Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care has launched a major global initiative in India referred to as the 'Improve' Programme which aims to help people improve control in diabetes. The company will offer simple and effective tools alongside public and medical awareness-raising programmes and a substantial observational study.

The awareness programmes will also aim to create consensus on HbA1c testing as the best parameter to control diabetes and ideal target values for HbA1c in India with validated kits and the right frequency.

The objective behind the programme is to improve glycaemic control of diabetes in India. It is essential therefore to optimize the use of currently available diabetic therapies, improve patient adherence to lifestyle changes and pharmacological intervention, reduce barriers to the early use of insulin, educate patients about diabetes self-management and improve the delivery of health care, stated Sanjeev Shishoo, vice president, international operations, Novo Nordisk.

In India, currently there is an estimated 33 million persons affected with diabetes which is forecasted to rise to almost 80 million people by 2030. The increase will be an additional 150 per cent. Every 8th adult Indian is a diabetic. About half the people, who die because of heart or kidney disease, develop the condition because of diabetes. The problem with diabetes is that it doesn't manifest or deteriorate as dramatically as other killer conditions like infectious diseases or road traffic accidents.
Despite the increasing prevalence of diabetes, a clear correlation between good disease management and a decrease in disease burden is yet to be seen in India. The quality of care varies from place to place depending upon practices; expertise, attitudes and perceptions amongst diabetes care providers.

According to the Improve Control study launched by Novo Nordisk, done across 8 metros and mini-metros among 433 persons with diabetes and 481 treating clinicians showed that the best indicator of diabetes control viz., hbA1c has shown little signs of reducing over years.

The objectives of the study had been to shed light on the doctors and patients' knowledge, expectations and attitudes with regards to glucose control. The study was also conducted to unearth barriers to achieve good glucose control between both audiences.

The reduction of HbA1c by 1% means that there is a reduction in risk of death related to diabetes by 21 percent, risk of myocardial infarction by 14 percent and microvascular complications by 37 percent.

Novo Nordisk has the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems. In addition, holds a leading position in haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy.