DOHA: The most advanced research methods of diagnosing diabetes and improving results for large populations was highlighted in a lecture at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
The Academic Health System lecture and Multi-Departmental Grand Round were presented by Professor Garry John, Consultant Clinical Biochemist and Head of Clinical Biochemisty and Immunology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the UK.
The sessions were part of an ongoing focus on integrating academic and health services to improve patient outcomes.
“As of 2011, about 366 million people worldwide had diabetes, and the number is expected to reach 552m by 2030. A primary cause of the global epidemic is obesity, associated with type 2 diabetes. About 50 percent, or 183m with diabetes worldwide are undiagnosed,” he said, citing statistics from International Diabetes Federation.
The sessions focused on haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing as the best long-term marker of diabetes control. “World Health Organisation recommended HbA1c for diagnosing diabetes in 2011 because it is a simple test. With one random blood sample, it measures the patient’s glucose values over one to three months.”
He said it better equips healthcare practitioners to manage a patient’s diabetes and prevent associated complications, such as cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of premature death among diabetics.
The Peninsula
