Today in Ukraine more than 1.3 million people have diabetes. More than half of patients with this disease are unaware of their diagnosis, and 27.4% of Ukrainians have never measured their blood glucose.
The level of hospitalizations of patients with this disease in Ukraine is very high, which indicates insufficient early detection of the disease and inadequate control.
Thus, Lviv region is among the leaders in the number of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes. In particular, as of today, 64,735 patients with diabetes have been registered in the region, of which 57,180 are type 2.
Doctors say the situation is complicated by the fact that Lviv region today is one of the regions that has become a refuge for thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war. Therefore, timely detection of the disease and the earliest possible start of treatment is one of the priority tasks facing physicians in the region.
“Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression, Lviv region, according to various estimates, has received about half a million displaced persons. 80,000 migrants have already sought medical help, more than 10,000 of them have been treated inpatiently, ”said Orest Chemerys, head of the health department of the Lviv Regional Military Administration.
Therefore, under the direction of the family doctor, the health care facilities of the region provide determination of blood glucose levels for all who need it, as well as treatment of this disease.
At the same time, people need to pay attention to their health, take care of it, especially against the background of all the other stresses and worries that the war has brought, doctors emphasize.
“At risk – patients aged 45 years, patients who are overweight, hypertensive, smoke. It also happens when people complain of excessive urination, excessive thirst, frequent infections, wounds that are difficult to heal. In this case, the patient does not know that he has diabetes, but unfortunately, already has the disease. Early detection is the prevention of complications, because the level of hospitalizations depends on them. ” – The family doctor Iryna Hnativ noted.
“During stress, the level of sugar in the body increases. This is due to the physiology of our body. And it happens that if the stress lasts a long time and it is strong, it can start the process of diabetes. We are all stressed, and we all need to learn to control our stress levels. Of course, this is not always possible, but we need to know that there are techniques that reduce sugar levels, even in stressful situations. Among them is physical activity, “said family doctor Maryana Klymtsiv.
You can take a sugar test at the nearest medical facility. Also, anyone can take an evidence-based online test to determine the individual risk of type 2 diabetes diabetes.phc.org.ua – both on their own and during an appointment with their family doctor. This test is part of the Unified Clinical Protocol of Primary and Secondary (Specialized) Medical Care “Type 2 Diabetes”, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health №1118, and therefore it can be used in medical practice by any doctor.
Those who have been diagnosed with diabetes can receive the necessary treatment.
“Anyone who needs medical care, whether they have a declaration or not, can go to the family doctor at the nearest medical facility and get a prescription for the necessary diabetes medication through the Affordable Care Act,” added Orest Chemeris.