Diabetes assessment tool now online

One of the best ways to prevent illnesses from worsening is to be aware of what it is, most importantly its risks and complications. Especially for a chronic illness that typically has no cure like diabetes, one can only try to get early and proper diagnosis, better manage and identify the risks and eventually get treatment suitable for one’s condition.

This is why global pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Philippines came up with a Diabetes Risk Assessment tool that is a simple to understand and easy to take online survey. It can help Filipino patients assess and address modifiable and avoidable diabetes risks to prevent any onset of complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart failure, loss of a limb and reduced life expectancy.

Some risk factors, especially for type 2 diabetes, include family history, race, age and depression.

Novo Nordisk Philippines in partnership with the Quezon City Lions Club adopted a version of the risk assessment survey of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and localized it to promote early detection awareness for Filipinos.

According to Dr. Cecilia Jimeno, an endocrinologist from the University of the Philippines and Philippine General Hospital, this survey was made specifically considering the standard guidelines applicable to Filipinos, with the goal of helping people become aware of their diabetes risks (answers of yes to three or more questions in the survey indicate a risk of diabetes).
In the Philippines, one out of 14 Filipino adults has diabetes.

As of May 2020, the total cases of diabetes in adults in the country are at 3.9 million, according to the IDF. In 2016 alone, the number of deaths due to diabetes in the country was around 33,000 (male and female ages 30 to 70), and the number of deaths due to high blood glucose was around 55,000 in the same age group.

With these statistics, it is clearly imperative to bring these alarming numbers down. Early detection, diagnosis, treatment, plus the familiarity of risk factors is vital for better management of this global disease.

As the benefits and advantages presented surrounding the Diabetes Risk Assessment Online Survey are made clear, and serve to help spread awareness, inspire action and make diabetes management better for Filipinos until we can all overcome it.