Study shows impact of diabetes in developing countries

MANILA, Philippines - To mark World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14, sanofi-aventis announces the results of IDMPS (International Diabetes Management Practices Study) which involved more than 32,000 people with diabetes and nearly 2,500 physicians in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Diabetes has reach epidemic proportions and the predicted prevalence increase is most alarming in developing countries. Worldwide, 380 million people will have diabetes by 2025 with 100 percent increase in diabetes prevalence between 2007 and 2025 in Latin America, 80 percent increase in the Middle East and Africa, 60 percent increase in Asia, and 15 percent in Eastern Europe.

Sanofi-aventis has a long history in the fight against diabetes and has carried out numerous awareness-building activities to broaden the general public’s understanding and encourage screening and treatment for people with diabetes.

The IDMPS results were presented during a special session of the recent 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal.

The study showed that irrespective or region or insulin regimen, majority of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients were receiving oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs) alone and only 31 percent of T2D received insulin with or without OGLDs.

The study also revealed that the perception of physicians is often not in line with clinical reality, with many patients believed to be controlled when not at target or inadequately tested.

The IDMPS presentation addressed a call to the attention of health care professional and health care policy makers on the importance of improving the quality of care to prevent the development and progression of diabetes chronic complications, and to decrease and optimize resource usage.

Such approach is highly important worldwide but particularly for developing countries, where health budgets are frequently scarce to cope with the care demands.

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