One in four lives with diabetes in Canada

In Canada one in four people lives with diabetes or prediabetes, but in ten years one in three Canadians will be living with diabetes or prediabetes, the Canadian association of diabetes foresees.

In Canada it is estimated that one in ten deaths in 2009 was attributable to diabetes, a disease suffered by 3.5 million Canadians, but that by 2026 the number will grow to 4.9 million.

The association indicates that the total cases of prediabetes and diabetes in Canada is 11 million people and that by 2026 it will grow to 13.9 million.

Diabetes -related complications are expected to be associated with early death and that this disease reduces the life of a person between five and 15 years.

A diabetes patient is three times more prone to being hospitalized than a person with cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes contributes to 30 percent of fulminating attacks, 40 percent of heart attacks and 50 percent renal failure that requires dialysis.

The cost of this disease for the Canadian public health system is 3.4 billion dollars, but in ten years it will grow to five billion dollars, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

The impact of this disease on the public health system and the economy was 11.7 billion dollars in 2010 and by 2020 it will be 16 billion dollars, the association points out.

He adds that cases of diabetes in the country have doubled in a decade and will continue to grow.

"Currently, one in four Canadians lives with diabetes and cases will grow, unless we take actions," the specialists warn.

Due to the high indexes of obesity cases among indigenous communities (first nations) the diabetes rate is three to five times more than in the general population.

With a population mostly mature, with 60 percent of Canadians with overweight and obesity and a sedentary life, they are factors that favor the prevalence of this disease in the country of North America.

In Canada there is advanced technology that allows a good diagnosis of the patient, for example with ocular disease associated with diabetes, Dr. Mónica Cortés told Notimex.

"Diabetes is a systemic disease that affects the body and eye does not escape that reality, it is one of the organs - together with the kidneys - that are more affected in the body."

It has the OCT exam, which is a retina tomography that evaluates the layers of the retina and allows you to see what damage to the diabetes product.

There is also the FRG that is an exam (flurogenic angiography) where the patient is placed a contrast substance through an injection and photos of the retina are taken to evaluate the blood flow of the retina.

"If diabetic retinopathy has intermediate and advanced states, the patient is referred to the specialist (ophthalmologist) to receive laser treatment or intravitreal injections."

The doctor, graduated in Venezuela in ophthalmology and certified in Canada as an optometrist, said that almost all medical care for the patient with diabetes is covered by the Public Health System OHIP (in Ontario).

“Medical consultations, all OCT and FRG exams, laser treatment and some intravitreal injections are covered by the OHIP.Family doctors generally refer to the diabetic patient for a visual examination in order to prevent any alteration of the diabetes product. ”

In addition, he stressed that the control of diabetes depends on a multidisciplinary management the collaboration of the family doctor, the optometrist, the endocrinologist, as well as a healthy diet and exercise, so that the Canadian health service promotes various programs for care for care programsDiabetics

In 1999, the Canadian strategy for diabetes (CDS) was created with a fund of 115 million dollars for the first five years and focused on the prevention and care of patients with type 2 diabetes.

In 2005, the CDS joined the integrated strategy for patients with chronic diseases, with annual funds for 18 million dollars, focused on preventing chronic disease and supporting early detection.

The Federal Government also established an exclusive program for indigenous people with diabetes (ADI) with 600 patient care programs.

There is also a Canadian system for surveillance of chronic diseases, with the collaboration of the 10 provinces and three territories of the country.

Canada established in 2010 a national program to combat cases of childhood obesity promoting “a healthy weight”.

The Canadian Diabetes Association points out that this year about 29 percent of Canadians have diabetes or prediabetes and places indigenous and immigrants in Asia, Latin America and Africa as the most likely.

Although diabetes patients have access to the Public Health Service OHIP must pay for certain medications or treatments not covered by the government plan, which can reach an expense of 1,500 dollars a year (22 thousand 870 pesos).

It is estimated that 50 percent of cases of type 2 diabetes could have been prevented with healthy eating and exercise.