Ireland Expects a 62% Increase in Number of People with Diabetes by 2020
New Website www.itsmyinsulin.ie Launched for People with Diabetes
Wednesday 19th May 2010: Coronation Street’s Kym Marsh visited Dublin today to launch a new website for people with type 2 diabetes. www.itsmyinsulin.ie aims to educate people on diabetes and treatment of the condition. With a projected 62% rise in diabetes in Ireland by the year 2020i, the site will prove an increasingly valuable source of information for the 200,000 people currently living with diabetes.
A series of research groups, conducted among people with diabetes, highlighted the need for this new education resource. Respondents said they were fearful both of the condition and of being prescribed insulin to control their symptoms as they felt that this meant their diabetes was getting worse. www.itsmyinsulin.ie has been created to educate and therefore help people overcome these concerns. www.itsmyinsulin.ie is an initiative of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland and sanofi-aventis Ireland Ltd.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that changes over time and the focus groups revealed a need to understand more about this process. Respondents discussed the negative impact that type 2 diabetes had on their day-to-day life, including work, resulting in a need for greater advanced planning in order to manage their diet and treatment. When questioned about the use of insulin in their treatment, the majority of respondents stated that while fearful at first, the introduction of insulin had been positive in terms of better management of the condition.
Speaking at the launch Kym Marsh said “My aunt and my uncle both have diabetes so I know that accurate up to date information on diabetes is greatly needed. While diabetes is an important part of people’s lives, it doesn’t have to run your life. The more information people with diabetes have, the better they can manage their condition. People who want more information on diabetes should visit www.itsmyinsulin.ie”.
It is predicted that the approximate 220 million people worldwide are currently living with diabetes and this will increase to 366 million by 2030 due to an aging population, a rise in sedentary lifestyle, obesity and inappropriate diet. Once diagnosed, diabetes can be managed through appropriate lifestyle changes i.e. diet and exercise. However this may not be enough for some people and they may need other treatments including insulin to manage their condition fully.
Prof Seamus Sreenan, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown said, “A good knowledge of diabetes is important to help manage the condition. Type 2 Diabetes changes over time and therefore people need to be aware that different treatments may be required as their diabetes progresses.
Many people with type 2 diabetes, once they require, and are started on insulin, appreciate that their condition is better controlled, they feel substantially better and would not wish to discontinue the treatment. However I do recognise that many people fear taking insulin but it is not something to be nervous of. It is good to have a resource like www.itsmyinsulin.ie which will provide extra information and advice and help allay the concerns that some people have around starting insulin treatment. ”
Kieran O’Leary, CEO, Diabetes Federation of Ireland said, “Knowledge is power and this research has highlighted to us the need to continue to provide information for people with type 2 diabetes so as to help overcome the fear associated with the condition. www.itsmyinsulin.ie is a new website developed specifically for people who are on insulin, to help overcome some of the associated fears, and I would urge people to visit the site, as we hope it will go some way to giving people re-assurance of their condition and treatment.”
If you have any concerns related to diabetes visit www.itsmyinsulin.ie or speak to your healthcare professional.
APP/KOL/AC 2010/05/19