‘Pronto Diabete’ starts, the new national campaign which, from 10 to 28 June, offers patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus free specialist consultations with a diabetologist at around 50 centers throughout Italy, which can be booked on the toll-free number 800042747 and on website www.prontodiabete.it. The initiative, sponsored by the Italian Society of Diabetology (Sid) and the Association of Diabetes Doctors (AMD), with the participation of Diabete Italia and Sistema Farmacia Italia and in partnership with AstraZeneca, intends to raise awareness among the approximately 4 million patients with diabetes type 2 in Italy on the importance of keeping one’s pathology under control with a view to improving its management, promoting correct patient information and education and preventing the onset of renal and cardiovascular complications by encouraging early diagnosis. In this context – explains a note – in the month of June the initiative will provide the opportunity for patients with type 2 diabetes to go to community pharmacies which on a voluntary basis have decided to join the initiative, where they will be able to receive diagnostic screening for prevention and assessment of renal risk.
“Type 2 diabetes is among the pathologies with the highest economic and social impact: in Italy it is estimated that almost 4 million patients have been diagnosed (6.6% of the population), in addition to an underground figure of over 1 million people who do not know they have it and another 4 million who risk developing it – underlines Riccardo Candido, president of AMD – Type 2 diabetes, in particular, the most widespread form which concerns over 90% of cases, is a chronic pathology characterized by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), and with a high prevalence of cardiorenal disease, heart failure in 6-27%” of cases” and chronic kidney disease in 30-40%. Heart failure and chronic kidney disease are serious conditions that , separately and in combination, are associated with a high cardiovascular and mortality risk and an increase in healthcare costs, particularly in people with diabetes, resulting in an important impact also on the national healthcare system”.
“According to the AMD Annals 2023, which provide a snapshot of specialist care for people with diabetes in Italy – highlights Candido – the number of subjects treated with drugs such as Sglt2 is rapidly growing (+6.8% compared to the previous year). inhibitors that have been shown to be particularly effective in preventing heart failure and chronic kidney disease.”
Particular attention – continues the note – must be paid to the cardiovascular and renal complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus, including heart failure and chronic kidney disease, pathologies that are closely interconnected with each other and have a strong impact on the quality of life of patients. In the world, 70% of deaths are caused by chronic pathologies and, in Italy, in 2021 around 24 million inhabitants had at least one chronic pathology, a number that will continue to increase in the coming years. Diabetes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease are among the most common chronic conditions, therefore it is important to identify, diagnose and then treat patients in the most timely and effective way.
“Complications have a strong impact on the quality of life, just think that heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization for people with diabetes in Italy and that renal failure, or diabetic nephropathy, affects 40% of patients – remarks Angelo Avogaro , president of Sid – The high prevalence of heart failure and chronic renal failure and the risks associated with their onset and progression show an important unmet clinical need that should be taken into consideration when choosing preventive strategies in the initial stages of diabetes treatment, taking account of the clear directions that the therapeutic algorithms of the guidelines provide”.
In fact, “in support of a preventive and increasingly early approach in patients with type 2 diabetes – adds Avogaro – there is an ever-increasing scientific evidence, also with real world data, such as the Darwin-Renal study, which confirms the benefits of the early use of innovative therapies to prevent and delay the progression of renal complications in diabetic patients. Therefore, for correct management of the disease, timely and more effective management of the patient is required through the adoption of preventive strategies and periodic checks. and a close collaboration between specialists, local medicine and pharmacists”.
The campaign also intends to inform patients and public opinion on the current approach in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus which, in addition to the treatment of the full-blown disease – specifies the note – also aims to prevent its complications, also promoting education and empowerment of patients and caregivers.
“We enthusiastically welcome initiatives such as Pronto Diabete which, in addition to maintaining high attention on type 2 diabetes, aim to provide concrete support for a pathology that has a strong impact on the quality of life of patients affected by it – declares Stefano Nervo, president by Diabete Italia – People with type 2 diabetes very often tend to minimize their pathology, not undergoing periodic checks and underestimating the possible cardiovascular and renal complications disease, promote correct information and provide concrete support to patients with a view to preventing or promptly diagnosing cardiorenal complications of type 2 diabetes and improving therapeutic adherence”.
“To be proactive and adherent in the management of the pathology, patients should be able to count on a local unit close to them – concludes Maurizio Stroppa, CEO of Sistema Farmacia Italia (network of over 1,600 independent pharmacies in the area active in pharmaceutical care projects) – For this reason we believe that pharmacies can become a further reference point of proximity for patients, in line with what is emerging at a legislative level, thanks to greater territorial proximity of the healthcare system. The Pronto Diabete campaign represents an opportunity to go in this direction and provide concrete support to patients in the management of their pathology”.
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