Poor knowledge of diabetes
People who have type 2 diabetes are often poorly informed about the condition, the results of a survey published by the International Diabetes Federation this week suggest.
Across 787 subjects with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in the UK,
France, Germany, Italy and Spain, 40 per cent had never heard the term
HbA1c or did not know what it meant. Of those who recalled
having an HbA1c test, 31 per cent did not know what their
most recent HbA1c level
was.
The survey also showed that 68 per cent of respondents would be concerned
or very concerned about switching to insulin. Just over three quarters
(76 per cent) thought it would restrict their lives and 55 per cent thought
that self-administering insulin would be complicated. In addition, 44
per cent believed that if insulin treatment were suggested they would
have no choice but to accept it.
In addition, preliminary
results of a Healthcare Commission survey of
68,500 people in England with diabetes were published last week. The
survey found that many people either were unaware of which type of diabetes
they had (17 per cent) or were mistaken about which type they had (5
per cent). Forty per cent said they were rarely or never given the chance
to discuss different medicines they could take.
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