LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company, have announced their support for the Mayo Clinic and World India Diabetes Foundation - 2nd International Symposium on "Diabetes and related disorders", at the Taj Mahal, Mumbai.
The symposium will cover areas such as prevention of diabetes in highrisk populations, insulin resistance, genetics of diabetes, cardiovascular complications of diabetes and its treatment and management. There will also be a focus on other chronic complications of diabetes, their prevention and medical management. Prominent international and Indian diabetologists including Dr. V. Mohan, Dr. Shashank Joshi, Chief Convenor of the symposium and Dr. A. K. Das will be part of the speaker panel.
Diabetes is a compelling issue in India with 35 million diabetics already existing with the number expected to rise to 57 million in the year 2025.
"Awareness of the benefits of regular monitoring of diabetes at home is extremely low in India with self-monitoring frequency of only once in one to three months, whereas in the USA, the average testing frequency is three tests per day," says Dr. Chandrashekar, Country Head and General Manager, LifeScan India. Several large, long-term studies have demonstrated that tight control of blood glucose levels by self-monitoring greatly reduces the risk of developing complications.
According to Dr. Wangnoo, Chief Diabetologist, Indraprastha Apollo, Delhi, "People do not die of diabetes, they actually die from its complications. In fact, every third adult in an ICU has diabetes, every tenth diabetic has a cardiovascular problem and more than6 million out of 35 million diabetics in India are likely to develop renal complications. India also has the highest incidence of amputations due to poor glycemic control, smoling and lack of foot care. These incidents can be prevented or delayed by regular monitoring of blood glucose levels." Dr. Wangnoo is on the faculty for the Mayo Clinic Symposium in Mumbai.
LifeScan also recognizes the need for education amongst GPs as they manage the majority of Indian diabetics. Dr. Mehtalia, Mumbai's leading diabetologist will deliver a lecture on blood glucose monitoring as part of the agenda of the Indian Medical Association - South Mumbai Conference, which will take place from January 18 - 20, 2003. "Most patients take their medication and adhere to dietary and exercise regimens but very few know whether they are actually doing it right. This can only happen if they regularly monitor their blood glucose and take responsibility for day to day management of their condition. Diabetics must work in partnership with their doctors, with a common goal of living a normal life, and monitoring their blood glucose regularly will help them achieve this," says Dr. Mehtalia.
LifeScan is recognized by the medical community as having driven the awareness of self-monitoring of blood glucose in good diabetes management. LifeScan has taken on the role and responsibility of diabetes education for the medical and patient communities and have several programs lined up for the rest of the year. Diabetes management is a team effort, and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is a tool that helps this team take responsibility and manage the condition on a regular basis. LifeScan is a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring systems for home use and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes.