .the sale, welcomed the SCH decision Earlier, health authorities had asked local shopkeepers to keep off their shelves the US-made drink on Saturday, following the alleged detec.tion of some contamination The product went through tests for possible con.tamination at a SCH facility

(Source: sch.gov.qa)

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onitoring a country’s birth rate enables forward planning, but more importantly it gives insight into the health of the female population as many women only access healthcare during pregnancy.

Qatar’s population has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Clearly, there has been an influx of expatriates and migrant workers, but even within the Qatari population there has been an obvious growth in population and the number of women giving birth.

According to ‘Trends and projections of annual birth volumes in the State of Qatar 1970-2025’, by William Greer of Sidra Medical & Research Center, published in Avicenna, 3 July 2013, the number of Qatari registered births has increased from 2,500 in 1980 to just under 7,500 in 2010.

Looking ahead, the study predicts 22,500 births in 2015 of which 8,000 will be to Qatari families.

Pregnancy complications Unfortunately, with any increase in the number of pregnant women comes a rise in the amount of those suffering complications during pregnancy.

Monitoring this figure gives a general overview of the health of the nation and allows care providers to plan for the future. On a global scale it highlights international health trends.

Qatar participated in the World Health Organization ‘Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health (WHOMCS) project’, which was published in May 2013.

An ambitious research project, data was collected from 359 hospitals in 29 countries between May 2010 and December 2011 and recorded the health of more than 314,000 women and their infants. The project did not categorize women according to nationality and care needs to be exercised in interpreting the national data for the country as Qatar provides healthcare to women of different nationalities.

A WHOMCS secondary research project; ‘Pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes’, results

showed that 0.28 percent of pregnant women in Qatar suffered chronic hypertension, 3.93 percent pre-eclampsia and 0.08 percent eclampsia. Identifying the need for further research in the country as to how these health problems can be best managed to care and support high-risk pregnancy women in delivering healthy infants.

‘Risk factors for spontaneous and provider-initiated preterm delivery in high and low Human Development Index countries’ (another WHOMCS secondary research) confirmed previous studies that found maternal complications, such as infectious diseases and hypertension, are the most common cause of pre-term delivery particularly in low HDI countries – but that hypertension is the leading cause of provider-initiated preterm delivery. An issue of particular relevance to Qatar which, as highlighted above, witnesses a number of cases of chronic hypertension as well as the hypertensive disorders of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia among its pregnant population.

Hypertensive pregnancy disorders High blood pressure can be an issue during pregnancy as hypertension causes the heart to work harder to pump blood around the body.

Women with chronic hypertension prior to pregnancy require close antenatal monitoring since previously prescribed medication may not be suitable during pregnancy, particularly as blood pressure drops naturally during the first trimester. Drugs which lower blood pressure can also reduce the blood flow to the placenta. Pregnancy-induced hypertension, or gestational hypertension, usually occurs late in pregnancy (after 32 weeks). Pre-eclampsia commonly presents earlier, from 28 weeks, and symptoms include high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It can lead to reduced birth weight and necessitate provider-induced labour. It is more common in those who were hypertensive before pregnancy. If left untreated it can lead to eclampsia typified by maternal seizures.

(Source: sch.gov.qa)

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

... REPORT ...

SCH

INTENSIFIES INSPECTION ON FOOD DURING RAMADAN T

he Supreme Council of Health has intensified inspection on foods to ensure maximum food safety as the Holy month of Ramadan approached through intensifying means of inspection on food at all Borders Crossings, ensure alignment with food requirements, and proper lab testing to ensure safety of foods.

SCH is also coordinating with the General Authority of Customs to transfer personal foods for health inspection especially famous foods of the Holy month of Ramadan.

SCH has invited all individuals and organizations responsible for distribution of food, organizing Ramadan Fotour, and importing food products for charity purposes to ensure safety of foods and their shelf life and refer to SCH

to review food safety requirements and means of transportation as well as compliance with GCC standardization.

SCH pointed out to the importance of mutual efforts by all parties concerned with food inspection, which starts from producers, importers, public inspection authorities and consumers who are also held responsible for dealing with safe foods during transfer, storage and preparation.

During the month of May, SCH has preformed inspection on around 172.828 tons of imported foods, 172.248 tons of which have been released as safe, and 459 tons have been exported back being off specifications, 122 tons of foods that are not fit for human consumption have been destroyed.

In this regard, 529 samples of foods have been sent for testing at the Central Foods Lab. 476 samples have been accepted while 53 different samples have been rejected for chemical and physical reasons.

Abu Samra Border Crossing has performed inspection on 84.186 tons of food products, 84.123 tons have been released while 63 tons have been rejected. Doha port has received 82.194 tons of food products, 81.86 tons have been released, and 514 tons have been rejected. At the airport, 6.449 tons of food products have been inspected, 6.445 tons of which have been released while 4 tons have been rejected.

According to statistics from the month of May, imported foods included different categories, most important were oils and fats, 6324 tons have been imported and 11.8 tons rejected. 3485 tons or red meats have been imported and 30 tons were rejected. 10.330 tons of poultry have been imported and 122 tons rejected. 2967 tons of fish have been imported and 1.6 tons rejected. As for canned foods, 18.265 tons were imported and 152 were rejected. 51.958 of fresh produce have been imported while 42.4 tons of which have been rejected. The same applied to dairy products were 23.150 tons were imported while 27 tons were rejected.

Statistics have also shown that 41.565 tons of dried foods have been imported, 164 tons of which have been rejected.

All food consignments of eggs were accepted, were 2494 tons were imported. As for bottled water, 3020 tons were imported, 9271 tons of different food products were imported, 31 tons of which were rejected.

(Source: sch.gov.qa)

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

... MENTAL HEALTH ...

RESEARCH SAYS FASTING HELPS AGAINST DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISEASES R

educing your calorie intake could help your brain, but doing so by cutting your intake of food is not likely to be the best method of triggering this protection. It is likely to be better to go on intermittent bouts of fasting, in which you eat hardly anything at all, and then have periods when you eat as much as you want,” said Professor Mark Mattson, head of the institute’s laboratory of neurosciences.

“In other words, timing appears to be a crucial element to this process,” Mattson told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver.

Cutting daily food intake to around 500 calories – which amounts to little more than a few vegetables and some tea – for two days out of seven had clear beneficial effects in their studies, claimed Mattson, who is also professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Scientists have known for some time that a low-calorie diet is a recipe for longer life. Rats and mice reared on restricted amounts of food increase their lifespan by up to 40%. A similar effect has been noted in humans. But Mattson and his team have taken this notion further. They argue that starving yourself occasionally can stave off not just ill-health and early death but delay the onset of

conditions affecting the brain, including strokes. “Our animal experiments clearly suggest this,” said Mattson.

He and his colleagues have also worked out a specific mechanism by which the growth of neurones in the brain could be affected by reduced energy intakes. Amounts of two cellular messaging chemicals are boosted when calorie intake is sharply reduced, said Mattson. These chemical messengers play an important role in boosting the growth of neurones in the brain, a process that would counteract the impact of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“The cells of the brain are put under mild stress that is analogous to the effects of exercise on muscle cells,” said Mattson. “The overall effect is beneficial.”

The link between reductions in energy intake and the boosting of cell growth in the brain might seem an unlikely one, but Mattson insisted that there were sound evolutionary reasons for believing it to be the case. “When resources became scarce, our ancestors would have had to scrounge for food,” said Mattson.

“Those whose brains responded best – who remembered where promising sources could be found or recalled how to avoid predators — would have been the ones who got the food. Thus a mechanism linking periods of starvation to neural growth would have evolved.”

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FASTING FOR REGULAR PERIODS COULD HELP PROTECT THE BRAIN AGAINST DEGENERATIVE ILLNESSES, ACCORDING TO US SCIENTISTS. RESEARCHERS AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGEING IN BALTIMORE SAID THEY HAD FOUND EVIDENCE WHICH SHOWS THAT PERIODS OF STOPPING VIRTUALLY ALL FOOD INTAKE FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS A WEEK COULD PROTECT THE BRAIN AGAINST SOME OF THE WORST EFFECTS OF ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S AND OTHER AILMENTS.

This model has been worked out using studies of fasting on humans and the resulting impact on their general health – even sufferers from asthma have shown benefits, said Mattson – and from experiments on the impact on the brains of animals affected by the rodent equivalent of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Now Mattson’s team is preparing to study the impact of fasting on the brain by using MRI scans and other techniques.

If this final link can be established, Mattson said that a person could optimise his or her brain function by subjecting themselves to bouts of “intermittent energy restriction”.

In other words, they could cut their food intake to a bare minimum for two days a week, while indulging for the other five. “We have found that from a psychological point of view that works quite well. You can put up with having hardly any food for a

day if you know that for the next five you can eat what you want.”

(Source: The Guardian)

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

... WOMEN’S HEALTH ...

FASTING FOR RAMADAN DURING PREGNANCY - IS IT SAFE? Is fasting for Ramadan during pregnancy safe? Much will depend on your general health, the stage of your pregnancy, how well your pregnancy is progressing, and the length of time you fast during the day. If your body has sufficient energy stores to ensure your baby has the nutrients he or she needs from you, fasting will have less of an impact.

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hree in four pregnancies for Muslim woman overlap with Ramadan and surveys indicate that most pregnant Muslim women observe the fast. Islamic law says a pregnant woman need not fast if there is concern about her health or the health of her baby. She must make up the fasting days missed before the next Ramadan.

Some studies have shown that fasting can have an effect on the unborn baby. One such study found that prenatal exposure to fasting during Ramadan resulted in a lower birthweight. There was also a reduced probability of a male birth when fasting took place very early in pregnancy and during the peak period of daylight fasting hours, and an increased likelihood of learning disabilities in adulthood, again when fasting took place early in the pregnancy.

Fasting during Ramadan will be safer for you and your baby if you feel healthy and strong and your pregnancy is going well. Ask your midwife or GP to check you out before you decide to fast. Do not fast if you have diabetes.

What to do to help you cope There are a number of things you can do to help you cope with fasting when pregnant and protect your unborn baby: • Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, but avoid caffeinated drinks so that you don’t get dehydrated.

This is especially important if Ramadan falls in the summer months. Try to drink about 1.5 litres to 2

litres of water or other fluids.

• Eat healthily each day before and after your fast.

Choose foods that release energy slowly. Complex carbohydrates, such as wholegrains and seeds, and high- fibre foods, such as pulses, vegetables and dried fruits, will help you to keep going and prevent constipation. Make sure you get plenty of protein from beans, nuts and well-cooked meat and eggs.

• Plan ahead to make sure you take plenty of rest, and get your chores out of the way before you fast or after you have broken your fast.

If you have any doubts or concerns about fasting during pregnancy, speak to your GP or midwife. Don’t delay seeking medical advice if: • You are losing weight or not gaining enough weight • You are very thirsty and your urine is dark in colour, which is a sign of dehydration • You become nauseous or are vomiting • You feel faint, weak or dizzy • Your baby is moving about less, or you have contraction-like pains Source: WebMD.com

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

... FITNESS ...

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HOW TO FAST WITHOUT COMPROMISING FITNESS GOALS The month of Ramadan is finally upon us, and many gym enthusiasts are wondering about their workout plans during this month. Will I lose muscle mass? Will I gain weight? When do I work out? Here is how to observe Ramadan without compromising your fitness goals:

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. Don’t stop working out The first and most important tip comes right at the beginning: don’t stop working out. Your body maintains muscle mass as long as it feels it’s needed. When you stop exercising, it will slowly build back what it feels is unnecessary luggage costing extra energy.

Even though you may not make gains in muscle mass during Ramadan, you can at least preserve what you have if you keep your schedule up. . Adjust intensity In your regular schedule you are able to do huge amounts of weight when you do bench presses. 90 lbs curls you handle without batting an eye. But if you usually do your workouts in the late afternoons and then try the same intensity during Ramadan it won’t work. On a typical Ramadan day you have fasted for 8 to 10 hours and a busy day is behind you. Under those circumstances pulling off your usual intensity is very hard to do.

There is nothing wrong with you here: your carbohydrate reserves are depleted and carbohydrates are what let you work out with intensity. So go a bit lower with your intensity.

What you want to do is either adjust the weights you are using or the number of reps. If you want to stay with the weights you normally train with, allow for doing fewer repetitions and lower the weight if you fail to reach your normal number of minimum repetitions. If you want to lower the weight right from the beginning, then pick one that under the circumstances of the fast allows you a maximum of 12 – 15 reps. . Protein timing If you normally follow the rule of having several small doses of protein over the day, you of course can’t do that during Ramadan.

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But if you manage to have a meal in the mornings (sohoor), before fajr (‫)�ص�لاة الفج��ر‬, and of course the larger ones in the evening and have some protein in both, you will at least somewhat make up for it: protein in food is absorbed much slower than protein from powders and will stay with you quite a bit of time.

If you want to use a powder at all, then it should be one based on casein, and not on the “fast” whey. . Carbohydrates in the morning Another reason for a morning meal (sohoor) is that you can not only have some protein at that time, but also carbohydrates. And as carbs let you work out with intensity, as we said above, loading up some of them in the mornings should counter a lack of carbs during the day.

If you are used to having a pre-workout meal this won’t make up entirely for it, but it at least should help tide you over. . Adjust workout times This should work especially well if you can adjust to having your workouts within a couple of hours of this morning meal, as your carbohydrate reserves will then be quite high. If your workouts take place after a long day of fasting, you might feel rather drained. . Work out when it feels best However, many people of course can’t simply go and do their workouts when they would be most beneficial, especially during Ramadan.

A bit of flexibility might help: Instead of doing your workouts at your normal times, during Ramadan do them when you have time and feel the most energetic. A workout done when you feel you have the energy and can do it with intensity is better than a workout you squeeze in and do hurriedly, just because in theory your

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energy reserves would be better. . Get enough fluids When talking about nutrition, we also shouldn’t forget about getting enough fluids. In my video about how much water you need per day, I said thirst is a good indicator for when you have to drink. However, during Ramadan you can’t drink when you are thirsty.

Therefore Ramadan is one of the few times where my advice is to load up on fluids preemptively, before thirst takes place. Especially for those of you living in hot climates this is rather important; even more so, when you want to do a workout during the day. . Don’t go all out in the evenings Strangely enough, despite Ramadan being a month of fasting, I know a good number of Muslims who actually gain weight during that month. Because what in many families is then served in the evenings more than makes up for what was lacking during the day.

Of course, it’s rather easy to overeat when you went without food for 10, 12 or even 14 hours, but do exercise some self-control. In the evenings, get that protein we talked about, but keep an eye on the calories you consume. . Ramadan is tougher in the summer Finally, don’t forget that Ramadan is more difficult to follow in summer than winter, because during summer daylight lasts much longer, you will have less time to eat and drink and also get less sleep.

Therefore, during the years where Ramadan takes place during summer, as this year, be prepared that you may not be able to put out the same workout performances you get when Ramadan takes place in winter.

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Source: Evilcyber.com

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

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... NUTRITION ...

STEPS MAY BOOST HEALTHIER EATING

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o succeed at the diet game, new research suggests a “CAN”-do attitude may be more helpful than relying on willpower or education.

might remember to grab an apple or other fruit as you head out the door. Later, you’ll have a healthy and convenient option if you get hungry while you’re out.

After reviewing more than 100 studies, Cornell University researchers found three things help people choose healthier foods. The food must be convenient (C), attractive (A) and normal (N), or CAN.

In addition to being more convenient, the fruit bowl is also a more attractive option compared with having fruit in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, where it’s out of sight and out of mind. The researchers said that making food choices attractive could have to do with how food looks. It might also refer to some other factor.

For example, price might make a particular food more attractive. Making healthy

The research, published in the May issue of Psychology & Marketing, suggests that the CAN approach is more effective than telling people what they can’t eat or asking them to rely on willpower to resist tempting foods, the study authors said. “Willpower works for some, but only about 5 to 10 percent of the population,” said lead researcher Brian Wansink, who is director of Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab. “About 95 percent of diets fail.” A typical person makes upwards of 200 food-related decisions a day, according to the study. That means the majority of food decisions are quick and instinctive. Most people don’t have time to sit and analyze what they are eating and whether or not they are full. Instead, people need to rearrange their environment so that it works for them”, Wansink said.

The CAN approach arranges the environment to help people be more successful at choosing healthier food options, he said. Penny Kris-Etherton, a registered dietician and professor of nutrition at Penn State University, agrees.

“From a practical perspective, the recommendation to make healthier foods easiest to choose and consume is right on target,” she said. “This is what we need to do to make healthy eating simple and the default choice, so that it is difficult to eat unhealthfully.” So how do you put the principles of CAN into practice? First, make nutritious food choices convenient.

At home, for instance, Wansink suggests placing a fruit bowl within two feet of where people walk by it.

And have at least two options available -- apples and bananas, for example. The researchers also suggested keeping the fruit bowl near your car keys. That way, you

choices easily accessible and always there also helps make them more normal, according to the study. And, as a food becomes more normal and accessible, it may become a potentially more popular choice. When choosing an apple is convenient and normal, people may become inclined to select an apple over a less accessible cookie, the study suggested.

Influencing which behaviors are considered normal and popular is an easy, quick and productive way to change consumer behavior, according to the study authors. The CAN approach has been successful in schools, as well. Wansink showed in previous studies that simply placing regular milk, instead of chocolate milk, at the front of the cooler (convenient), in a shapely bottle (attractive) and giving it at least half the cooler space (normal) increased regular milk consumption in students by 30 to 60 percent.

In making certain foods more normal, Wansink said that consumers need to get out of the mindset that only fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy. “People have deceived themselves that fruits and vegetables have to be fresh,” he said. “Canned and frozen have as much nutrition, if not more.” And canned and frozen can be more convenient. If you still lean toward fresh, opt for ready-cut, prepackaged produce, he suggested. As far as those lesshealthy food options? The CAN approach works in reverse for them. Make them less convenient, less attractive and less normal, he said. In the Wansink household, for example, less nutritious snacks are kept in the laundry room. “Most U.S. households have snacks in four to five different cupboards in the kitchen,” Wansink explained.

“We keep our less-healthy snacks in the laundry room and most of them are probably out of date by now.”

(Source: New York Times News Service)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

... DOCTOR’S DESK ...

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FASTING IN RAMADAN ANSWERS GIVEN FOR THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY BOTH DOCTORS AS WELL AS ISLAMIC SCHOLARS. - Should a person with diabetes fast?

People who have their diabetes under control, either by their diet or using tablets, may fast. However, their GP may require them to change their medication to help them take tablets outside fasting times.

Those who need insulin to control their diabetes should not fast.

- I get severe migraines when I don’t eat and they get worse when I fast. Should I fast?

People with uncontrolled migraines should not fast. However, managing your migraines is possible with the right medicine and certain lifestyle changes. Ask your GP for further advice on controlling your migraines.

- Should a person with high or low blood pressure fast?

People with well-controlled high blood pressure may fast. Their GP may require a change to their medicine to help them take tablets outside fasting times. Someone with low blood pressure who is otherwise healthy may fast. They must ensure they drink enough fluid and have enough salt.

- Is fasting harmful when a woman is expecting a baby? Must pregnant women fast?

There’s medical evidence to show that fasting in pregnancy is not a good idea. If a pregnant woman feels strong and healthy enough to fast, especially during the early part of the pregnancy, she may do so. If she doesn’t feel well enough to fast, Islamic law gives her clear permission not to fast, and to make up the missed fasts lat-

er. If she is unable to do this, she must perform fidyah (a method of compensation for a missed act of worship).

- Is Ramadan a good time to quit smoking?

Yes. Smoking is bad for your health and Ramadan is a great opportunity to change unhealthy habits, including smoking.

- From what age can children fast safely?

Children are required to fast upon reaching puberty. It isn’t harmful. Fasting before this age is tolerated differently depending on the attitude of the parents and the child’s general health and nutrition.

Fasting for children under the age of seven or eight isn’t advisable. It’s a good idea to make children aware of what fasting involves and to practise fasting for a few hours at a time.

- Can I use an asthma inhaler during Ramadan?

Muslim experts have differing opinions on this issue. Some say that using an asthma inhaler isn’t the same as eating or drinking, and is therefore permitted during fasting. In their view, people with asthma can fast and use their inhalers whenever they need to.

However, other scholars say that the inhaler provides small amounts of liquid medicine to the lungs, so it breaks the fast.

They say that people with poor control of their asthma must not fast until good control is achieved. Some people with asthma may opt for longer-acting inhalers so that they can fast. See your GP for further advice.

- Can I swim during fasting?

Yes, but do not drink the water. A bath or shower, or swimming, has no effect on the fast. However, no water should be swallowed during any of these activities as that would break the fast.

- Can a person fast if they are getting a blood transfusion in hospital?

No. A person receiving a blood transfusion is advised not to fast on medical grounds. They may fast on the days when no transfusions are required.

- I am on regular medication. Can I still fast?

If the medicine needs to be taken during fasting, do not fast. If this medication is required as treatment for a short illness, you can compensate for missed fasts by fasting on other days when you are well.

If you are on long-term medication then you could talk to your GP about whether you could change your medication, so that you can take it outside the time of the fast.

If your disease is unstable, or poorly controlled, do not fast. Those who are unable to carry out the missed fasts later, due to the long-term use of medication, should do fidyah.

- Does a breastfeeding woman have to fast?

No. Islamic law says a breastfeeding mother does not have to fast. Missed fasts must be compensated for by fasting at a later date, or fidyah, once breastfeeding has stopped.

- Can a Muslim patient take tablets, have injections or use patches while fasting?

Taking tablets breaks the fast. However, injections, patches, eardrops and eyedrops do not break the fast as they are not considered to be food and drink (though there are differences of opinion among Muslim scholars on these issues). Islamic law says sick people should not fast.

- Could dehydration become so bad that you have to break the fast?

Yes. You could become very dehydrated if you do not drink enough water before the fast. Poor hydration can be made worse by weather conditions, and even everyday activities such as walking to work or housework.

If you produce very little or no urine, feel disoriented and confused, or faint due to dehydration, you must stop fasting and have a drink of water or other fluid. Islam doesn’t require you to harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, it will need to be compensated for by fasting at a later date.

- Can I fast while I have dialysis?

People on peritoneal dialysis must not fast and should perform fidyah. Haemodialysis is performed about three times a week and causes significant shifts of fluids and salts within the body. Such patients must not fast and should perform fidyah.

(Source: WebMD.com)