Twelve million people live with diabetes in Mexico and it is estimated that by 2045 the number will increase to 22 million, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are responsible in 90 percent of cases, a situation that will also be reflected in finances.
The economic burden of type 2 diabetes in Mexico in 2013 was estimated at $860 million pesos, equivalent to 2.25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of that same year, an amount greater than the annual real growth of the Mexican economy registered by the Inegi at the end of 2014 (2.1 percent).
The vice president and general manager of Novo Nordisk, Yiannis Mallis, said that to continue with the increase in diabetes figures, Mexico will experience a financial emergency, because “complications cost 20 times more than medicines,” he said.
He explained that there were four million people with diabetes in the country in 2000; there are currently 12 million; and it is expected that by 2030 there will be 16 million.
During a meeting of experts in diabetes that took place in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, he indicated that only six percent of people with diabetes maintain a life without complications, while the rest is affected in the loss of sight, amputations or events cardiovascular
“We are not achieving how society, the medical and pharmaceutical community maintain control of diabetes,” he lamented.
After the approval of the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), the latest-generation medication was launched for the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which reduces the chances of cardiovascular events.
It was detailed that the new indication for liraglutide to reduce cardiovascular risk belongs to the pharmacological group of glucagon-like peptide analogs type 1 (GLP-1), a hormone that stimulates the release of insulin by the pancreas, decreases blood glucose levels and promotes weight loss.
“Twenty years after studying liraglutide we know that it reduces body weight, effects on the brain and effects on blood pressure. There is a reduction in cardiovascular events with this medication,” said David Orsted, Global Medical director of Novo Nordisk.
Experts agreed that adherence to treatment of people with diabetes should focus on education; while for the medical part it must be changed to a model of attention not only for glycemic control, but also for comprehensive care.
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