Qatar Hospital Focuses on Sports Medicine

Aspetar, a specialized orthopedic and sports medicine hospital—the first of its kind in the Middle East—has become a regional reference center for the program called “Exercise is Medicine.”

“Exercise is Medicine” is a non-profit initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association. It calls for physical activity and exercise to be standard parts of disease prevention and medical treatment. Patients are encouraged to begin conversations with their doctor about physical activity.

Adrian Hutber, M.D., vice president of Exercise is Medicine at the American College of Sports Medicine said, "Aspetar is obviously one of the leading healthcare systems in the region and is a leader and a role model and so is the perfect partner for us to be able to benefit both from its expertise and influence within the region"

Hutber noted that Aspetar has built a Healthy Lifestyle Program to promote physical activity and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and blood pressure. Non-communicable diseases represent a clear threat to development and economic growth, he said. More than 60% of all deaths worldwide are attributed to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic pulmonary diseases.

Change in life style, he said, in particular the unhealthy nutritional habits of smoking and physical inactivity, constitute the common risk factors that lead to the emergence of the non-communicable diseases as the dominant feature of ill health. The goal of Aspetar and the Aspire Zone Foundation is to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases among the population of Qatar.