Published on July 8, 2011
Bangalore: According to a new data published today, it show that too high blood sugar levels, delay in beginning of insulin and a high level of diabetes-related complications remain common place for many people with type II diabetes across the world.
Baseline data from A1chieve®, a type 2 diabetes study with 66,726 people from 28 countries across the world including over 20,000 from India, were presented at the 71st American Diabetes Association Congress.
Data captured from people before any study insulins were begun showed that over all diabetes control was poor with an average blood sugar level (HbA1c) of 9.5 %,1 which is above the internationally recognised target of 7 %.
Up to 75% of participants had cardiovascular disease. Up to 84% had other diabetes complications including kidney disease, eye problems, foot ulcers and neuropathy2. This data however also differs between the regions.
At the time of entering the study around 9% of patients had not received any glucose-lowering medication despite having their mean Hba1c level above 10%1. Those who had received oral glucose-lowering medication before entering the study had a duration of diabetes of between 5.9 in south Asia and 10.4 years in Latin America1 suggesting a significant delay in beginning of insulin therapy. Patients who had been previously started on insulin were given low doses and the dose was not increased over time as often is required due to disease progression.
Commenting on the data, Philip Home, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at Newcastle University, England said: “This data highlights the constant need to improve the management of type 2 diabetes patients globally. It is clear from the data that beginning and optimisation of insulin therapy is often delayed, resulting in poor glycaemic control leading to diabetes complications.”