FreeStyle Libre is now available in Vietnam across multiple medical equipment stores, pharmacies, drugstore chains and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre official online store on Lazada. (Photo: Abbott Vietnam) The new system is expected to help millions of Vietnamese people with diabetesbetter manage their glucose without painful finger sticks and improve qualityof life.
"Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre is the first-of-its-kind technology for peoplewith diabetes that eliminates the need for finger sticks, requires no fingerstick calibration, and continuously reads glucose levels through a small, disposable3.5-centimetre sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to14 days," said Dr. Mahmood Kazemi, Divisional Vice President, GlobalMedical & Scientific Affairs, Abbott.
The sensor measures glucose in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long)filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a smalladhesive pad. A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-timeglucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels, withoutthe need for painful, routine finger sticks or daily calibration, enablingmeaningful lifestyle and therapy interventions with actionable insights.
"With traditional glucose monitoring systems, people with diabetes oftenhave to prick their finger a number of times throughout the day, to test theirglucose levels. With Abbott's FreeStyle Libre, people now have a convenient,less painful alternative to get a glucose reading that provides actionableinsights," said Kazemi.
Kazemi added that clinical trials and real-world data showed that FreeStyleLibre system users have improved glucose control, decreased time inhyperglycemia (high glucose) and hypoglycemia (abnormal low glucose) as well asreduced hospitalisations, HbA1C levels and better quality of life.
“Vietnamese people living with diabetes now have a choice of managing diabetesbetter by making adjustments to diet, medication or lifestyle, as FreeStyleLibre provides actionable information including current glucose levels, 8-hourglucose history, a trend arrow indicating how the glucose is moving as well astime-in-range. All of this without routine finger-pricking and other hasslesassociated with traditional monitoring,” said Douglas Kuo, General Manager ofAbbott in Vietnam.
According to the National Diabetes Survey in 2008, up to 63-75 percent ofdiabetes patients do not know their disease status in the community. The numberof people living with diabetes with well-managed glucose level remains verylow, standing at 36 percent or one of three meeting the HbA1C target of below7.0 percent.
Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Dang, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Diabetes andEndocrinology, formerly Vice Rector of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacysaid that proper and regular glucose management could help people with diabetesadjust their lifestyle in time and at the same time provide doctors insightinformation to adjust medical treatment.
Continuous glucose monitoring is recommended in Vietnam’s Ministry of Health’snational guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitusfor people who desire to better manage their glucose levels and forhospitalised patients with required glucose monitoring, according to Dang.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, 463 million adults (aged20-79); or one in 11 adults, lived with diabetes worldwide, but nearly half ofthem were undiagnosed. In Vietnam, the number of people living with diabetes isforecast to jump from 3.8 million to 6.3 million by 2045 by the World DiabetesFederation (IDF)./.
VNA
