BAGUIO CITY – Diabetes
may be a dreaded disease, but with proper care, medicines and nutrition and
exercise, its effects could be mitigated with new inroads in treatment.
This was known in a
media forum here with top doctors in attendance.
Present were Dr.
Roberto C. Mirasol, chief of Section of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism
of St. Lukes Medical Center Manila Doctors Hospital.
He likewise is the
head of the Diabetes Clinic and Thyroid Clinic of the Rizal Medical Center.
An esteemed doctor, he
held several key positions in both local and international societies which
include past president of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies (AFES)
and Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
He was joined by Jose
Rodolfo Dimaano Jr. medical director of Abbott Nutrition Philippines.
Among others, Dr.
Dimaano is currently the secretary and board member of the Philippine College
of Pharmaceutical Medicine.
He started his career
in Abbott as the Head of the Medical, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance
Department of its pharmaceutical division in 2011.
The doctors said
diabetes mellitus (DM), or more commonly known as diabetes, refers to a group
of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood
sugar.
Glucose is vital to
your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make
up your muscles and tissues.1
Diabetes is a
worldwide public health problem.2 In 2013, the number of diabetic adults
reached a total of 380 million and currently, they are estimating that in 2035,
the number will rise to over 592 million.3
Diabetes in the
Philippines is a growing health problem affecting the lives of 9.7% of the
adult population in 2012. This number tends to double if we add the 12.5% of
Filipinos at-risk of diabetes with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Combined,
1 out of every 5 Filipino adults or an estimated 11 million has either
prediabetes or diabetes.4
The Department of
Health posted diabetes as the 8th top cause of disease-related death in the
country in 2009.6 Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death accounting
for approximately half of all diabetes fatalities.
Diabetes does not only
affect one’s blood health, it may also affect other body parts: Cardiovascular
diseases (CVD). Diabetes can cause a heart problem which is the number one
cause of death in the Philippines according to the Department of Health-Health
Intelligence Service.
People with diabetes
have a higher-than-average risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
These strike people
with diabetes more than twice as often as people without diabetes. There’s a
big link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
In fact, two out of
three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke, also
called cardiovascular disease.
This disease is the
leading cause of vision loss in adults of working age. 14% of people with
diabetes have diabetic macular edema while 25% of people with diabetic macular
edema will develop moderate vision loss.
Kidney disease occurs
in approximately one third of diabetics. Kidney failure typically occurs after
20-30 years of diabetes and diabetes has become the most frequent condition in
people with kidney failure.
Nerve damage from
diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. About half of all people with diabetes
have some form of nerve damage. It is more common in those who have had the
disease for a number of years and can lead to many kinds of problems.
High blood pressure
(hypertension) is caused when your blood moves through your vessels with too
much force.
Your heart has to work
harder when blood pressure is high, and your risk for heart disease and
diabetes goes up. High blood pressure raises your risk for heart attack,
stroke, eye problems and kidney disease.
Some of these problems
are skin conditions anyone can have, but people with diabetes get it easier.
These include bacterial infections, fungal infections, and itching. Other skin
problems happen mostly or only to people with diabetes.13
Once complications
have been documented, treating hyperglycemia alone will not suffice.
Complications from diabetes can be prevented only up to a certain point, beyond
which these will progress.2
If left untreated,
diabetes may cause serious complications, as abovementioned, the doctors said.
Treating diabetes
could be done through the Glucerna® 1-2-3 Challenge is a 12-week program that
was specially designed for people with diabetes to learn simple techniques to
help them manage their diabetes with a healthy lifestyle. Sponsored by the
makers of Glucerna, a specialized nutrition product from Abbott for people with
diabetes, the 1-2-3 Challenge provides resources for people with diabetes to
create a simple plan that incorporates 1) a healthy meal plan, 2) exercise, and
3) specialized nutrition products such as Glucerna. The program’s three easy
steps help people with diabetes to address three important components of
managing their condition – managing blood sugar response, reducing weight and
waistline, and supporting heart health.
How the 1-2-3
Challenge Works – This free 12-week program features a robust set of online
tools and solutions to provide people with diabetes with easy, meal plans and
recipes, daily exercise plans with step-by-step instructional videos, and
guidance on how to incorporate Glucerna into their healthy diet. Additionally,
the program provides tracking tools and progress reports so they can monitor
their progress that they can share with their doctors.
Why Proper Nutrition
Is Important – Eating right and exercising can have an impact on the health of
people with diabetes. Additionally, scientific evidence supports the use of
calorie replacement, including specialized nutrition, as part of a diabetes
management plan.1-2 By providing information on exercise and healthy nutrition
choices, the 1-2-3 Challenge enables people with diabetes to create healthy
habits that will help in :
Managing Blood Sugar
Levels – Maintaining proper blood sugar levels is the first step to proper
diabetes management and reducing the risk of complications from the condition.
Addressing Weight and
Physical Activity – Excess weight and physical inactivity can contribute to
health-related complications for people with diabetes.
Supporting Heart
Health – Like all individuals, people with diabetes need to maintain heart
health. Further, people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have
cardiovascular disease than people without the disease.3
Features of Glucerna
Triple Care – The new Glucerna® Triple Care™ product provides a unique system
of ingredients to help patients manage their blood sugar response while
supporting heart health. It also can help reduce weight and waistline when used
as part of an overall diabetes management plan.
Website and Mobile App
– People with diabetes can go to https://www.glucerna123challenge.com.ph to participate in the
1-2-3 Challenge. A mobile app also is available for iPhone® or Android® smart
phones* for on-the-go access to the program.
Rewards Program – To
support the members of the Glucerna 123 challenge, it also has a loyalty
program that rewards members with points found in every can of Glucerna Triple
Care everytime they purchase. This
rewards program is also extended everytime the members access the website and
to update their levels of blood sugar, weight and physical activity. This promo
activity was submitted and approved by FDA, per DOH-FDA permit no.1386 s.2013
For more information
on the Glucerna 1-2-3 Challenge,you may contact [02-995-5555].
For more than 85
years, Abbott Nutrition has been developing and marketing science-based nutritional
products to support the growth, health and wellness of people of all ages.
Internationally recognized brands include the PediaSure® brand of complete and
balanced nutrition for children; and the Ensure® brand of complete and balanced
nutrition for adults.
The company is a
leader in nutritional products clinically shown to address the distinct dietary
needs of people with serious health conditions or special nutrient
requirements, such as the Glucerna® brand of nutrition shakes and bars for
people with diabetes.
Abbott is a global
healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of
products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio
of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals
and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150
countries and employs approximately 70,000 people.
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