President since May of Diabetes Zaragoza, an association that this year celebrates its 50th anniversary and that promotes the IV Solidarity Carrera United for Diabetes that will take place next Sunday, December 1 in Zaragoza.
"How did the association arise?"
—It was born in 1969 as a delegation in Zaragoza of the Association of Spanish Diabetics.And it is the evolution of a national system to fight diabetes created by Red Cross, since at that time it was not treated in the National Health System.Since then, we have been the Zaragoza Diabetics Association.With the 50th anniversary commemoration we have changed our denomination, we are Zaragoza diabetes.
"How many partners do you have?"
"Somos about 1,100 partners."And among the advantages is to have a medical advisor and an individualized care service for the resolution of doubts and self -care, in addition to other specific ones for these patients, such as podiatries, ocular health or physiotherapy.Because diabetes is a background race in which you first take a pill, then pass through insulin and end with feet problems, sight, and so on.It is a progressive disease.It is always more and it is necessary to take care of yourself.
"What have your struggles be?"
—A of the first was that the health system facilitated disposable syringes and needles, because insulin did not come like now in recharged feathers.The next was the control strips, because the first portable glucose meters were very expensive.And currently, we are fighting for continuous glucose meters, some sensors inserted in the skin that they send, without the need to puncture, reading to a device, which can be a mobile.Aragon subsidizes some patients, such as children and young people, but we want it to extend to the whole.
"Why does diabetes appear?"
—Because the pancreas does not produce the sufficient amount of insulin that the body needs to maintain the proper blood glucose values.
"How is the life of a diabetic?"
—When diabetes debuts the world falls, you and your family, and let's not say if the patient is a child.At first, it is very strict, but as you advance in the treatment there are those who become indisciplined and relax.
—The ‘sugarless’ is fashionable.Are they recommended foods?
—The problem is that they have sweeteners to give them flavor and, in the end, they have a lot of fat.What is recommended is to eat the natural, moderating the amounts and especially the excesses of carbohydrates, because in the end they become sugar.
"Is it easy to be diabetic today?"
-Yeah.Hospitals have very good educators.But the data says that in Aragon there are 132,000 diabetics, of which more than 44,000 do not know.
"Among amputations?"
-Yeah.But for bad long -term control.
"And the future?"
—Camine towards control and measurement technologies and towards stem cell research.Meanwhile, in children and young people work with insulin bombs, a kind of artificial pancreas.
