A few days ago, a study showed that 6 out of 10 people with a chronic disease are not following their treatment properly. Diabetologists are well aware of this since half of their patients on treatment say they fear the occurrence hypoglycemia, and this fear would lead 28% of these patients to decrease their insulin dose on their own.
These figures are unveiled on the occasion of World Diabetes Day by the Sanofi laboratory, which has just launched a national survey on the use “in real life” of the basal insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Basal insulin is the amount of insulin that meets basic insulin needs. In case of type 2 diabetes, the doctor first recommends physical exercise and a change in diet. If this is not enough to control the blood sugar, the doctor will prescribe diabetes medication. But when the disease progresses, you must also inject insulin with a syringe or a pen.
A strong apprehension of switching to insulin
“In recent years, the arrival of new, slower and more stable basal insulins has dramatically changed the lives of patients. Yet there is still a strong apprehension of switching to insulin. and this one is used in a suboptimal way “declares Pr Serge Halimi, of the CHU of Grenoble.
To make sure they have the right dose of insulin, patients should self-monitor their blood sugar. But the Sanofi study also shows significant shortcomings. 38% of patients declare that they have not been fully trained in this glycemic self-monitoring, that is to say in carrying out and interpreting it. Hence a low level of complete autonomy and, for some, the need to have recourse to a nurse for the injection.
The full results of this observatory will be presented at the next congress of the Société francophone du diabéte, in March 2015.
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