A recent study that can be found in the edition of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization states that misdiagnosed diabetes and poor treatment of diabetics is putting millions of people at risk for an early death.
A research team in the United States reviewed the records of people from six countries England, Iran, Mexico, Scotland, Thailand and the United States. The team examined the records for information on diabetes diagnosis, treatment plans and management plans.
Almost ninety percent of diabetics living in the United States more than sixteen million adults aged 35 and older have an ineffective treatment plan for their blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol. That percentage is ninety-nine percent in Mexico, said the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.
In addition, only one to twelve percent of diabetics in England, Iran, Mexico, Scotland, and Thailand has been properly diagnosed and has a treatment plan that is effective. They also discovered that people diagnosed with diabetes do not receive treatment for other cardiovascular risk factors that could be just as dangerous to their health as uncontrolled blood sugar. As for the United States, diagnosis and effective treatment was twice as likely for people with health insurance compared to those without insurance.
Too many people are not being properly diagnosed with diabetes and related cardiovascular disease risk factors. Those who are diagnosed aren't being effectively treated. This is a huge missed opportunity to lower the burden of disease in both rich and poor countries," study co-author Dr. Stephen Lim, an associate professor of global health, said in an IHME news release.
Source: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/diabetes/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100270348
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