Given the increase in cases of diabetes in Puerto Rico, specialists emphasize prevention and individualized management of patients.

By: Luisa Ochoa

Mayo 27, 2023

Glucose control is one of the main aspects of the treatment of glucose. diabeteshowever, it is not the only approach to ensure that the patient has an adequate management of this chronic condition that involves other systems of the human body.

This was explained by endocrinologists from the Puerto Rican Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Dr. José García Mateo and Dr. Leticia Hernández, in an interview for the Journal of Medicine and Public Health during the SPED semiannual convention.

In this regard, Dr. García Mateo indicated that “the diabetes It is known as cardiometabolic renal syndrome. Therefore, if you only treat sugar control, you’re not doing it right because there are other factors that might increase not only sugar control, but other complications.”

diabetic complications

Among the most serious complications that patients with diabetes These include cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases, kidney disease, eye and skin problems, and diabetic neuropathy.

Therefore, the specialists mentioned that the guidelines for the control of diabetes they seek to individualize treatment, taking into account precisely the patients who are at higher risk of suffering associated complications or who already suffer from them, such as heart problems or hypertension.

Individualizing treatment

“You have to individualize the management of the diabetes. It is not the same to treat one patient than to treat another who does not have complications or the patient who has a lower expectation and presents other complications,” the endocrinologist reported.

For her part, Dr. Leticia Hernández also emphasized education on the criteria for choosing therapies that control diabetes and individualization of diagnosed patients.

“The medicine that was always said to be the first line of the diabetes‘metformin’, now there is no talk of it being the first line when the patient has other complications, where there are other drugs that might help him, better,” he said.

About therapies for patients with diabetesthe specialists explained that glycemic control is one of those that has evolved the most in recent years, allowing continuous monitoring of glucose.

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Evolution in glucose monitoring

“In recent years, glucose control has improved because we now have continuous monitoring. There are several monitoring instruments that can be used continuously and used by the patient on their own. On April 1 of this year, the use of the continuous monitoring devices, even if the patient only uses an insulin injection,” explained Dr. García Mateo.

This significant advance has allowed the specialists involved in the management of diabetes of a patient, they can better choose treatments for glycemic and insulin control, in order to avoid complications associated with uncontrolled blood sugar levels.

About SPED’s Semi-Annual Convention

Finally, Dr. Leticia Hernández delved into the issues that will be addressed during the semiannual convention of the Puerto Rican Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology, an event that brings together specialists in endocrinology from all over the Island and from other specialties that care for endocrine disorders.

“It’s a fairly varied convention, we’re going to be talking regarding the diabeteshypertriglyceridemia, also bone health, what has changed in terms of osteoporosis and other issues to keep up with the management of endocrine conditions,” he said.