On the occasion of Men’s Health and Diabetes Awareness month, GlobeMed Saudi organized the “Movember” event to raise awareness about the risk of diabetes and prostate cancer. Held on November 22, 2021 at the company headquarters in Riyadh, the event gathered all the men from the team in Riyadh while team members from Jeddah and Dammam attended virtually through Microsoft Teams.

Team members attended live interactive presentations about diabetes and prostate cancer management given by specialists in health education. Additionally, they got a health check with vital signs check including: heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature and blood pressure as well as glucose test and filling the screening forms. Team members were introduced to healthy diets while enjoying some healthy snacks and fruits. Furthermore, GlobeMed Saudi facilitated the scheduling of appointments for some of the attendees for clinical consultations related to diabetes, as well as screening tests for prostate cancer at healthcare providers within its network.

Your Health Matters!

On the occasion of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, GlobeMed Saudi organized “Join our Pink Fight” event to raise awareness about the risk of breast cancer and the importance of early screening and detection. Themed “The Earlier the Better”, the event was held on October 21, 2021 at the company headquarters in Riyadh. It gathered all the ladies from the team in Riyadh while team members from Jeddah, Dammam and the field offices at key hospitals attended virtually through Microsoft Teams.

The awareness day combined presentations given by physicians specialized in woman imaging, general and ER medicine, as well as practical sessions about self and clinical examinations. As the health of our employees is a top priority, GlobeMed Saudi took appointments for all ladies at the company for screening and medical tests related to breast cancer at hospitals within its network.

Your Health Matters!

The medical team of doctors at GlobeMed, the leading healthcare benefits management company in the Middle East, has conducted a literature review on the effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) and their interference with the body hormones. The review was supervised by Dr. Elia Abdul Massih, Goodcare Clinics Director, and prepared by Dr. Karen Abou Jaoude, Population Health Specialist. It demonstrated that even at low levels of exposure, EDCs can induce adverse health effects, contributing significantly to the development of diseases such as cancers, asthma, diabetes, genital defects and obesity. Furthermore, the review established six easy ways to decrease exposure to these harmful chemicals.   

EDCs are exogenous chemicals or mixtures that can interfere with hormone actions in our bodies in a negative way. Hormones are messengers released from endocrine glands in the body necessary for our healthy survival. EDCs can be found in many everyday products, including some plastic bottles and containers, liners of metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, pesticides, natural estrogen and progesterone, plastic, hormonally active drugs and synthetic hormones. This array of products confirms that we are exposed daily to low doses of EDCs without even suspecting or realizing it. Some of these chemicals include but are not limited to:

      -  Bisphenol A (BPA): used to make plastic products including food storage containers

      -  Perchlorate: a by-product found in drinking water and fireworks

      -  Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): used widely in industrial applications, such as firefighting foams and non-stick pan,             paper, and textile coatings

EDCs can induce harmful effects by either changing the amount of hormones available or interfering with their corresponding receptors. This has resulted in the increasing prevalence of many endocrine diseases such as diabetes and obesity. For diseases to occur, there is always an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, it is essential to try and control our environment by limiting exposure to such chemicals as much as possible.  In this vein, it is recommended to follow six simple steps to reduce contact with EDCs and diminish their harmful effects:

     1-  Eat organic foods to avoid pesticides. Choose organically grown fruits and vegetables to limit pesticide exposure. Start with the “dirty dozen”            which, if grown conventionally, harbor the most pesticides as they are sprayed directly. These include bell peppers, spinach, nectarines, grapes,              peach, pear, celery, lettuce, potatoes, cherries, strawberries and apples.

     2-  Avoid canned and processed food. Cans contain an array of bisphenols that act similarly to estrogen and oppose the hormone adiponectin,                thus increasing the size of fat cells and contributing to doubling the risk of diabetes. Cans containing “BPA-free” labels are not safe either as they             still contain a large number of bisphenols.  

     3-  Avoid thermal paper receipts. Thesehave been linked to an increase in breast and prostate cancers, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive              and brain development abnormalities. It is recommended not to accept receipts and go paperless instead, but if you must handle them, hold it                from  the non-glossy backside. After handling the receipt, wash your hands with soap and water within 4 minutes. If your job requires your                   ongoing  handling of receipts, wear latex gloves. Lastly, do not use a hand sanitizer after touching a possible thermal receipt. Research has shown           the BPA level went up by185% after using skin products such as sunscreens, moisturizer and sanitizers.

     4-  Beware of plastics that contain phthalates and parabens, which have various effects. Be vigilant of the following labels:  

Do not microwave plastics even if they are labelled as microwave safe. Throw away scratched plastics as their protective layer would be lost. 

      5-  Create a healthy home as flame-retardants and other organic pollutants found in electronic devices and furniture accumulate in your                           household  as dust can interfere with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Therefore, it is advised to open the windows regularly to filter               the air in the house, vacuuming at least once per week and mopping the house with a wet mop.

      6-  Avoid non-sticking cooking pansas they contain PFAS. These interfere with metabolism and have shown to induce rebound weight gain after               a successful diet. An alternative would be to use cast iron or stainless steel cookware.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals are all around us, having drastic effects on our health and contributing significantly to the development of several non-communicable diseases. These six simple steps make it easier to take control of our health and limit our everyday exposure to such chemicals.

This study was prepared based on the following References:

- Lee, Duk-Hee. "Evidence of the possible harm of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in humans: ongoing debates and key issues." Endocrinology and Metabolism 33.1 (2018): 44-52.

- Lee, Duk-Hee, et al. "Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants, obesity, and type 2 diabetes." Endocrine reviews 35.4 (2014): 557-601.

- Taylor, Kyla W., et al. "Evaluation of the association between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and diabetes in epidemiological studies: a national toxicology program workshop review." Environmental health perspectives 121.7 (2013): 774-783.

-  Kusminski, Christine M., et al. "MitoNEET-driven alterations in adipocyte mitochondrial activity reveal a crucial adaptive process that preserves insulin sensitivity in obesity." Nature medicine 18.10 (2012): 1539.

- Curtis, Sandra. “Is BPA on Thermal Paper A Health Risk?” Plastic Pollution Coalition, Plastic Pollution Coalition, 23 Dec. 2016, www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2016/12/23/is-bpa-on-thermal-paper-a-health-hazard.

- Vandenberg, Laura, et al. “Let's Talk EDCs.” Endocrine Society, Endocrine Society, 2019, www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/talking-edcs.

- Trasande, Leonardo. “Avoiding Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: 5 Tips.” Medscape, Medscape, 7 Feb. 2020, www.medscape.com/viewarticle/924846.

This study is a general guideline intended for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is prepared based on information and data available in the references above. GlobeMed neither undertakes nor guarantees that such information is complete and error-free. GlobeMed will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising therefrom.

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