THE NUMBER of adults in the State with type 2 diabetes is expected to increase by about 7,000 a year between now and 2015. Growing levels of obesity will fuel the increase in the numbers affected by 50,000 to an estimated 180,000 in seven years, a gathering of health professionals involved in diabetes care was told in Dublin yesterday. They were attending the launch of a new guide for GPs and hospital clinicians on the management and identification of type 2 diabetes in an integrated way.
Dr Velma Harkins, a GP involved in drawing up the guidelines, said the current model of care for diabetes patients, with much of it hospital based and fragmented, was unlikely to be able to cope with the increased demands placed on it in future.
Under the guidelines, most diabetes care will be provided in general practice, with patients having hospital check-ups every one or two years. The aim is to ensure patients get better care, reducing the numbers who end up with costly complications.
Dr Harkins said the guidelines were the first for chronic disease management which had been agreed across primary, secondary and tertiary care.
They state: “For most people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes their condition is life-long and while new types of medication and medical devices are constantly being produced, the basic foundation for good diabetes care still focuses on healthy eating and physical activity, monitoring blood glucose levels and taking medication.”
They add that education is of critical importance and should be considered an integral part of diabetes prevention and care.
“Speaking at the launch, the health minister Mary Harney said the guidelines were timely with one in 20 of the population suffering from the chronic disease. She added that 10 per cent of the health budget is now spent on diabetes care.