According to a study from Geneva, the treatment of diabetes needs to be improved

Diabetes tends to increase in Switzerland. But according to a study from Geneva, the treatment of the disease leaves much to be desired. Only about half of diabetics are treated for the disease.

The proportion of people whose blood sugar levels are under control, that is, within the norm, is one third (34 percent). “We are a bit disappointed because it is quite low,” research director Pedro Marques-Vidal of the University and University Hospital of Lausanne (Unil/Chuv) said on Monday when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency.

For the study, Marques-Vidal’s research group evaluated data from more than 12,000 people collected as part of the ‘Bus Santé’ health study in Geneva. They analyzed and compared the development of the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in the periods 2005-2009, 2010-2014 and 2015-2019.

The frequency of the disease decreased slightly among the study participants during this period, as shown in the study published in the journal “Scientific Reports”. However, the general trend in Switzerland is going the other way, Marques-Vidal emphasizes. People with diabetes are often unwilling to participate in health studies such as the “Bus Santé” study. “Diabetics generally do not accept invitations for a medical examination,” the expert explains.

According to the study, women with diabetes generally receive treatment less often than men, but have better control of their blood sugar levels. “Once they receive treatment, women take better care of themselves and adhere better to treatments,” says Marques-Vidal. In obese people, the opposite was found: more treatments but poorer blood sugar control.

According to the researchers, there is potential for improvement, both in care by doctors and in patient compliance.

According to Marques-Vidal, doctors often lack the time and training to provide nutritional advice for diabetes. Moreover, according to the expert, some patients engage in a kind of ‘cat and mouse game’: they take their medication shortly before visiting the doctor, but otherwise less regularly. (rbu/sda)