Diabetes control 'should be done individually'
Author: Simon Macsis
Category: Insurance
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A recent report by Diabetes UK revealed that one person is diagnosed with the disease every three minutes.
However, affective individual control methods for the condition are not yet commonplace, despite them recently being proven to help prevent the onset of heart disease.
Dr Victoria King, a research manager at Diabetes UK, says although intensive blood glucose management is an effective way of regulating treatment, it must also be done on an individual basis to ensure people benefit from the process.
"I wouldn't want to put out a message saying intensively manage your blood glucose because it's different for every single person," she explains.
Dr King adds that research published in the Lancet recently does suggest a step forward for the overall treatment of the disease.
The study involved a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in people with type two diabetes to determine whether intensive treatment is beneficial.
According to the experts, intensive rather than standard glycaemic control significantly reduces the chance of heart problems without an increased risk of death.
The results, which may interest health insurance , constitute a "valid" piece of research, Dr King remarks.
She adds that more research needs to be done around working out the optimum mechanism of intensive blood glucose management, however.
"Because this is a meta-analysis which is kind of looking at five randomised, controlled trials, the actual subject groups within those trials are actually all slightly different," the expert explains.
Currently, the majority of people diagnosed with diabetes have the type two variant, which is mostly linked to lifestyle issues such as poor diet and lack of physical activity.
Of the 2.5 million people estimated to suffer from the condition, 500,000 do not know about it, which could boost the need for health insurance.
Dr King adds that hypoglycaemia, or dangerously low blood sugar levels, is also an effect of the condition, though this may increased with over-intensive control of glucose.
"That's obviously one of the greatest fears of people with diabetes," the healthcare expert concludes.
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Keywords: private medical insurance, health cover
View Count: 239
Date Submitted: 7/3/2009
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