52 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • NOVEMBER 1, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
New insights show type 1 diabetes community needs more advances
People living with type 1 diabetes (T1D)
are faced with daily challenges like stress
and limited freedom to do what they love,
leaving them seeking additional ways to
help manage their condition. Th is sentiment
is shared by medical professionals,
specifi cally endocrinologists who want
to do more to help their patients living
with T1D.
In two recent online T1D Unmet Needs
surveys from the American Association
of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE),
conducted by Th e Harris Poll in collaboration
with Sanofi US and Lexicon
Pharmaceuticals, more than 70 percent
of adults living with T1D (73%) and
endocrinologists (73%) stated that recent
advances in T1D care give them hope that
there will eventually be a cure. However,
according to the surveys, an overwhelming
majority (87% of adults with T1D;
93% of endocrinologists) agreed that more
advances are needed to help improve the
lives of those with the disease.
Some of the results of this survey may
be surprising, including that many adults
living with T1D:
• feel like the whole day revolves around
managing the disease (51%)
• feel like a burden to their partner (35%)
• avoid going out to eat (57%)
• avoid attending social gatherings with
family and friends (49%)
The Challenge of Life
with T1D is Ongoing
For those living with T1D, everyday situations
that other people take for granted
can be challenging and can ultimately
have an adverse impact on their lives.
For instance, adults living with T1D have
a signifi cant emotional burden: 88 percent
said living with the disease adds
stress to their lives, and 55 percent said
managing their T1D takes up a signifi -
cant amount of time and energy.
Th ese challenges extend into disease
management as well, as adults living with
T1D also said they struggle the most with
keeping their blood sugar within the recommended
range (58%) and achieving
individualized target A1C levels (48%).
In addition, approximately 77 percent of
adults living with T1D stated they wish
they had medications to help them stay
within the recommended blood sugar
range for longer periods of time.
Opportunities Exist to Improve
Education and Prioritize Better
Outcomes
Overall, the survey results illuminated
the T1D community’s need for more
than what is currently available in terms
of support, management and treatment
of the disease and why it is important
to continue prioritizing and advancing
innovation to help people achieve better
outcomes. Living with T1D is an everyday
challenge, so it may not be surprising
that 96 percent of endocrinologists
and 88 percent of adults living with T1D
are hopeful that future advances in T1D
will help with overcoming the challenges
of this disease.
In combination with bringing to light
the unresolved needs of this community,
these results represent an opportunity
to enhance education that might ultimately
help improve T1D care and outcomes.
Learning more about the condition
is an important step toward addressing
the challenges that people living with
T1D face daily. Th e fi ndings of this survey
will also hopefully help to encourage
further dialogue and information-sharing
between endocrinologists and their
patients. For more information on the
challenges of living with T1D, please visit
gobeyondinsulinalonet1d.com.
About the surveys
Th e research was conducted online by
Th e Harris Poll on behalf of the American
Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
(AACE) in collaboration with Lexicon
Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi , among
patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
(T1D) and endocrinologists who treat
T1D patients within the United States.
Th e patient survey was conducted May
21 through June 6, 2018 among 255
adults age 18+ who have been diagnosed
with T1D by a healthcare professional.
Figures for age by gender, income,
race/ethnicity, region, size of household,
marital status and employment status
were weighted where necessary to bring
them into line with their actual proportions
in the population. Th e healthcare
professional survey was conducted May
22 through June 11, 2018, among 253
endocrinologists who see at least one
patient with T1D in a month. Results
were weighted for gender, by years in
practice, and by region where necessary
to bring them into line with their actual
proportions in the population.
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