12 Tips to optimize your video calls and not die trying

For over a year now, the COVID-19 healthcare crisis has imposed new ways of working. At first, we all had to adapt in a hurry but now, some of these measures, such as teleworking and video calls, seem to have taken hold in many companies.

This article lists the best tips for getting the most out of video calls and thus optimizing everyone's energy and productivity.

1. 1. Whenever possible, set up the meeting in advance. People will be able to better organize their agenda and prioritize your meeting over other events that may come later.
   2. In the meeting invitation, leave in writing:
      • The overall objective of the meeting.
      • The issues to be addressed.
      • The attendees and their positions, in case not all attendees know each other.
   3. If you are working on a document or presentation, send it in advance, facilitating pre-reading. This will help the attendees to be more familiar with the subject matter and will allow for faster progress.
   4. Address the most important issues at the beginning of the meeting so that you can devote as much time as needed to them. If there are less important topics, cover them at the end of the meeting.
   5. Respect the start and end times of the meeting and leave a few minutes of courtesy at the end to give a break to people who may have to go into another videoconference.
   6. Familiarize yourself with the platform you will be using and pre-test before the meeting to minimize problems in the call.
   7. Keep your camera on. Several studies have found an increase in concentration when you keep your camera on in these types of meetings.
   8. However, when it comes to routine meetings, turn off the camera. In this way we reduce the environmental impact generated by using these technologies by 96%.
   9. Maintain eye contact with the camera as this will make it appear as if you are looking at your interlocutors. It may help placing a post-it to point to the camera.
   10. Use a neutral or blurred background; do not use histrionic default backgrounds provided by some platforms (paradisiacal beaches, space landscapes, etc).
   11. At the end of the meeting, send the attendees a brief summary of the main points discussed and the possible assignments of the participants.
   12. Most importantly, practice empathy and understanding with others and with yourself. Don't be embarrassed by possible interruptions (children, pets, delivery people...).

by Global

Health and Big Data

We live in a time in which an incredible amount of data is being generated. For this data to be useful, it must be converted into information. And that's where Big Data, Data Mining and Data Science come in. All this data, properly handled and managed, can make research advance faster and more effectively and medicine can also be much more efficient. However, this enormous amount of raw data also presents several challenges, such as privacy management, storage, and accessibility from remote centers.

In all aspects of healthcare, there are many sources of data that give rise to a tremendous amount of information. Everything from structured data (patients' names, their analytical values) to unstructured data (such as medical notes, X-rays, medical reports) is generated in the healthcare sector. On top of this, we must add the large amount of information about our health generated nowadays by wearable devices. The biomedical information that will be available is expected to double every year and a half over the next few years, making it a great challenge to manage and obtain useful information from this data. This enormous amount of data can provide us with a great deal of relevant information, which can be used for what is known as personalized medicine (disease prevention, personalization of treatments, better monitoring of chronic patients).

A very recent example of this is the development of the Smart Lollipop. A medical team in Catalonia has developed a lollipop-shaped device that detects diseases through saliva. This facilitates the performance of diagnostic tests in children. It consists of a smart candy able to diagnose pathologies by means of a saliva sample and digitizes the response on an online platform. The patient must consume the candy for approximately three minutes while the device collects the saliva and sends it to a biosensor. The candy is then connected to an optical reader to digitalize the diagnosis. The device can detect hypercholesterolemia and celiac disease, although they are working to add more diagnostic lines.

Source: Innovation4Kids

This is a very important breakthrough, as each year cardiovascular diseases take the lives of more than 120,000 people in Spain and 42% of these deaths are related to hypercholesterolemia, according to a study conducted by the Association of Cardiovascular Risk and Rehabilitation. In addition, more than half of the people who suffer from celiac disease are unaware of it.

by Global

World Hypertension Day

Arterial hypertension (HT) is one of the leading causes of premature death in the world, affecting an estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide. It has a high prevalence in Spain, affecting 35% of adults and reaching 70% in those over 60 years of age, which means that there are 10 million adults with HT in our country.

There is a high level of knowledge about this disease and its treatment, but less than 40% of patients have their HT under control. This is alarming because HTN is a serious condition that has been shown to significantly increase the risk of heart disease, encephalopathy, nephropathy, and other diseases.

To raise awareness of this reality, World Hypertension Day is observed on May 17th to educate the public about optimal blood pressure levels and recommendations for preventing and controlling hypertension.

Blood pressure (BP) is the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the arteries. This force is generated by the heartbeat, which pushes blood out of the heart and through the arteries. The optimal blood pressure numbers are 120 mmHg (maximum or systolic) and 80 mmHg (minimum or diastolic). When blood pressure is too high, it is called arterial hypertension. Hypertension is considered to exist when the systolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or when the diastolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 90 mmHg.

Risk Factors for Hypertension

Modifiable risk factors.

• Inadequate diet: high salt intake, diet rich in saturated fats, diet poor in fruits and vegetables.
• Sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Overweight and obesity
• High stress levels

Non-modifiable risk factors.

• Genetic history of hypertension
• Age: >55 years in men and >65 years in women.
• Gender: cardiovascular risk is higher in men.
• Hormonal changes: the onset of menstruation can increase blood pressure.
• The presence of other pathologies (diabetes, nephropathies).

Since this disease is not usually accompanied by warning signs or symptoms, hypertensive patients are often unaware that they have hypertension. Only when the blood pressure is very high can symptoms such as headache, body heat, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeat and, in more extreme cases, fatigue, confusion and anxiety be noticed. Prolonged high blood pressure causes different symptoms depending on the organ affected and the degree of involvement. For all these reasons, it is important to know what our blood pressure is. Here are some tips to help you measure your blood pressure.

Tips for measuring blood pressure

• Do not smoke or consume stimulating drinks (coffee or alcohol) 30 minutes before the test.
• Be calm and do not rush.
• Sit with your back against the back of the chair, with your legs touching the floor and not crossed.
• The hand of the arm we are going to measure should be relaxed, without squeezing and in a resting position, more or less at the level of the heart.
• Take the measurement after a resting period of about 10 minutes.
• It is recommended to measure three times and to take the average. A single blood pressure reading is not sufficient to diagnose hypertension. 

Treatment of HT is based on lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and medication. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment have been shown to be essential in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Here are some tips to help lower your blood pressure.

Tips to reduce hypertension:

• Lose weight.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Reduce consumption of saturated fats.
• Get moderate physical activity. Walk at least 30 minutes a day.
• Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.
• Stop smoking.
• Reduce alcohol consumption.
• Get the necessary hours of sleep.
• Practice activities that promote relaxation.

by Global

World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis Day is observed on 24 March each year to commemorate the day in 1882 when Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the causative agent of tuberculosis, making it possible to diagnose and treat the disease. The goal of the day is to raise public awareness of the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis and to intensify efforts to end the global epidemic.

Tuberculosis remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 4,500 people die from tuberculosis every day, and about 30,000 people (including about 700 children) die from a preventable and curable disease. It is estimated that global tuberculosis control efforts have saved 54 million lives and reduced the tuberculosis mortality rate by 42% since 2000.

Tuberculosis can be defined as a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that almost always affects the lungs. It is curable and preventable. Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through the air. When a person with pulmonary tuberculosis coughs, sneezes, or spits, he or she expels tubercle bacilli into the air. Although your body can harbor the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, your immune system can prevent you from getting sick. For this reason, a distinction is made between:

• Latent tuberculosis. You are infected with tuberculosis, but the bacteria in your body are in an inactive state and you have no symptoms. Latent tuberculosis is not contagious. However, it can become active tuberculosis, so treatment is important.
• Active tuberculosis. Also called tuberculosis disease, this condition makes you sick and, in most cases, can spread to others. It can occur weeks or years after infection with tuberculosis bacteria. Signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis include:
  • Cough that lasts three weeks or longer.
  • Coughing up blood or mucus.
  • Chest pain or pain when breathing or coughing.
  • Unintentional weight loss.
  • Fatigue.
  • Fever.
  • Night sweats.
  • Chills.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, or brain. When tuberculosis occurs outside the lungs, the signs and symptoms vary depending on the organs involved.

There are two types of tests used to detect tuberculosis bacteria in the body: the tuberculin skin test and blood tests. A positive tuberculin skin test or blood test only indicates that the person is infected with tuberculosis bacteria. It does not indicate whether the person has latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or has progressed to tuberculosis disease. Other tests, such as a chest X-ray or sputum sample, are needed to determine whether the person has tuberculosis disease.

When a case of tuberculosis is diagnosed and reported, a contact investigation is conducted in the patient's environment to rule out other possible cases of infection or disease and, if necessary, to begin appropriate treatment as soon as possible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that persons at increased risk for tuberculosis be screened for latent tuberculosis infection. This recommendation includes people who:

• Have HIV/AIDS
• Use intravenous drugs.
• Are in contact with infected persons.
• Are from a country where tuberculosis is common, such as several countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
• Live or work in areas where tuberculosis is common, such as prisons or nursing and convalescent homes.
• Work in health care and treat people at high risk for tuberculosis.
• Have children exposed to adults at risk for tuberculosis.

Without treatment, tuberculosis can be fatal. This active, untreated disease usually affects the lungs, but can also spread to other parts of the body. It is important to remember that proper treatment of tuberculosis is the best way to control the disease. The treatment of tuberculosis has two main objectives: to interrupt the transmission of the disease by acting on the people who are infected (so that they do not get sick) and to treat the sick to prevent them from transmitting the disease, curing their illness, and preventing them from developing complications. It is essential to complete treatment and not to discontinue it in order to avoid relapse and the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is much more difficult to treat and more likely to cause complications.

Tuberculosis also remains a leading cause of death due to the rise of drug-resistant strains. Over time, some tuberculosis bacteria have developed the ability to survive in spite of drugs. This is partly due to people not taking the drugs as prescribed or not completing treatment. Drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis occur when the antibiotic is not effective and does not kill all the bacteria. The surviving bacteria become resistant to that drug and often to other antibiotics.

It is important to remember that tuberculosis remains a major public health problem and that it is essential to complete the contact tracing study and not to stop treatment until it is completed. This is the most important action that can be taken. If treatment is stopped early, tuberculosis bacteria have the potential to develop mutations that allow them to survive the most effective anti-tuberculosis drugs. The result is drug-resistant strains that are more deadly and much harder to treat. It's in everyone's hands!

by Global

International Childhood Cancer Day

February 15 is International Children's Cancer Day (ICCD), which aims to raise awareness of the disease and the need for every child with cancer in the world to have access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment, and to show support for children and adolescents with cancer, survivors, and their families.

Cancer is a disease in which some cells in the body grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Under normal conditions, human cells form and multiply to make new cells to meet the body's needs. As cells age or become damaged, they die and are replaced by new cells. Sometimes the process does not follow this order, and abnormal or damaged cells form and multiply when they should not. These cells can form tumors. Tumors are either cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). Cancerous tumors spread (or invade) nearby tissues. They can also travel farther to other parts of the body and form tumors, a process called metastasis.

Cancer affects people of all ages and can occur in any part of the body. Unlike adult cancers, the causes of the vast majority of childhood cancers are unknown. Many studies have been done to try to determine them, but at this age there are very few cancers caused by environmental or lifestyle factors. In addition, current data suggest that about 10% of children with cancer have a genetic predisposition. For all these reasons, more research is needed to understand the factors that influence the development of childhood cancer.

Each year, more than 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide, and it is estimated that cancer will be the cause of death for 8,544 children under the age of 15 in 2020. In Spain, according to the Cancer Observatory report, around 1,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in patients under the age of 14. The most common types of childhood cancer are leukemia, brain cancer, lymphoma, and solid tumors such as neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor. Hematologic and central nervous system tumors are the most common, and it is estimated that approximately 50% of children under the age of 15 with cancer have leukemia or lymphoma.

Although much progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains the leading cause of childhood death in developed countries. The likelihood that a child will survive a cancer diagnosis depends on the country in which he or she lives: mortality is relatively low, with 5-year survival rates approaching 80% in high-income countries and reaching 100% for some specific tumor types, but in many low- and middle-income countries less than 30% are cured. These lower survival rates in low- and middle-income countries can be explained by late diagnosis, inaccurate diagnosis, lack of access to treatment, discontinuation of treatment, death due to toxicity (side effects of drugs), and preventable relapse.

Survival rates have improved in recent years. However, given the complexity of current therapeutic procedures, children with cancer should be referred as soon as possible to centers with specialized human and technical resources, where they will be treated by personnel trained in pediatric onco-hematology. For this reason, it is essential that parents and health professionals be aware of the first signs and symptoms and be alert to act when they occur.

Every child with cancer has the right to live a relatively normal life, with access to education, play and, of course, appropriate treatment to manage the disease. However, the reality is different for many of these children, especially those who live in conditions of extreme poverty, where their families and the country where they live cannot offer them any of these guarantees. This is why, in September 2018, the World Health Organization launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which aims to address these profound inequalities. The goal is to achieve at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030 and to reduce suffering for all.

All children with cancer have the right to access the best diagnosis and treatment in hospitals with specialized units to maximize the chances of success. Home care and palliative care units are also necessary to improve the quality of life throughout the course of the disease. Therefore, it is still necessary to invest more in research programs so that science can find the true cause of this disease, and as a society, we must all do our part to change the lives and dreams of every child with cancer.

There are many ways to celebrate International Childhood Cancer Day. You can get in touch with one of the organizations dedicated to visiting these children to bring a smile or a word of encouragement to them and their families. You can also make a financial contribution through one of these organizations or foundations so that more children and young people can continue to benefit and receive treatment. What are you waiting for? Place your grain of sand!

by Global

Antibiotic resistance – an impending pandemic

Antibiotics are substances that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. Most are produced by microorganisms such as fungi and even other bacteria.

In medicine, they are used to combat bacterial infections, which used to be the most common cause of death.

It is important to note that antibiotics are only useful against bacteria and not against viruses, so diseases caused by viruses, such as influenza or colds, are not only not treatable with antibiotics, but counterproductive.

The first antibiotic discovered was penicillin, and this and other antibiotics that followed have saved countless lives. But when they are used carelessly and abusively, bacteria manage to survive them through sheer evolution by becoming resistant to their effects.

This means that bacteria that were once sensitive to a particular antibiotic become less so by developing mechanisms that allow them to survive the antibiotic attack.

Today, there are countless bacteria that are resistant to not one, but several antibiotics and are called multi-resistant bacteria. Even more alarming, there are bacteria that are resistant to all available antibiotics and for which there is no treatment. These are the pan-resistant bacteria, or superbugs, and they are the ones that will cause the great pandemic of this century if we do not take action.

Bacteria have powerful adaptive strategies against antibiotics:

• Vertical gene transfer from parent bacteria to daughter bacteria.
• Horizontal gene transfer, in which two unrelated bacteria transfer genetic material to each other, allowing them to rapidly acquire antibiotic resistance genes. They do this in several ways:
  • Transformation: taking the genes that allow them to survive directly from the environment.
  • Transduction: Where phages or viruses that infect bacteria can act as vehicles for antibiotic resistance genes.
  • Conjugation: In which a plasmid or circular DNA molecule transfers antibiotic resistance genes between contacting bacteria.
  • Integron: When attacked by an antibiotic, the integron is activated and rearranges the genes to find the antibiotic resistance gene needed for survival.

It is estimated that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant bacteria will cause more than 10 million deaths per year worldwide.

We are fast approaching a scenario in which the antibiotics we know today will be less and less effective in fighting infections, and the consequences could be on a scale we have not yet imagined. We would be talking about a world where a knee injury could be fatal. Surgery or a transplant would be mission impossible. Fighting pneumonia would be a losing battle.

This problem has been brewing for years and is currently responsible for more than 33,000 deaths per year in Europe alone, costing the healthcare system around 1.5 billion euros.

According to the World Health Organization, there is an urgent need to change the way antibiotics are prescribed and used, because even if new drugs are developed, bacterial resistance to antibiotics will continue to pose a serious threat to the entire world if current behaviors are not changed.

These changes in behavior must include measures to reduce the spread of infections through vaccination campaigns, hand washing, safe sex, and good food hygiene.

We must always remember that antibiotics are restricted drugs and must be prescribed by the treating physician. They have side effects that can cause serious health problems for those who deliberately take them, not to mention bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which creates so-called superbugs that become immune to treatment, allowing diseases that cannot be controlled and can lead to death.

The deliberate, excessive, and inappropriate use of antibiotics is one of the main causes of this resistance problem, for which we all share responsibility. The solution is in everyone's hands.

by Global

Post-Covid Syndrome

Post COVID Syndrome is defined as the persistence of physical, cognitive and/or psychological symptoms 12 weeks (3 months) after the acute phase of COVID-19, symptoms that cannot be explained by any other diagnosis.

If we define the post COVID syndrome as those COVID symptoms that persist beyond what is expected, and its consequent respiratory involvement, we must be particularly careful not to include here the symptoms derived from the sequelae and severe complications with involvement of various organs after infection, or even with comorbidity due to other pathologies concurrent with the process itself or previous diseases aggravated by the infection.

Thus, it is necessary to distinguish between post-acute COVID (symptoms lasting more than 3 weeks), prolonged COVID (symptoms lasting more than 4 weeks up to 12 weeks) and post-COVID syndrome or persistent COVID (lasting more than 12 weeks).

Post COVID syndrome can result in more than 50 symptoms, most of which occur in multiple forms. Symptoms may fluctuate or cause flares as it is a heterogeneous entity that includes:

• General malaise
• Post-viral chronic fatigue (low threshold for exercise endurance)
• Asthenia (fatigue at rest)
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• Aphonia
• Coughing
• Arthralgia
• Myalgia
• Anosmia (loss of sense of smell)
• Attention disorders
• Difficulty concentrating or mental fog (disorientation, forgetfulness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating)
• Headache
• Epileptic seizures
• Memory changes
• Tachycardia
• Edema
• Sleep disturbance (insomnia)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (post-ICU patients)
• Multiple organ sequelae
• Effects of severe hospitalization/post-intensive care syndrome

Post-COVID syndrome has been described in patients with mild or severe COVID-19 and regardless of the severity of symptoms in the acute phase.

Approximately 10-65% of survivors with mild/moderate COVID-19 have symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome for 12 weeks or longer.

As research progresses, the mechanisms of these SARS-CoV-2 complications and the cascade of dissemination and organs that may be affected, as well as the cytokine "storm" and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis syndrome, are becoming known as major causes of these complications.

The initiation of damage and all these sequelae are probably caused by severe inflammatory responses, thrombotic microangiopathy, venous thromboembolism, and oxygen deprivation.

The cause of the diverse symptomatology of Post COVID Syndrome is fundamentally a multisystemic inflammatory response with associated functional organic wear.

However, to understand the long-term effects of COVID19, why symptoms persist or recur, how and who is affected, and the clinical course and likelihood of full recovery more time and much more research is needed.

by Global

Why do some vaccine recipients develop covid-19?

Since the start of the vaccination campaign, severe cases of COVID-19 have been significantly reduced. However, some of those who have received the full vaccine regimen still develop COVID-19. This is not to say that vaccines do not work or are less effective; on the contrary, all current data on vaccines show that they are very effective and also very safe, even against new variants.

Recall that vaccines prepare our immune system to recognize and defend itself against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent the development of COVID-19 disease by generating an immune system response against the S protein, which is a specific and exclusive protein of the virus.

A person is considered fully vaccinated if he/she has received all the doses prescribed for each of the vaccines currently on the market. However, a complete schedule does not eliminate the possibility of infection with the virus, as these vaccines do not prevent infection or complete invasion of the virus.

People with a complete vaccination program will then have a trained immune system that will act very quickly in the presence of the virus. But while this is happening, the virus can multiply and the person would be infected but with no symptoms or very mild symptoms and could infect others. The simple fact that the virus faces almost immediate resistance from the immune system leads us to believe that there will be up to a 50% reduction in its ability to transmit.

This in no way means that the vaccine has failed. The complete and total success of the vaccine is the prevention of COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe cases, the vaccines are not 100% effective, but although their primary goal is not to prevent infection, they do prevent people from developing severe forms of the disease and dying.

Therefore:

• Infections are expected to occur in vaccinees. COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing most infections. However, (as with other vaccines) they are not 100% effective.
• Fully vaccinated individuals who become infected are less likely to develop severe disease than unvaccinated individuals who become infected with COVID-19.
• Even when fully vaccinated people do develop symptoms, they tend to be milder than in unvaccinated people.
• Vaccines against COVID-19 protect people against infection and severe disease, and significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death.
• Vaccination is important to reduce the spread of the virus and prevent the emergence of new variants worldwide.
• Vaccinated people are much better protected against severe disease and death from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people, including variants such as Delta.
• Vaccination is the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent infection with the Delta variant, among others.
• Infection in vaccinees occurs when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccinated persons who become infected may be contagious.
• Even if you are fully vaccinated, it is important to remember that prevention is still one of the best ways to avoid spreading the virus.
• Even if you are fully vaccinated, if you live in an area with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, you, your family, and your community will be better protected by wearing a face mask in enclosed public places.
• There are groups of people who cannot be vaccinated, either because they have a medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated or because of their age. In these cases, it is important to wear a mask, keep a safe distance and wash your hands.
• If you are pregnant, you can be vaccinated against COVID-19.
• If you are breast-feeding, you can be vaccinated against COVID-19.

by Global

Flash Glucose Monitoring and Reduction of Acute Diabetes Complications

Capillary blood glucose monitoring has been fundamental throughout the history of diabetes to improve metabolic control and reduce complications. Among the various continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, the most widely used is the "flash" system, which measures glucose continuously.

Continuous glucose monitoring throughout the day with this system can prevent periods of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, unlike the traditional system. This method not only alerts the patient to fluctuations in glucose levels, but also facilitates quick and efficient action through more precise administration of the required insulin. This system shows the trend of blood glucose levels and allows the patient to predict what their levels will be in the short term.

The Flash System consists of two main components: a handheld reader and a disposable sensor that is worn on the back of the arm. The reader is used to wirelessly scan the sensor and obtain glucose readings. When the patient scans the sensor with a special device or cell phone, the current and previous 8-hour blood glucose levels are provided. This allows the patient to take preventative measures against hyper- and hypoglycemia.

The only "flash" system on the market is the FreeStyle Libre (FSL), which is why it is widely used in developed countries and financed by most public health systems.

A study conducted at the University of Paris analyzed hospital admissions for hyperglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis, and diabetes-related coma over a one-year period. Patients with type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2) diabetes, treated with a "flash" system, participated and their evolution was compared with the previous year without continuous glucose monitoring. The sample included 74,011 individuals, 45% with DM1 and 55% with DM2. Of these, 88% were treated with multiple doses of insulin or an insulin pump. The use of the Flash system showed a dramatic reduction in hospital admissions for diabetic decompensation, namely 49.0% in people with DM1 and 39.4% in people with DM2. The most significant reductions were in admissions for ketoacidosis, which were more than halved (56.2% in DM1 and 52.1% in DM2), and for diabetes-related coma (39.6% in DM1 and 31.9% in DM2). Hospitalizations for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia decreased by 10.8% and 26.5%, respectively, in people with DM2.

An interesting finding of the study related to capillary blood glucose monitoring was that hospitalizations for hypoglycemia were marginal, most likely due to the ability of patients to resolve them without the need for hospitalization.

The General Alliance of Patients (AGP) believes that:

• The new Flash Glucose Monitoring System breaks new ground in the management of patients with diabetes who are treated with multiple doses of insulin (MDIs).
• Obtaining glucose levels in a simple and painless way, without the daily finger prick, allows for more frequent monitoring. The patient has more information that is easy to interpret and use, which contributes to improved adherence and metabolic control.
• By having more data about their glycemic profile, patients will be able to better adjust the insulin doses needed to optimize their own metabolic control, thus avoiding acute complications in the short term and chronic complications in the long term.
• This device will provide patients with greater self-management of their disease and autonomy in decision making, which is a critical element in treatment adherence and a reduction in the burden of care by reducing the number of doctor's visits and hospitalizations. This situation will lead to savings for the health system, both economically and in terms of human resources.
• The new Flash Glucose Monitoring System facilitates communication between professionals and patients with the common goal of optimizing metabolic control by sharing information and knowledge to improve decision making. This defines a new model focused on patient care, autonomy, and shared responsibility. It is important to emphasize the importance of involving all stakeholders in the system in order to achieve collaborative efficiency.
• Non-adherence reflects the difficulty of living with diabetes and is one of the main reasons for not achieving the desired goals. It also has a major negative impact on the natural history of DM and on costs.
• In patients treated with multiple insulin injections, the high number of daily injections is one of the main causes of non-compliance and optimization of metabolic control. Elimination of these habitual injections will undoubtedly have a positive influence on the psychological state of the patients.
• Personal empowerment is key for patients to be able to manage their DM on a daily basis with greater confidence in the control and optimization of their treatment. It is important to emphasize the importance of providing patients with resources that facilitate their daily decision making, as they are the active daily decision makers in the management of their disease. In this way, the patient will be able to better control his pathology by understanding and participating in his treatment in a much more positive and active way.
• This new Flash Glucose Monitoring System is a key technological innovation that will enable both professionals and patients to make the right decisions. Daily information is essential to know the pattern of glucose levels, their variability and to make the necessary therapeutic adjustments.

For all these reasons, a system that is integrated into the daily life of the diabetic patient, that provides easy-to-interpret data and, at the same time, eliminates the routine of finger pricking, allowing a better social adaptation of the diabetic patient, will undoubtedly become a fundamental element in improving the control of the disease and will help the patient to make appropriate decisions regarding his or her treatment.

by Global

World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day has been celebrated since 1991 and is promoted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), who launched this global campaign in response to the alarming increase in the incidence of diabetes around the world.

The date of November 14 was chosen because it coincides with the centenary of the birth of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, conceived the idea that led to the discovery of insulin in October 1921.

The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the causes, symptoms, treatment, and complications associated with the disease. World Diabetes Day reminds us that the incidence of this serious disease is increasing and will continue to do so unless we take action now to prevent this enormous growth. The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled over the past 40 years. It is the only non-communicable disease for which the risk of premature death is increasing rather than decreasing.

WHO facts and figures

• The number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. The prevalence of the disease has increased faster in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
• Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower limb amputation.
• Between 2000 and 2016, premature mortality from diabetes increased by 5%.
• In 2019, diabetes was the direct cause of an estimated 1.5 million deaths, and in 2012, 2.2 million people died as a result of hyperglycemia.

World Diabetes Day brings together millions of people in more than 160 countries to raise awareness about diabetes, including children and adults affected by diabetes, healthcare professionals, health policy makers and the media. Numerous local and national events are organized by Member Associations of the International Diabetes Federation and other diabetes-related organizations, healthcare professionals, health authorities and individuals committed to diabetes. World Diabetes Day unites the global diabetes community by creating a powerful voice for diabetes awareness. In Spain, the Spanish Diabetes Society and the Spanish Diabetes Federation are member associations of the International Diabetes Federation.

The World Diabetes Day logo is a blue circle - the global symbol of diabetes, created as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The logo was adopted in 2007 to commemorate the adoption of the United Nations Resolution on World Diabetes Day. The meaning of the blue circle symbol is incredibly positive. In many cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health. The color blue represents the sky that unites all nations and is the color of the United Nations flag. The blue circle symbolizes the unity of the international diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not use the insulin it does produce effectively. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the concentration of glucose in the blood, or blood sugar. The result of uncontrolled diabetes is hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), which over time can cause serious damage to many organs and systems, especially nerves and blood vessels.

• Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) is characterized by the absence of insulin synthesis.
• Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) results from the body's inability to use insulin effectively, often as a result of obesity or physical inactivity.
• Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia first detected during pregnancy.

Types of Diabetes

A century after their discovery, insulin and other essential components of diabetes care remains out of reach for those who need them. This must change. Support our call to action to make sure it reaches the people who need to hear it. That's why the central theme of World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care.

• Millions of people with diabetes around the world lack access to diabetes care.
• People with diabetes need ongoing care and support to manage their condition and prevent complications.

Simple lifestyle changes have been shown to effectively prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. To prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, these behaviors should be followed: eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight, and avoiding tobacco use.

by Global