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Although 3 of 4 people with diabetes will develop some
sort of microvascular complication, their lack of concern
demonstrates the need for increased education, awareness
and dialogue between physicians and patients with diabetes.
(Apple Quicktime
video)
International Survey Reveals People With
Diabetes Are Not Worried About Long-Term Complications
More
than Half of People with Diabetes May Be At Risk of Going
Blind or Losing Limbs
June 2002 (Newstream) -- According to the
results of a new international survey, a large percentage
of people with diabetes are not worried about the long-term
microvascular complications associated with the disease,
such as blindness or loss of limb through amputation. Although
3 of 4 people with diabetes will develop some sort of microvascular
complication, their lack of concern demonstrates the need
for increased education, awareness and dialogue between
physicians and patients with diabetes. The international
patient survey was conducted by Lions Clubs International
Foundation (LCIF) and the International Diabetes Federation-Europe
(IDF-Europe).
Sixty percent of the people surveyed were
not worried about going blind or losing a limb through amputation.
In reality, 74 percent of people with diabetes will develop
a diabetic microvascular complication such as diabetic neuropathy
(a condition of the nerves that can lead to loss of a limb
through amputation), diabetic retinopathy (a condition of
the eyes that can lead to blindness) or diabetic nephropathy
(a condition of the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure).
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age
adults, kidney failure and non-traumatic lower leg amputations.
More than 40 percent of people with diabetes
surveyed feel that problems due to diabetes will occur no
matter what they do.
"The survey results show that there
is a sense of fatalism among people living with diabetes.
They believe that they will experience complications regardless
of what precautions they take," said Scott A. Storms,
International Director, LCIF. "Not surprisingly, 70
percent of the people we surveyed wish there were more effective
treatments for problems due to diabetes. We must continue
to get the message out that seeing a doctor for regular
screenings of vision and nerve function is critical."
LCIF, a world leader in blindness prevention
and the grant-making arm of Lions Clubs International, has
partnered with the IDF-Europe to conduct this international
patient survey to show their dedication to preventing diabetic
retinopathy, which can lead to loss of vision. LCIF is committed
to the humanitarian effort of protecting sight, helping
Lions Clubs, the World Health Organization (WHO) and numerous
partners to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
According to the WHO, diabetes is one of
the leading causes of death worldwide. Approximately 150
million people internationally have diabetes, and this number
is expected to double by the year 2025. The survey results
point to the need for increased dialogue between physician
and patient and more educational and awareness initiatives
to help preserve the quality of life of people living with
diabetes. For example, while more than half of all people
(56 percent) surveyed say that they have experienced some
type of microvascular symptom in their feet or legs such
as tingling or burning sensation, few (20 percent) have
been diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy. Approximately 1
in 4 people with diabetes who have been diagnosed with a
microvascular complication expressed that their quality
of life has been negatively impacted. Many people surveyed
report their problems associated with diabetes interfere
with work, cause them to accomplish less and interfere with
normal activities.
The results suggest that people with diabetes
are not that worried about long-term complications. In fact,
30 percent find it hard to control their diabetes and just
25 percent feel guilty about not taking proper care of themselves.
Yet as many as 70 percent of people with diabetes were unable
to provide their last hemoglobin HbA1c level, a test which
measures long-term blood sugar control.
The survey results represent findings from
people living with diabetes in six countries including France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United
States. Highlights of the international survey findings
include:
* People surveyed in the U.S. (82 percent)
and the U.K. (70 percent) wish there were more effective
treatments for problems due to diabetes whereas only 39
percent of people surveyed in Germany wish for more effective
treatments. People surveyed in Germany tend to be less worried
about their diabetes overall.
* Daily blood glucose monitoring occurs with
the greatest frequency in the US (75 percent) and occurs
least within the countries of Spain and France.
* Almost twice as many people surveyed in
France (64 percent) believe that health problems will occur
because of diabetes no matter what they do compared to people
surveyed in Italy (36 percent), Spain (33 percent) and Germany
(30 percent).
* The majority of people surveyed in the
U.S. and the U.K., 82 percent, have had a foot exam by a
healthcare professional in the last 12 months whereas only
34 percent in Italy and 25 percent in Spain have had a foot
exam in the last year. People surveyed in the U.S. (66 percent)
are nearly twice as likely to check their feet on a daily
basis as people surveyed in the U.K. (38 percent) and more
than three times as likely as people surveyed in Italy (17
percent) and Spain (31 percent).
Surveys were conducted among 2,702 people
with diabetes in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K.
and the U.S. to determine the extent to which people with
diabetes are being screened for diabetic microvascular complications.
Other objectives included understanding the reasons for
barriers to eye screening, and understanding the worries,
perceptions and patients' quality of life.
The LCIF/IDF-Europe international patient
survey was conducted by Consumer Health Sciences, analyzed
by Walker Information and compares favorably to recent diabetes
research from Roper Starch. The survey was made possible
by an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly's
partnership programs with the LCIF and IDF-Europe are designed
to help educate physicians and patients about microvascular
complications to help people with diabetes better manage
their disease.
The Lions Clubs International Foundation
(LCIF) is the grant-making arm of Lions Clubs International,
and partners with Lions Clubs worldwide in carrying out
humanitarian projects. Lions Clubs is the world's largest
service club organization, with 1.4 million members serving
in more than 44,600 clubs in 189 countries and geographical
areas. Lions are recognized worldwide for their service
to the blind and visually impaired. LCIF's major initiative
is the SightFirst program, a global blindness prevention
campaign begun by Lions in 1990. LCIF has granted $136 million
in support of 572 SightFirst projects that have strengthened
eye care services and restored sight to 3.2 million persons
in 78 countries. With financial support from LCIF, Lions
Clubs or districts throughout the United States coordinate
community-based free or low cost vision screenings. LCIF
also partners with Special Olympics to care for the vision
of Special Olympians. Visit www.lcif.org
for more information about Lions Clubs activities and programs.
IDF-Europe, the European Region of the International
Diabetes Federation, is a non-profit organization whose
aims are philanthropic and scientific. With 1.3 million
members in over 40 countries in its membership, IDF-Europe
has more than 55 diabetes associations. More than half of
these associations have over 10,000 members -- many of which
are both people with diabetes and healthcare professionals.
IDF-Europe associations work towards improving the lives
of people with diabetes through a range of activities and
tools, including education for people with diabetes, public
awareness campaigns, children's activities and collaboration
with national health authorities.
For more information about diabetes, go to
www.lionsclubs.org
and www.idf.org.
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Produced for LCIF/IDF-Europe
Contact:
Daisy Cabrera
212-614-4979 (Office)
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