People gets free diabetes tests at a community programme, called Diabetes Camp Festival 2020 at the Saint Paul Hospital on Friday. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

HÀ NỘI — The number of people with diabetes in Việt Nam is very high, especially the rate of undiagnosed diabetics in the community, participants heard at a seminar on Friday in Hà Nội.

“According to the National Diabetes Survey in 2004 and 2008, up to 63-75 per cent of diabetes patients do not know their disease status in the community,” said Prof. Tạ Văn Bình, President of Việt Nam Association for Diabetes Educators.

Bình said that people with diabetes in Việt Nam were detected and treated mainly at a late stage with serious complications, especially complications with kidneys, eyes and nerves. In addition, about 5-10 per cent of diabetes patients were diagnosed with the illness when they were treated for other diseases. The situation causes more difficulties for treatment and increases the burden on patients.

The health sector statistics showed that Việt Nam has over 3.5 million people with diabetes. It is forecasted that the number will double by 2045. Obesity and inactive lifestyles are risk factors leading to an increase in the number of people with diabetes.

“The ability of health staff is still modest in accessing effective information on the best treatments for diabetes. The awareness of the patient and the community about diabetes, despite efforts in communication over the past 20 years, also have not yet met the needs for diabetes prevention,” said Bình.

Bình said that, besides the current COVID-19 pandemic, diabetes was also considered an epidemic. Around the world, there are 463 million people with type 2 diabetes. It is forecasted that by 2035 the number will increase to 592 million and by 2040 to 615 million.

"There is no disease in the world that has a rapid growth rate like diabetes," Professor Bình stressed. "Every six seconds, one person dies related to diabetes and one person in 20 seconds has an amputation due to complications of diabetes.”

The Saint Paul Hospital deputy director Đỗ Đình Tùng said that about 95 per cent of diabetes patients in Việt Nam are type 2. Most of type 2 diabetes patients in Việt Nam have cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and are overweight.

“The pre-diabetes stage develops very quietly, so it is difficult for the patient to recognise their diabetes status. However, even in the early stages of the disease, the patient is able to recognise the symptoms of diabetes such as complications in the blood vessels,” said Tùng.

Tùng advised patients with risk factors such as a family history of diabetes, overweight and obese people, people over 40 years old, women who have had gestational diabetes, people with high blood pressure, to go to hospital for early diabetes detection.

At the event, leading experts in the field of endocrinology and diabetes provided the latest medical knowledge in the prevention and treatment of diabetes to help doctors improve the quality of diabetes examination and treatment.

The seminar on diabetes diagnosis and treatment was held by the Saint Paul Hospital and the Việt Nam Association for Diabetes Educators. It is part of a community programme, called Diabetes Camp Festival 2020, that provided free examination, tests and consulting for nearly 1,000 people with diabetes in Hà Nội. — VNS