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Getting to the heart of diabetes at IJN
IJN’s Diabetes Lifestyle Clinic takes a holistic approach to help diabetic patients manage their condition.
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“We found
that around
two-thirds of
patients with
diabetes were
likely to have a
serious cardiac
event before
developing any
other diabetes-
related
problems
such as
kidney failure,
blindness, loss
of limbs, or
stroke.”
56
MAY 2020
t present, around 3.6 million Malaysians are living
with diabetes – the highest rate of incidence in
Asia. This figure is expected to more than double
to seven million by 2025.
In view of this, Institut Jantung Negara’s (IJN) senior
consultant cardiologist Datuk Seri Dr Azhari Rosman
says that healthcare providers need to pay attention
to how they can help patients with diabetes manage
their condition. “There is this misconception that once
you develop diabetes it’s the end of the road, but this is
really not the case at all. As long as you receive the right
treatment – in time – and make the necessary lifestyle
changes, you can live a healthy and productive life. It’s all
about managing risk,” he adds.
This focus on managing risk is the cornerstone
of IJN’s Diabetes Lifestyle Clinic. The heart centre
has stayed ahead of the curve in offering specialised
support for diabetic patients, having started its diabetes
educator services in 2007. Dr Azhari explains the centre
recognised the need for diabetes care after assessing
the profile of its own cardiovascular patients.
“We found that around two-thirds of patients
with diabetes were likely to have a serious cardiac
event before developing any other diabetes-related
problems such as kidney failure, blindness, loss of
limbs, or stroke,” he says. “Just looking at patients
who have undergone angioplasty at IJN, around 60%
have diabetes. So our focus here is not about just
controlling blood sugar levels, but it’s about controlling
cardiovascular risk factors.”
IJN’s diabetes services are even more relevant now,
as more young Malaysians are developing the condition.
For these patients in particular, the disease has a higher
chance of being more aggressive, causing serious health
complications. Compounding this is that many diabetics
are unaware that they even have the condition, as they
may not experience any symptoms initially.
“It can take about five to six years before diabetes
manifests as obvious symptoms, or be detected in the
blood. By this time, the patient’s blood vessels would
already be damaged. I’ve seen some cases where the
we can’t even perform a surgery or angioplasty, because
the blood vessels have already narrowed so much (due
to long-standing diabetes),” adds Dr Azhari.
As such, IJN’s diabetes services are cardiology-
driven, with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
being its primary focus. Patients are first treated for their
cardiac conditions, and receive medication to lower both
their cardiovascular risk and blood sugar levels. Then
they are referred to a diabetes educator and a dietitian to
get tailored advice on how to administer their medication
or injections and manage lifestyle adjustments to control
their diabetes.
“Additionally, if the patients have developed or are
at the risk of developing any complications, we will also
coordinate with doctors from the relevant disciplines
such as endocrinology, ophthalmology, or nephrology,
so that patients receive the support they need,” adds
Dr Azhari. “Diabetes is a whole body disease, so we
function as a one-stop centre by integrating all the
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