In a study that began ten years ago in Kuwait from which the researchers are still drawing conclusions, it was found that 20 percent of Kuwaiti children are at risk of developing diabetes, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The study is considered the largest in the Middle East, with the support and funding of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and the Dasman Diabetes Institute. A doctor and researcher at the Dasman Diabetes Institute and lecturer at Harvard University Hind Al-Qadri and a number of her fellow researchers worked on this study.

After collecting data of more than 8,000 Kuwaiti children to study the risk factors for obesity and diabetes, Dr. Al-Qadri reported that the results showed a high incidence of obesity in Kuwait among children.

In a press statement, she said, “It was found that 20% of the children targeted for the study are at risk of developing diabetes, after they were observed for a long time.

The main salivary biomarkers in saliva and blood, as well as bacterial patterns in saliva, have been identified, and the lifestyle habits associated with diabetes and obesity were monitored.

The study concluded that there are high rates of inflammatory indicators in children who go to bed late, compared to those who sleep early. These inflammatory substances in the body make them more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancers”.