DIABETES is a serious health concern in Malaysia with 1 in 5 Malaysians living with the condition.
To track their glucose levels, most diabetics must endure multiple, painful finger pricks each day to ensure they are in a normal glucose range.
But accurate, real-time glucose readings, without the need for routine finger pricks is now available.
The FreeStyle Libre sensor worn on the back of the upper arm gives users and their doctors a detailed picture of glucose results and actionable insights.
This technology is now available in Malaysia for adults and children (ages four and up) living with diabetes.
The system monitors glucose levels continuously, every minute through a small, coin-sized sensor worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days.
FreeStyle Libre's technology provides real-time, actionable information and trends on glucose levels, which are helpful in managing a chronic condition like diabetes.
Since its introduction in 2014, it has been used globally by over 2.5 million users across 50 countries.
In 2019, a multi-centre observational study with FreeStyle Libre was conducted across ten hospitals under the Ministry of Health.
One hundred patients aged 18 and above and living with diabetes (type 1, type 2 or diabetes mellitus in pregnancy) were put on the system across a 12-week time-frame.
The outcomes highlighted the ease, comfort of use, patient satisfaction and acceptance for this real-time continuous glucose monitoring method to enable better self-care and disease management in a large majority of the respondents.
Hospital Putrajaya endocrinologist, Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein, who was associated with the study, says self-monitoring of blood glucose using finger pricks may cause discomfort and inconvenience and at times, can be socially distressing.
"Our study demonstrates how new glucose monitoring technology has the potential to offer Malaysians living with diabetes a convenient, hassle-free choice to manage their condition."
With FreeStyle Libre technology, glucose monitoring is made easy, hassle-free and becomes second-nature. Its sensor measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A quick scan of the sensor with a small reader provides a real-time glucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels.
TAKE CARE OF ME
ASTRAZENECA has launched the Take CaRe of Me programme – an end-to-end management model that embeds advanced diagnostics for the prevention of cardio-renal complications related to type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes has been shown to increase the risk of developing cardio-renal complications. In patients with type 2 diabetes, both heart failure and chronic kidney disease are associated with increased mortality risk. Yet, awareness levels are low.
For this reason, Take CaRe of Me addresses the entire patient journey with a holistic approach to treatment and care.
By building on a holistic disease management approach, the Take CaRe of Me programme aspires to further refine clinical standards and practices in the primary care setting, changing the future of diabetes care and improving outcomes for society.
To establish a holistic approach to treating type 2 diabetes in Malaysia, AstraZeneca has entered into a multi-collaborative partnership with Tricog Health for the provision of AI diagnostics technology, and with tertiary care centres – Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway Medical Centre Velocity, and Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL) - for early-stage diagnostics screening.
"We recognise the burden of type 2 diabetes on emerging markets and yet awareness levels remain limited. By embedding early disease management of long-term risks in the primary care setting, we can delay complications and ensure early diagnosis and referral, ultimately improving the standard of care for people living with type 2 diabetes," says AstraZeneca Malaysia country president, Dr Sanjeev Pancha.
A key component of the Take CaRe of Me programme is the Take CaRe of Me Registry –a data-generation initiative which assesses the increased susceptibility of cardio-renal risks in diabetes patients at the clinical level. This enables primary care physicians to identify, prevent and treat comorbidities at an early stage.
In addition, the multi-collaborative Take CaRe of Me initiative will bring advanced AI technologies to the healthcare ecosystem in Malaysia by integrating data and diagnostic support solutions into the patient journey.
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