An alarming 73 percent prevalence rate among type 2 diabetics was revealed by Dr. Rosa Allyn Sy, president of the Philippine Diabetes Association (PDA), in a recent media briefing held in Quezon City.
"The results should awaken everyone, particularly health professionals involved in diabetes care, that diabetes mellitus is a silent killer," Sy said.
The local study was part of an international campaign called DEMAND (Developing Education on Microalbuminuria for Awareness of Renal and Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes).
Last September, the PDA, Philippine Society of Nephrology and Sanofi-Synthelabo Phils. conducted free screening tests for patients with type 2 diabetes in 30 hospitals in Metro Manila, Cebu, Tacloban, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.
The screening was aimed at detecting the presence of abnormal amounts of protein in the urine called microalbuminuria, an early sign of kidney disease which also predicts an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The global DEMAND campaign was conducted under the auspices of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), in partnership with the Sanofi-Synthelabo pharmaceutical group.
It was coordinated by a steering committee composed of four leading international experts in the fields of diabetes and nephrology.
The results of the global DEMAND campaign show that more than 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes around the world have microalbuminuria.
The prevalence of early signs of kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes knows no boundaries and is equally high in both developed and developing countries.
DEMAND is the first study to test for microalbuminuria in people with type 2 diabetes from all parts of the world. Over 34 countries were included in the project.
The campaign demonstrates that screening patients has now become essential since it enables physicians to identify those at risk. Steps can then be taken to slow progression to more serious forms of potentially life-threatening kidney disease and cardiovascular complications.
Sy stressed that early screening for microalbuminuria, a reliable predictor of morbidity and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes, can save many patients from suffering the burden of diabetes which can complicate kidney disease.
Dr. Libertad Rosales, president of the Philippine Society of Nephrology, said that a dipstick is an inexpensive and easy way to determine if a diabetic patient faces the risk of kidney damage.
"Patients should be aware that if they are treated early, they can slow down the progressive process that leads to kidney failure," she said.
Rosales said at least 50 percent of those with type 2 diabetes will have microalbuminuria and one-third of them will develop severe renal disease that will progress to end-stage.
Dr. May Pasamba-Pagunsan said that in the landmark PRIME clinical study, Irbesartan was shown to be effective in preventing the development of kidney disease in diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.
Diabetes is a common disease. According to IDF estimates, it affects approximately 177 million people worldwide. The vast majority of these people have type 2 diabetes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that this figure will increase to more than 300 million people in the next 25 years.
Type 2 diabetes, also referred to as adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is thought to result from at least two defects: the body’s development to a resistance to insulin and/or its inability to produce sufficient insulin.
It accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes and is often associated with hypertension, obesity and abnormal cholesterol levels.
"The DEMAND campaign results increase the level of awareness of physicians so that optimum care can be given to the patient," Rosales said.
She added: "The campaign also shows that professional organizations and pharmaceutical companies, as in this case Sanofi-Synthelabo, can join hands to bring about global consciousness on important issues."
Sanofi-Synthelabo is a global research-and-development-based company dedicated to bringing innovative therapeutic solutions to patients and physicians worldwide in areas which include cardiovascular and thrombosis, central nervous system, oncology and internal medicine.