Expert warns of high incidence of diabetes in Amazonas

Manaus (AM) – This Tuesday (14) is World Diabetes Day, a chronic disease with a high incidence in Brazil and which leads to a series of health complications. According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Brazil is the sixth country with the most people with the disease – 15.7 million. The estimate is that, by 2045, it will reach 23.2 million Brazilian adults. In Amazonas, according to data from the State Department of Health (SES), more than 100 thousand people live with the disease.

Endocrinologist Ricardo Pithon, professor at Afya Medical Education, highlights that diabetes is a disease that is related to a series of complications in vision and the functioning of the kidneys and heart. Hence, the importance of prevention.

Ricardo Pithon explains that there are two main types of diabetes: 1, in which the individual does not produce enough insulin due to autoimmunity, and 2, which is acquired and is mainly related to lifestyle, with a diet rich in fat. and sedentary lifestyle.

“This is the type of diabetes that can be prevented, if people just change their habits”,

emphasizes.

According to Ricardo Pithon, regular physical activity and a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, without the consumption of processed and canned foods, are essential for the prevention and control of diabetes, for those people who already have the diagnosis.

The doctor warns that some symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, increased appetite, weight loss, among others.

“It is important to remember that these symptoms, most of the time, appear when blood glucose is already very high. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations and treat the disease early,”

recommends.

Ricardo Pithon highlights that, in Manaus, Afya Educação Médica maintains a free community service program in the area of ​​Endocrinology. The action is part of the practical activities of postgraduate courses offered by the institution. The service takes place every month at the headquarters of Afya Educação Médica, on Avenida André Araújo, 2767, Aleixo neighborhood. Interested parties can contact us at (92) 9379-9297 to check space availability and make an appointment.

“Endocrinology is an area with great demand and which the SUS is not always able to absorb. Offering free consultations is a way of guaranteeing quality care to the community and preparing postgraduate student doctors to treat the most different cases”,

adds.

Application

Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly present reality in the lives of Brazilians and represents 90% of diabetes cases in the country, being more common in adults, according to the Diabetes Atlas, from the International Diabetes Federation. Data from the Vic virtual assistant, linked to the free diabetes and glycemia management app Glic from Afya, shows that more than 10,000 registrations of patients with type 2 diabetes were carried out, from August to November 2023, with more than 73,000 blood pressure measurements. glycemia recorded on the platform during the period.

When a patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, controlling blood glucose is one of the main challenges. In addition to medical monitoring, technological solutions can assist in routine care. The Glic platform has an average glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) dosage of 6.85%, indicating that patients using the application are managing to effectively control their blood glucose levels – the ideal is to stay at up to 7.2% and the average in Brazil is more than 9%. The time on target, the number of hours that the patient had controlled blood glucose levels in a day, also has a good result, at 72.88%.

With the Glic application, it is possible to count carbohydrates, monitor medication use, calculate the insulin dose, collect daily blood glucose records and connect with a partner medical team, allowing real-time monitoring, through an electronic medical record, contributing to more assertive decisions for treatment. The platform also launched, in August 2023, the virtual assistant Vic, for free service on WhatsApp, aimed at people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The chatbot version makes it possible to record blood glucose and blood pressure, and its main new feature is the “Health Information” option, with guidance on diabetes and incentives for adopting healthy habits.

*with information from consultancy

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