About 160,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes in Taiwan annually, which is higher than the number of births recorded in the nation last year, Diabetes Association of the Republic of China chairman Huang Chien-ning (黃建寧) said on Wednesday.
Many Taiwanese have misunderstandings about insulin use and they miss the “golden window” for the treatment of diabetes, Huang said.
He urged people to take advantage of subsidized health examinations so that the disease could be detected early and a personalized treatment plan could be devised.
Photo: CNA
“Early symptoms of diabetes are not obvious and tend to be ignored, which can lead to complications such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, renal failure and retinal detachment,” Huang said.
The number of young people diagnosed with diabetes has been increasing, Huang said, adding that they tend to demonstrate poor compliance with medication use, which makes treatment difficult.
There are about 2.3 million diabetic people in Taiwan, but only 1.8 million are being regularly treated through the National Health Insurance system, he said, citing government data.
There is also a high ratio of people with diabetes having other comorbidities, Taiwan Medical Clinics Association chairman Chen Hung-lin (陳宏麟) said.
“Many people worry that once they start diabetes treatment they will be stuck taking insulin or undergoing hemodialysis for the rest of their lives,” he said.
Misconceptions about medication has been known to have delayed treatment for many people, he said, adding that there are now second-generation insulin treatments that are stable and effective.
Another misconception is that diabetes can be managed with nutritional supplements, he said, adding that in reality, each patient requires a customized treatment.
Chen also gave an example of how treatments have improved.
A patient had been treated in hospital for 10 years, taking four different oral medications and supplements, but their glycated hemoglobin levels remained elevated, he said.
However, after doctors began an insulin treatment, the patient’s glycated hemoglobin levels returned to normal, Chen said.
New treatment methods also involve digital tools, Chen said, adding that more than 250 medical institutions in Taiwan are using such devices to help more than 48,000 diabetes patients manage their blood sugar levels.
People over 40 can undergo checkups subsidized by the National Health Administration once every three years, and people over 65 can do so once a year, he said, urging people to take advantage of the subsidies.
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Diabeets
11/11/2022
