Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition under co

[controller]

Dear fellow diabetics,

This is very alarming that only about 20% [TWENTY PER CENT} of the diabetic population have control of this dreadful disease.

What is also ridiculous is this current government is blindly cutting everything including allowing diabetics to monitor their BGL at least twice daily. I was informed by my GP that due to government cuts, PCTs were instructed to tell all GPs that only two BGL tests per week, was "adequate."

If diabetics are to have any chance of controlling their BGL, then we must be able to carry out our own monitoring in order to achieve this.

I suppose that this government must be very happy that only 20% of the UK diabetic population hace control over the disease. Why? It means that a larger number of diabetic people will die sooner.

I call upon Diabetes.co.uk to mount a serious campaign to get diabetics to take control of this condition; as my GP said when i was diagonsed "it is a very nasty disease."

 

[donnellysdogs]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Agree totally.

There was an advert on tv last night for mcmillan and cancer and donations... I actually thought to myself after seeing it about a hard hitting campaign from diabetes.co.uk could have similar with people having reduced vision and amputees due to diabetes.

Another advert.....A car accident and blood strips and someone's licence being ripped up would be a good one by dvla....with a logo 'gp's restrictions cost life's'.....

Trouble is adverts are so expensive...

 

[Jane Holmes]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I only knew, that apart from my medication, everything to do with monitoring my blood suger was taken off my repeat prescription, when I applied for a repeat of test strips.I was told that 'the doctors didn't think it was advantagous' to test every day. I am now the position of possibly having to go on insulin, because I didn't know that my bloob sugar was getting high because of this.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

<snip>
There was an advert on tv last night for mcmillan and cancer and donations... I actually thought to myself after seeing it about a hard hitting campaign from diabetes.co.uk could have similar with people having reduced vision and amputees due to diabetes.
<snip>

There is a certain shall we say bitterness about this within Diabetes UK.

Allegedly the cost of the MacMillan or Cancer Research adverts are roughly the same as the total annual income of Diabetes UK.

So the only way to get these adverts out is to find a huge amount of extra money for a diabetes charity.

I think one problem is that cancer is seen as a terrifying killer which could touch (often has touched) any family but diabetes is seen more as a lifestyle choice.
Not that smoking is anything but a lifestyle choice, of course, but there are very many different types of cancer.

Cheers

LGC

 

[phoenix]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I think one of the problems can be to get people to take their diabetes seriously. I know people on this forum do do but don't get the impression that they are typical. Maybe in some cases their doctors don't either.

I only come into contact with a few people from the UK but I attend an English Church group. Four of these people have diabetes (all live most of the year in the UK), None are well controlled and they don't really seem to bother about it much. One describes his condition as 'a little touch of sugar'. (now I'm no low carber, I have insulin and I don't really like to be a part of the diabetes police but why am I the only one of us who says no to a biscuit after the service. :lol: )


The French seem to be trying to overcome this problem with a telemedicine scheme . They piloted it in a couple of areas found it seemed to improve things (on the basis of HbA1cs) and are in the process of rolling it out nationwide.
http://www.ameli-sophia.fr/laccompagnement-sophia.html

I haven't joined because I hate speaking on the phone in French.

Basically I understand that you can contact a diabetes nurse on the phone (who they say has time to listen) but they (Sophia) also have contact with your GP and so may contact you to discuss what your GP has said about follow up tests , diet, exercise etc They also phone with reminders about regular blood tests and will discuss what the results mean. This wouldn't be any good for me as I never see my GP only the specialist but
There is a website which sounds as if it is an educational site and I've also just received a 'newspaper' from them. ( a bit like an abbreviated Balance with articles about things like HbA1c, sexual problems and exercise + the ubiquitous recipe )

What really surprised me was that as well as being contacted by post about it, I started seeing adverts on this forum for the scheme . Presumably they are targeting sites about diabetes accessed by a French ISP.

 

[hornplayer]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I'm fairly new to all this, - type 2, diagnosed 3wks ago. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to buy my own testing supplies, although my GP did give a monitor and access to some strips. I find it incredibly useful to test regularly during the day. Originally, I was told to test once a day at random times. That just didn't give me enough information about what was going on, and I was finding that I was getting myself all screwed up, worrying about how high my BG could be getting without me knowing! Also. When I've felt dizzy, tired, sick etc, in the past, I've always assumed that I need to eat something. It's only through having enough strips to test whenever I want that I now know that those are the times when my BG is high at these times and that eating isn't going to help! God knows what sort of a mess I'd be in without them. I think that test strips are vital if you're going to informed enough to manage the condition successfully.


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[HpprKM]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Wow! I'm impressed that your GP gave you a monitor. I get in very well with my GP but both she and my DN who I do not see eye to eye with - are strictly against self testing!


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[HpprKM]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

As far as I am aware there is little follow up advice or support from the NHS for follow up of diagnosis, just routine questions at annual check up with my DN describing the diabetic plate model to me when I tried to discuss the impact of carbs on diabetes, making feel highly patronised and like an unread and ill informed person which I most certainly am not - I've been falling off the diabetic wagon, in part due to this lack of interest to seriously discuss diet with the people who should be able to advise. I feel that no one really feels my diet is important and doing all alone is difficult to maintain. This may well to another post.


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[hornplayer]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I think I am lucky. Where do you live? I live in South Wales and my mum, a nurse who has been diabetic for 25years, says that Wales is pretty good at diabetic care. Mum went from tablets to insulin back to tablets and is now diet controlled. I'm currently on tablets, but I'm hopeful!


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[donnellysdogs]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

South Wales is an excellent place for diabetics of all types. I was given my pump there and my dsn and consultant were really pro active with giving patients pumps. I think this stretched for the best part of South Carmarthenshire.

 

[mrman]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Yeah, totally agree with donellysdogs, from my experience since being a welsh type 1 lol. got put on a dafne course after only 6 months and pump just 2 years after diagnosis. the hospital care I've received has been amazing with a good consultant and dsn. Local surgery however is a different story.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Paul_c]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

The French seem to be trying to overcome this problem with a telemedicine scheme . They piloted it in a couple of areas found it seemed to improve things (on the basis of HbA1cs) and are in the process of rolling it out nationwide.
http://www.ameli-sophia.fr/laccompagnement-sophia.html

I haven't joined because I hate speaking on the phone in French.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/telemedicin ... 95.article

Data from the Whole Systems Demonstrator Project released earlier this year showed a 45% reduction in mortality and a 20% fall in emergency admissions in patients with access to telemedicine– but researchers admitted today that there was little effect on quality of life and rolling out the project was likely to push up costs.

Professor Stan Newman, principal investigator on the Whole Systems Demonstrator Project, said telemedicine was able to vastly improve care, but warned it came with a hefty price tag.

He said: ‘The net effects of improving care and reducing mortality may be to increase costs. If you want to save lives, it costs money, and that is a real tension.'

Personally I consider it to be a brilliant advance

 

[kellibabi]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Well folks, as I FULLY intend to win the EuroMi££ions, I promise that when I do, I'll be asking for all your ideas for an ad campaign. Fed up with us Diabetics being blamed for costing the NHS too much money. Hmm, perhaps the rationing of strips IS because the Government want us all in early graves to save some cash? Oooh, I DO love a conspiracy theory! Mind you, if we all pootle off, DN's will be left twiddling their thumbs.

 

[Neil Walters]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

What we need to do is get the support of a positive role model who sees the value of testing - Sir Steve Redgrave springs to mind so to speak.

Personally I am now testing six times a day and have never had such good control - that really is a lifestyle change but it comes at a cost as my GP will not fund 200 test strips per month. I am fortunate that I can fund that and feel that it represents good value in exchange for the peace of mind that good control brings.


Diagnosed type II 1998 2 x 80 mg Gliclazide, 4 x 500mg Metformin and 1 x 100mg Sitagliptin

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Just revisiting this topic.

That 20% has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it?

Isn't that the same percentage as T2s who are obese on diagnosis?

Now correlation does not imply causation by any means, but it would be interesting to know how many of the 20% who were T2s and not obese on diagnosis are also the 20% who manage to establish control to the NICE standards. All, half, or perhaps virtually none?

Please note that this is purely scientific curiosity because the numbers seem so similar.

However there does seem to be a chance that some people who are unable or unwilling to control their weight before diagnosis may also be unable or unwilling to successfully manage their BG post diagnosis.

I suspect that the lack of freely available test strips may not be the greatest problem for the majority of diabetics.

The availability of affordable high calorie, high sugar, high carbohydrate food and drink may be more of a problem.
Coupled with the unwillingness of people to make sacrifices now in the hope of better things some time in the future.

If people are unable to relate to long term issues like pensions (relatively few people have been saving for retirement - so much so that the Guvmint has been making pension provision for all workers the default) then they are probably also unlikely to be able to relate eating and drinking less to provide for a healthy retirement.

Even with a strong, decades long campaign against smoking, high taxation, bans from smoking around other people, 'smoking kills' warnings on fag packets etc. loads of people still smoke.

So how are you going to prevent people from eating and living unhealthily?

:twisted: How about making being over weight a criminal offence? Punishable by being put in prison on a reduced diet and high exercise regime? Tourists especially beware!! :twisted:

Firstly, think how much of a vote winner that would be.
Secondly, think how much it would cost to implement (leaving aside the cost of the Human Rights lawyers).
Thirdly, think of the loss of profits of all the food and drink producers (noting that cigarettes have never been made illegal).
Fourthly, think of the impact of having so many workers in jail (although it might cut unemployment at a stroke as others are employed to cover their jobs).

Not sure this will ever get implemented? :lol:

So - does anyone have a scheme which they think would work in persuading people to live a healthy life and vastly reduce the incidence and complications of diabetes?

[For those T1s reading this - yes, I know that obesity is not a major factor in the onset of T1 however T1s are between 5% and 10% of all diabetics so addressing factors for 90% to 95% of diabetics is likely to be harder and cost more. Also, get rid of the T2s and there will be more focus on your care. ]

Are we doomed to watch a generation (or two) die early before our children (or their children) really understand the implications of lifestyle?

Or will someone come up with a wonder drug which reverses T1,T2, lung cancer etc. and keeps everyone with whatever lifestyle free from heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney and other major organ failure?
Which in turn would allow everyone to indulge themselves as much and as often as they wish.
**** - this is beginning to sound attractive. :lol:

Now if they also invent a super-Viagra which makes a 60 stone immobile drunk chain smoker permanently up for it and irresistibly attractive to all women (ummm.....perhaps not to another 60 stone immobile drunk but there goes the equality legislation) I might be able to kick this diet and exercise malarkey into touch and get back to the 90% of the supermarket shelves I currently studiously avoid.

Cheers

LGC

Please note that reality was only slightly harmed during the composition of this post.

 

[Neil Walters]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

Take it to an extreme - why not just shoot them and be done with it!

A civilised society looks after its sick. We can all make choices and change if we see the positive benefits.

I personally think the lack of control says more about the knowledge and education of those affected than anything else and I say that as an ex smoker overweight (but only for a little while longer) type II so I tick all of the boxes of poor choice and am not therefore just being a critic of others.

What I do know is that if you care and understand the risks of not exercising good choices - we can make good choices and change before it is too late.


Diagnosed type II 1998 2 x 80 mg Gliclazide, 4 x 500mg Metformin and 1 x 100mg Sitagliptin

 

[Neil Walters]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I agree with you and my comments were more general than responding to your specific points really. I know what it is like to be in denial and the many type II sufferers that I have come to know all seem to follow the same pattern as I did - initial shock followed by lots of promises then complacency followed by denial using others as an excuse - mostly hiding behind less than perfect care team as the reason they are not in control. The big change we type II all need to address is a change in diet and the ditching of bad habits . There is no place in my diet for sweets and chocolate and I have a very sweet tooth but to be brutal my condition cannot tolerate it simple fact. I have learned to accept that and have no complaints but wish I had woken up to the reality many years ago.


Diagnosed type II 1998 2 x 80 mg Gliclazide, 4 x 500mg Metformin and 1 x 100mg Sitagliptin

 

[hornplayer]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

I wonder if some of the inaction isn't due to a simple lack of information.

I was diagnosed on 1st of May. At that first meeting with a doctor, I got the rather panicked direction "don't eat any carbohydrate!" At the second, a week later with an extremely rushed doctor SPECIALISING in diabetes care at the surgery, I got no advice at all. Just the phone number for an "Xpert" class and a vague suggestion that I look on the web site. (My doctor did give me a BG monitor although I buy my own strips.) despite the first doctor practically declaring a national emergency, my first appointment with the diabetic nurse isn't until 2nd July.

What I'm saying is, I have so many questions. If it wasn't for this web site I'd be totally stuck. Not every doctor is suggesting the site and not everyone has the opportunity or the technological confidence to access the information they need. That might sound strange to some of us who take these things for granted, but I teach in schools where the kids are the first in the family to learn to read!
Maybe it isn't always apathy?


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[kellibabi]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

There is a TOTAL lack of information given out.
I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago & STILL haven't been told about carbs/levels dropping when excercising etc.

Any information I've gathered has been from THIS FORUM.

I was just given my tablets & sent on my way. No explanation of what the medication does, how to spot a hypo/hyper, no diet advice, no run down of complications etc.

I'm not at all surprised people are finding it hard to cope/get to grips with control.

Sometimes it isn't people being lazy - just a lack of help/guidance - which makes people feel isolated & want to give up.

 

[pav]

Re: Just a fifth of people with diabetes have condition unde

There is a TOTAL lack of information given out.
I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago & STILL haven't been told about carbs/levels dropping when excercising etc.

Any information I've gathered has been from THIS FORUM.

I was just given my tablets & sent on my way. No explanation of what the medication does, how to spot a hypo/hyper, no diet advice, no run down of complications etc.

I'm not at all surprised people are finding it hard to cope/get to grips with control.

Sometimes it isn't people being lazy - just a lack of help/guidance - which makes people feel isolated & want to give up.

Same here, only been diagnosed 13 years, and got fed up of doctors saying no need to test and gave up the testing. Now with a change to meds still no support from the usual doctors, a new doctor to the practice did ask if I recognised hypo symptoms before upping the gliclazide.