There’s growing hope for more than a million Aussies with Type 2 diabetes.
A series of diabetes clinics across the country are now working together to revolutionise treatments offered to patients to help manage the condition.
Susan Kozij has been living with type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years.
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At times, it can seem overwhelming.
“My mum had pretty bad diabetes, my grandfather died in his early 50s from a heart attack,” she said.
“I’ve already had two heart attacks.”
But monitoring her own blood glucose levels has radically changed thanks to a new clinical trial, where levels are now uploaded live to an app and sent directly to her clinician.
It’s so accessible, she used it while caravanning across the country.
“One time I lad a low and we were travelling in the caravan,” she said.
“Next thing I know I get a telephone call, ‘How can we help you Sue, we’ve noticed you’ve had a low?”
Doctors say it helps patients manage their health.
“What this means in the longer term is that you are empowering them to better manage their condition,” Dr Anish Menon from Metro South Health, said.
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It’s one of a number of new trials offering hope to sufferers, to emerge from the Australian Diabetes Clinical Research Network.
That is, diabetes clinics across the country now working together trailing emerging treatments and management options.
“Some of the most gracious people that I look after have been part of our clinical trials and they’ve gained so much from it,” Professor Elif Ekinci from the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovation said.
Forty patients are taking part in a monitoring program in Brisbane.
It’ll soon be open to another 40.
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But further trials are critically dependent on future research funding.
Those on this program are already showing improved glucose levels over two to three months.
Diabetes Australia CEO Justine Cain said Australia is in the middle of a diabetes “epidemic.”
“There are 317 a day being diagnosed with diabetes and we have to change the numbers,” Cain said.
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