In Mexico, the prevalence to diabetes has increased in recent years because there is very little culture of prevention.This is stated by Dr. Jorge Yamamoto Cuevas, endocrinologist and director of General Policlinic for the Attention of Diabetes in Mexico, who adds that in general the population of the country is not performed laboratory exams, doctors also assume the attention of indicating the patient thatmust carry them out.
He explains that diabetes begins to develop between five and ten years before having signs of it in blood tests.However, there are risk factors that increase the possibility of condition, before which laboratory tests must be performed periodically."Signs such as inheritance, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, being Latin, and in women the polycystic ovary, increases 70 percent the possibilities of having diabetes," the specialist determines.
On the doctor's responsibility in the result of the patient's treatment, Dr. Yamamoto Cuevas is emphatic.“The newly graduated doctors know a lot about everything and little of anything, they know only two medications for diabetes and now.Who prescribes insulin to the first change is someone who does not know how to treat diabetes.
“The percentage of patients who at some point abandon their treatment, in the medium or long term, is very high.To a large extent, the doctor does not educate the patient either, he does not know how to warn him that the process is comprehensive and should be followed with rigor, that care is for a lifetime to avoid problems derived from diabetes in many organs. ”
The endocrinologist emphasizes that this lack of information between doctors and patients has given rise to myths that affect good results in diabetes treatments.“All the legends of insulin arose because doctors prescribed it when there were already consequences of the disease.So, it is not uncommon for patients to be reluctant to the administration of the hormone, as they attribute effects such as blindness, feet amputation and kidney problems.Currently what we do is indicate it before the problems. ”
Dr. Yamamoto Cuevas highlights that Mexico does not exist in diabetology as a medical specialty for the treatment of the disease and those who focus on it are endocrinologists and internists.However, there are general doctors who handle the problem excellently, because they stay up to date and is updated.
“When the patient arrives with the endocrinologist it is because he already has problems, which largely are derived from the general practitioner does not know the problem beyond and only recipes one or two medications, or insulin, and the reason is that they are nottrained ”.He regrets that the number of specialists in the country is not sufficient due to the increase in the number of patients.
Finally, Yamamoto Cuevas suggests the patient with diabetes pays attention to the review that makes a doctor in their condition as sick.“The doctor does not know how the kidney, retinas or heart is, but on the feet there are nerves and blood vessels, and if there are alternations in them there will be in any other organ;This auscultation will not take more than five minutes.It must also review the sensitivity of the legs, which is one of the main indicative of the diabetes progress ”.(ID agency)