The culture wars go on – should Big Gulps be banned or not in New York? But the reality is that over 25 million adults and children (or over 8 percent of the population) in the U.S. have diabetes, up from 5.6 million in 1980. And it’s a well-known fact that sugary drinks, and lots of them, along with other high-calorie and high-sugar foods can be a factor in causing the disease.
A recent survey by research firm WorldOne, Sermo (a physician online community) and Joslin Diabetes Center has found that 76 percent of clinicians agree that the federal government should regulate foods containing unhealthy ingredients, and 71 percent support the New York City Health Commissioner's decision to ban sugary soft drinks larger than 16 ounces in public food venues.
Almost 80 percent believe employers should fund weight-control interventions for all employees, and a whopping 97 percent believe individual health counseling has a powerful effect on the health of people with diabetes.
Almost 90 percent agree more pharmaceutical options are needed for diabetes, and
62 percent believe innovative devices (e.g., pumps, monitors, implants) or drug therapies are most likely to have the greatest near-term patient benefit.
In April Bayer Healthcare announced a meter and test strips to measure glucose levels, while in January, engineers at Brown University reported they had designed a biochip that can measure glucose levels in saliva almost as accurately as current devices can measure levels in blood. According to cnet.com, glucose levels are 100 times more concentrated in blood than in saliva.
More than half the live audience of physicians at Diabetes Innovation 2012, a conference on the disease, agreed pharmacists should be able to serve as primary care providers for people with diabetes, versus only 15 percent of Sermo physicians, while 70 percent of physicians believe pharmaceutically assisted innovations are necessary for obesity management, versus 45 percent of delegates.
A smaller percentage – 17 – of physicians believe future screening will have a positive impact on clinical outcomes versus only nine percent of delegates.
Physicians also placed more emphasis on adherence and future screening and less on effective treatment.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
