Over half million Cubans have diabetes

Over half million Cubans have diabetes
15 November 2013| last updated at 12:04PM

HAVANA: The number of diabetics in Cuba has doubled over the last
decade, reaching more than half million at the end of 2012, a local
expert said on Thursday which marks World Diabetes Day.
Some 513,000 Cubans have been diagnosed with the disease, but a similar
number of people could have diabetes without knowing it, said Dr.
Ileydis Iglesias, director of the National Diabetic Treatment Centre. He
said most diabetics were aged between 60 and 64.

The chances of having diabetes increase with the prevalence of such risk
factors as obesity, low levels of physical activity and poor nutrition,
he said, adding that diabetes mellitus and its complications, however,
are largely preventable.

With that in mind, Cuba has put in place a national programme for
treating diabetic patients, including pregnant women, children and
adolescents, and has made headway in developing drugs to improve their
condition and treat complications.

In the case of patients with diabetic foot and related ulcers, more than
25,000 have benefitted from the Cuban-made biotech drug Heberprot-P,
which helps avoid the need for amputations of the lower limbs.

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 371 million people
worldwide suffer from the disease, half of them unaware of their
condition, and 4.8 million die from the affliction each year.

World Diabetes Day is observed on Nov 14, the birthday of Frederick
Banting, co-discoverer of insulin. --BERNAMA

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