Research, key to improving the disease of diabetes

The number of diabetes cases increases every year worldwide and represents a socio-health and economic challenge. The “Firsts for diabetes” campaign highlights the importance of contributing to research to improve the disease and its management without forgetting prevention.

around the 13.8% of the Spaniards he lives with type 2 diabetesa disease that already affects some 537 million of people in the world, according to a study by the scientific journal Nature.

The pharmaceutical company Lillya pioneer in research for diabetes and its associated metabolic diseases, it has been working for a hundred years to provide answers to the needs of people with diabetes and improve their quality and life expectancy.

Thus, the campaign has been launched ‘First for diabetes’with the aim of continuing to promote and advance the knowledge of this pathology.

The initiative has the endorsement of the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE) and the scientific endorsement of the Foundation of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (SEEP)the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED) and the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN).

Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and 2

Diabetes is one chronic disease characterized by the hyperglycemiathat is, high levels of sugar or glucose in the blood.

There is two types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes: represents around the 10% of the cases and is diagnosed more frequently a children, teenagers i young adults. These people’s bodies do not produce insulin, so they cannot use glucose as an energy source.
• Type 2 diabetes: is the most common form of diabetes and represents around 90% of cases worldwide, usually appearing in adults. It occurs due to a resistance of the body to insulin, since the cells are not able to use this hormone effectively.

Diabetes, a silent pandemic

Despite the many advances that have been made in the knowledge and treatment of the disease, the number of people affected continues to increase every year.

“It is true that we have the feeling that we will not be able to reverse the number of diabetes cases worldwide, but in recent years they have been incorporated new effective drugs to the glycemic control they also have positive effect to weight loss and which have very important actions in terms of cardiovascular and renal benefit”, he explains doctor Francisco Javier Escalada, president of the SEEN.

In this same line, the doctor Antonio Pérez, president of the SEDremembers that “in Spain it is appreciated that there more than six million of people with diabetes, a figure that rises every year and represents a socio-health and economic challengean enormous challenge that needs everyone’s collaboration and, therefore, initiatives like this are of particular interest and value, which highlights the enormous contribution that the scientific community makes every day to fight diabetes”.

‘First for diabetes’

From Lilly they point out that their purpose, like that of the rest of the professionals who work in the field of this disease, is to contribute to the advancement of science and the early and efficient translation of the results into clinical practice by manage to improve the lives of diabetes patients, as well as improve the prevention and management of this disease.

The president of SEEP, Itxaso Ricapoints out: “The development of new insulins with more physiological action profiles, and the great technological advances developed in recent years (continuous glucose monitoring, insulin infusions and integrated systems) have favored a more appropriate metabolic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. However, it affects an increasing proportion of young children and remains a disease that limits the lives of many minors and their families”.

In this way, the campaign has a manifest of ten points which includes the joint commitment to continue working for the improvement of the disease:

1. Deepen knowledge about diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
2. Innovate in your approach.
3. Always think about the person with diabetes and their environment.
4. Investigate new possibilities.
5. Share discoveries about diabetes and associated metabolic diseases.
6. Explore the connections with the cardiovascular, renal and metabolic systems.
7. Promote and commit to scientific excellence.
8. Foster talent and teamwork.
9. Collaborate with health professional experts.
10. Take the initiative, set goals and fulfill objectives.