Doctors advise elderly patients about blood sugar levels and diabetes in HCM City. (Source: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam has instituted many for diabetes and
pre-diabetes as part of efforts to reduce the rate of and
protect people from which are intrinsically linked
with diabetes and a major cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide,
according to experts.
Prof Ernesto Maddaloni of University Campus Bio-Medico in Italy cited an
estimation by the that in Vietnam, 53.4 percent
of diabetes patients were undiagnosed as of last year.
Globally, one in two adults with diabetes is undiagnosed, according to the
professor.
“Diabetes is a silent disease without any symptoms in the early stages,” he
told Vietnam News on the sidelines of an international conference on
“Cardiometabolic disorders in clinical practices”. It is a devastating disease whose complications make it one of the major causes
of morbidity and mortality, he said.
“People with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have cardiovascular
diseases.”
It’s also the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, blindness and
non-traumatic lower-limb amputation, and negatively affects pregnancy outcomes
and the nervous system.
A questionnaire for screening diabetes should be used by general practitioners
like in his country, he said.
When they detect people with signs of diabetes or pre-diabetes, they recommend
tests to confirm it.
Prof Kun-Ho Yoon from the department of endocrinology & metabolism at Seoul
St.Mary’s Hospital in the Republic of Korea said “Vietnam should have a
screening tool to improve the effectiveness of diabetes diagnosis.”
According to Assoc Prof Nguyen Thy Khue of the department of endocrinology at
the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy the Ministry of Health and
diabetes and endocrinology associations are carrying out screening programmes.
They have instructed hospitals around the country to do blood tests of all
patients aged more than 40 to detect pre-diabetes and diabetes.
The Ministry of Health has recommended that people aged more than 45 with any
risk element such as obesity or hypertension or relatives with diabetes should
test their blood sugar even if they do not have any symptom of diabetes.
In the national multi-sectoral strategy for non-communicable diseases for
2015-25, many communications programmes to improve people’s awareness of
diabetes have been done on the media including TV.
Moreover, annual health examinations provided for staff by companies include
tests for blood sugar.
People with pre-diabetes should be monitored properly to avoid the onset of
diabetes, Khue said.
They should change their lifestyle, reducing drinking and stopping smoking,
exercising and eating a balance diet.
Depending on their health situation, doctors could also prescribe medicines for
people with pre-diabetes.
“But the cost of these medicines is not covered by health insurance,”
she said.
Preventive measures could halt 50 percent of the progression towards diabetes,
she said.
The conference was held last weekend by non-profit organisation Excellence in
Medical Education.
It consisted of presentation and question and answer sessions, discussions on
clinical cases and interactive demonstrations of clinical cases and teamwork to
provide participants, all endocrinologists and cardiologists, with knowledge
about obesity, the dangers of prediabetes, personalised diabetes treatment, and
responsive treatment for patients with high blood pressure.
Like diabetes, thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrine diseases
and also impact cardiovascular homeostasis.
Unfortunately, a great number of patients with thyroid diseases are
undiagnosed, exacerbating morbidity and reducing the quality of life, according
to health experts at a conference held in HCM City.
Thus, there is a need for clear recommendations allowing effective and prompt
recognition of the most frequent thyroid disorders to adequately treat patients
and avoid adverse clinical outcomes.-VNS/VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
