Availability and pricing of insulin and related diagnostics in South Africa.

Background: In South Africa (SA), most patients rely on the government for free healthcare. Some choose to subscribe to a medical insurance scheme. If insulin is unavailable in government or otherwise unaffordable, non-adherence may occur, which can increase complications of the disease. Methods: Data on availability and pricing of insulin and related diagnostics was collected from SA pharmacies via an online survey. Co-payments levied on insulin by the biggest medical aids were extracted from formularies. Affordability of these items was then assessed. An adapted methodology from the World Health Organization/Health Action International tool was used. Results: There was fairly high availability of insulin in the public sector, with the exception of long-acting insulin which respondents claimed was difficult to find; however, long-acting insulin glargine was available in most private sector pharmacies. Point-of-care (POC) blood glucose testing was free in the public sector but offered in only 31.25% of pharmacies. Patients pay a minimum of USD 40.4 (over 3 days' wages for the lowest paid government worker (LPGW)) for a months' supply of the cheapest insulin, needles and test strips. Insulin in SA was cheaper than 5 other countries, except Australia. Conclusion: Overall, there is a good availability of insulin and related diagnostics in SA. Even though insulin is cheaper than other countries, it is unaffordable to the LPGW. This highlights the importance of ensuring a constant availability of insulin in the free public sector. Whilst human insulins are cheaper than newer analogue insulins and SA faces cost constraints, important variables in favour of newer insulins, such as ease-of-use, long term outcomes and value should be considered when treatment guidelines are updated. Annual POC testing should be available and offered free to all patients to detect diabetes early.

Soft microfiber-based hollow microneedle array for stretchable microfluidic biosensing patch with negative pressure-driven sampling.

Wearable point-of-care testing devices are essential for personalized and decentralized healthcare. They can collect biofluid samples from the human body and use an analyzer to detect biomolecules. However, creating an integrated system is challenging due to the difficulty of achieving conformality to the human body, regulating the collection and transport of biofluids, developing a biosensor patch capable of precise biomolecule detection, and establishing a simple operation protocol that requires minimal wearer attention. In this study, we propose using a hollow microneedle (HMN) based on soft hollow microfibers and a microneedle-integrated microfluidic biosensor patch (MIMBP) capable of integrated blood sampling and electrochemical biosensing of biomolecules. The soft MIMBP includes a stretchable microfluidic device, a flexible electrochemical biosensor, and a HMN array made from flexible hollow microfibers. The HMNs are fabricated by electroplating flexible and mechanically durable hollow microfibers made from a nanocomposite matrix of polyimide, a poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymer, and single-walled carbon nanotubes. The MIMBP uses the negative pressure generated by a single button push to collect blood and deliver it to a flexible electrochemical biosensor modified with a gold nanostructure and Pt nanoparticles. We have demonstrated that glucose can be accurately measured up to the molar range in whole human blood collected through the microneedle. The MIMBP platform with HMNs has great potential as a foundation for the future development of simple, wearable, self-testing systems for minimally invasive biomolecule detection. This platform capable of sequential blood collection and high sensitivity glucose detection, which are ideal for personalized and decentralized healthcare.

[Research progress on minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose detection methods].

Blood glucose monitoring has become the weakest point in the overall management of diabetes in China. Long-term monitoring of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients has become an important means of controlling the development of diabetes and its complications, so that technological innovations in blood glucose testing methods have far-reaching implications for accurate blood glucose testing. This article discusses the basic principles of minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose testing assays, including urine glucose assays, tear assays, methods of extravasation of tissue fluid, and optical detection methods, etc., focuses on the advantages of minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose testing methods and the latest relevant results, and summarizes the current problems of various testing methods and prospects for future development trends.

Research progress on minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose detection methods / 生物医学工程学杂志

Blood glucose monitoring has become the weakest point in the overall management of diabetes in China. Long-term monitoring of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients has become an important means of controlling the development of diabetes and its complications, so that technological innovations in blood glucose testing methods have far-reaching implications for accurate blood glucose testing. This article discusses the basic principles of minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose testing assays, including urine glucose assays, tear assays, methods of extravasation of tissue fluid, and optical detection methods, etc., focuses on the advantages of minimally invasive and non-invasive blood glucose testing methods and the latest relevant results, and summarizes the current problems of various testing methods and prospects for future development trends.

Validation of earlobe site as an alternative blood glucose testing approach.

BACKGROUND: Drawing blood from the fingertips for glucose testing is painful and likely to cause tissue damage over time. Earlobes are an alternative site for glucose measurement. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to validate the earlobe as an alternate test site for blood glucose testing by demonstrating valid and reliable statistically significant differences between the earlobes and standard reference sites. METHODS: Blood glucose concentrations from 50 volunteers were measured and statistically analysed from the reference sites (forearm and fingertip) and earlobe. The analysis included: 1) one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), 2) regression analysis, 3) Bland Altman analysis, and 4) Clarke Error Grid analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between the three blood glucose-testing methods. For the forearm-earlobe and fingertip-earlobe, all measurements were grouped around the mean of 3.7 ± 1.96 SD and 2.96± 1.96 SD, respectively. Error grid analysis showed > 97% of all earlobe and references measurements fell in Zones A and B and were in the clinically acceptable level. CONCLUSIONS: The results have shown that the earlobe is a valid substitute for blood glucose measurements.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring: Review of an Innovation in Diabetes Management.

Most continuous glucose monitors (CGM) provide interstitial fluid glucose trends, which reflect blood glucose trends with alarms and alerts to prevent hypoglycemia and provide better glycemic control. CGM used in conjunction with insulin pumps has changed the management of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, mainly type 1 diabetes. CGM technology prevents the need for frequent blood glucose testing, which is often cumbersome for patients, providing them with a better alternative. CGM technology is underprescribed and therefore advantage should be taken of this technology to provide better hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) control and decrease incidence of diabetic complications. CGM is particularly useful in patients with hypoglycemia unawareness and nocturnal hypoglycemia. CGM is currently not approved in pregnant patients, in critically ill patients and patients on dialysis. Research suggests that the benefits certainly outweigh the limitations of this technology. This review article focuses on the technical and clinical use of continuous glucose monitoring and sensor-integrated pump technology.

The effect of visceral fat and elevated blood glucose on anxiety levels in college age students.

Anxiety is prevalent among young adults; research shows metabolic inflexibility, the inability to oxidize fat, can increase the occurrence of hyper-aroused states. Fasting blood glucose is the current protocol for assessing metabolic impairment. However, recent studies have shown young adults may have normal fasting blood glucose levels with underlying irregularities in postprandial glucose regulation, insulin secretion and cortisol release, which causes a pattern of visceral fat accumulation. Visceral fat of the volunteers was assessed using the DXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) full body scanning method; the waist was assessed by taking the circumference at the midpoint between the lower margin of the last palpable rib and the top of the iliac crest to formulate a waist to height ratio (WHtR); fasting glucose levels were measured via point-of-care (POC) finger-stick method using the Abbott Precision blood glucose meter and anxiety levels. The Pearson R correlation test showed significance between GAD-7 and VAT Volume at r = 0.513 VAT Mass r = 0.514 body fat percentage r = 0.407 and Android r = 0.419. This correlation between GAD-7 and VAT Volume and VAT Mass shows the physiological connection between elevated visceral fat and heightened anxiety. High amounts of visceral fat may lead to an increase in insulin and cortisol levels. The study may suggest that increased fasting blood glucose is not necessarily the best predictor of metabolic dysregulation in a population of healthy college students.

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in the reversion to normoglycemia in Korean prediabetics: One-year results from a randomised controlled trial.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of personalized lifestyle interventions on the reversion of a prediabetic state to normoglycemia compared with regular blood glucose testing alone in prediabetes. METHODS: A randomized, multicenter trial was conducted in prediabetes aged 30-70 with fasting blood glucose level of 5.6-6.9mmol/L (100-125mg/dL) and/or HbA1c level of 39-46mmol/mol (5.7-6.4%) recruited from health checkups at 16 health-promotion centers in Korea. The 799 recruited individuals were randomized to either the personalized lifestyle intervention group (LIG) or the control group (CG) by a computer generated random number list prepared by an independent statistician. The CG was provided with fasting blood glucose and HbA1c tests alone every 3months during the first year. The LIG was provided not only blood glucose test but five sessions of personalized lifestyle counseling by nutritionists every 3months during the first year aimed at improving the diet, alcohol and exercise behaviors. Data from lifestyle assesments and laboratory measurements were analyzed at 1-year after baseline. The primary outcome was the reversion rate from prediabetes to normoglycemia. Additional outcome include the effect of the lifestyle intervention program on lifestyle changes in the LIG to support primary outcome. RESULTS: The 799 participants randomly allocated to the LIG (n=398) or the CG (n=401). For the analyses of outcomes, 629 participants (313 men and 316 women; mean age, 53.7±9.4years; mean body mass index (BMI), 24.7kg/m2) were included: 325 in the LIG; 304 in the CG. Diet (7.03, 95% CI=4.56-10.86, P<0.001), alcohol (2.24, 95% CI=1.48-3.41, P<0.001), and exercise behaviors (1.85, 95% CI=1.31-2.63, P<0.001) were improved relative to baseline by the personalized lifestyle intervention in the LIG after adjusting age, sex, and family history of diabetes. In terms of main outcome, the cumulative incidence of reversion from prediabetes to normoglycemia at the first year was 37.9% (123/325) [95% CI=32.6-43.1%] in the LIG and 29.6% (90/304) (95% CI=24.5-34.7%) in the CG. After adjustment for age, sex, family history of diabetes, BMI, blood pressure, and lipids, the hazard ratio for reverting to normoglycemia remained significantly higher in the LIG (1.40, 95% CI=1.06-1.83, P=0.017) than in the CG. CONCLUSION: Personalized lifestyle intervention could be more effective compared with regular blood glucose testing alone in the reversion of a prediabetic state to normoglycemia in Korean prediabetics. This finding suggests that diabetes prevention care would be benefited by incorporating personalized lifestyle counseling. This study was registered at cris.nih.go.kr (KCT0001580).

Interferences and Limitations in Blood Glucose Self-Testing: An Overview of the Current Knowledge.

In general, patients with diabetes performing self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) can strongly rely on the accuracy of measurement results. However, various factors such as application errors, extreme environmental conditions, extreme hematocrit values, or medication interferences may potentially falsify blood glucose readings. Incorrect blood glucose readings may lead to treatment errors, for example, incorrect insulin dosing. Therefore, the diabetes team as well as the patients should be well informed about limitations in blood glucose testing. The aim of this publication is to review the current knowledge on limitations and interferences in blood glucose testing with the perspective of their clinical relevance.

Glycaemic control status among type 2 diabetic patients and the role of their diabetes coping behaviours: a clinic-based study in Tripoli, Libya.

BACKGROUND: Achieving good glycaemic control is important in diabetes management. However, poor glycaemic control is widely reported. This article assessed the prevalence of uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control among Libyans with type 2 diabetes and examined the relative contribution of diabetes coping behaviours to their glycaemic control status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2013 in a large diabetes centre in Tripoli. The study included 523 respondents. Diabetes coping behaviours were measured using the revised version of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities measure (SDSCA) and the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8(©)), while glycaemic control status was based on the HbA1c level. RESULTS: Mean HbA1c was 8.9 (±2.1), and of the 523 patients, only 114 (21.8%) attained the glycaemic control target of HbAc1 of less than 7.0%. Females (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.03-2.91), patients on insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents (OR=1.92, 95% CI=1.05-3.54), patients on insulin (OR=3.14, 95% CI=1.66-6.03), and low-medication adherents (OR=2.25, 95% CI=1.36-3.73) were more likely to have uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control, while exercise contributed to glycaemic control status as a protective factor (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.77-0.94). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study showed the considerable burden of uncontrolled and poor glycaemic control in one of the largest diabetes care settings in Libya. Medication adherence as well as exercise promotion programs would help in reducing the magnitude of poor glycaemic control.

Impact of a single safety-engineered device on the occurrence of percutaneous injuries in a general hospital in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers are exposed to bloodborne pathogens through occupational injuries, and the replacement of sharps by safety-engineered devices has been recommended as a key preventive measure. This recommendation has been difficult to implement in Brazil. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of selected data from a database of blood and body fluid exposures reported from January 2007 through December 2011 in a public general hospital in Rio de Janeiro where, from the end of 2009, a safety lancet for blood glucose testing (BGT) was introduced. A log-binomial model was used to evaluate the effect of the introduction of the safety lancet on the proportion of percutaneous injuries (PIs) during BGT in the nursing staff. RESULTS: Nursing staff had a significant reduction in rate of PIs per 100 full-time equivalents from 2007 to 2011 (P < .001), and medical residents had the highest rate throughout the same period. A reduction of PIs by small-gauge needles was observed since 2009, and injuries during BGT fell abruptly in 2010 and 2011 paralleling the number of purchased safety lancets (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The adoption of a single safety device, which required no training, significantly reduced PIs among the nursing team.

Acidentes perfurocortantes e avaliação do impacto de um dispositivo de segurança para a sua prevenção em um hospital geral terciário do Rio de Janeiro (2001-2011) / Impact of a safety-engineered device on the prevention of percutaneous accidental exposures in a tertiary general hospital in Rio de Janeiro (2001-2011)

Introdução Os trabalhadores da saúde estão expostos a riscos biológicos no exercício da profissão, particularmente os agentes transmitidos por sangue e secreções, através de acidentes perfurocortantes. A maioria dos países implantou normatizações ou leis visando proteger estes profissionais, entre outros através da introdução de dispositivos de segurança. Desde a publicação da NR.32 em novembro 2005, as novas diretrizes vêm sendo implementadas nas unidades de saúde brasileiras, com dificuldades. Objetivos: (1) Principal: Verificar as alterações na incidência e no perfil dos acidentes perfurocortantes após a introdução de dispositivos de segurança (lanceta retrátil e catéteres para punção venosa periférica) no Hospital Federal dos Servidores do Estado a partir de 2009 em relação ao período anterior (2001-2008). (2) Secundários: – Determinar os tipos de acidentes que sofreram redução. - Determinar a(s) categoria(s) profissional (is) beneficiadas pela introdução do(s) dispositivo(s) – Estimar a relação entre os acréscimos de custos devidos à aquisição do(s) dispositivo(s) e a redução teórica das despesas obtida com diminuição dos acidentes. Métodos. Análise retrospectiva de um arquivo contendo os dados dos acidentes biológicos registrados entre janeiro de 2001 e dezembro de 2011 quanto a natureza do acidente, categoria profissional, tempo de profissão, tipo de instrumento, causa e/ou circunstância. Foram comparados os índices ao longo do tempo, particularmente até 2008 e de 2009 a 2011. Estimou-se também, com a ajuda de um modelo teórico, o impacto eventual de uma lanceta retrátil para coleta da glicemia capilar no orçamento da instituição. Resultados. A proporção dos acidentes perfurocortantes diminuiu a partir de 2009 em comparação com o período anterior (P<0,001). Evidenciou-se uma relação inversa entre a média do tempo de experiência dos profissionais e o número absoluto dos acidentes perfurocortantes...

Background Healthcare workers are exposed to bloodborne pathogens through occupationalinjuries and the replacement of sharps by safety-engineered devices has been recommended asa key preventive measure. This recommendation has been difficult to implement in Brazil.Objectives: (1) Primary. To evaluate the impact of safety-engineered devices (SEDs)introduced since 2008, on the profile of percutaneous exposures reported in a tertiary generalhospital in Rio de Janeiro. (2) Secondary. To determine the nature of avoided exposures, theoccupational group(s) benefited by the SEDs and the hypothetical impact of purchasing thedevice(s) on costs for the institution. Methods. Retrospective study of a database of blood andbody fluid exposures reported from January 2001 through December 2011 in a public generalhospital in Rio de Janeiro where, from the end of 2009, along with SEDs for IV usage, asafety lancet for blood glucose testing (BGT) was introduced. A log-Poisson regression modelwas used to determine the effect of selected co-variates on total percutaneous injuries (PIs)and PIs during BGT. The hypothetical impact of purchasing the safety lancet on costs wasalso analyzed. Results. An inverse relation was apparent between average length ofprofessional experience and absolute number of PIs. Nursing staff had a significant reductionin rate of PIs per 100 full-time equivalents from 2007 to 2011 (P<0.001), while medicalresidents had the highest rate throughout the same period...

Depression and Blood Glucose Testing in Women Type2 Diabetic Patients / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the depression and the frequency of blood glucose testing in women type2 diabetic patients. METHOD: 114 Participants were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in an urban city. Depression was measured by visual analogue scale. Blood glucose testing was measured the frequency during past 1 week. RESULT: Depression was higher in hyperglycemia patient (fasting blood glucose> or =110mg/dl) than in normoglycemia patient(fasting blood glucose <110mg/dl). The blood glucose testing frequency as lower in 50-59 years old than in less than 39 years old. And it was lower in middle school graduate than in college graduate. The blood glucose testing was negatively correlated with patient's age. CONCLUSION: The depression program should be developed for hyperglycemia diabetic patients. And the blood glucose testing education program should be developed for aged and low educational level patients.

A Survey of Blood Glucose Testing, Medication, Diet, and Exercise Adherence in Korean Patients with Type2 Diabetes / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adherence to diabetes control recommendations (blood glucose testing, medication, diet, exercise) in patients with type 2 diabetes at home and to analyse the correlation between adherence and blood glucose level. METHOD: Participants, numbering 214, were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in an urban city. The data were collected by a self report adherence questionnaire. Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography technique and fasting blood glucose was analyzed by the glucose oxidase method. RESULT: Medication adherence was higher than diet or exercise adherence. The frequency of blood glucose testing was lower for middle school graduates than college graduates. Diet adherence was significantly lower for participants who were obese, who did not have a spouse, and who had hyperglycemia. Medication and diet adherence were negatively correlated with HbA1c. CONCLUSION: A diet education program should be developed for patients with type 2 diabetes who are obese, who do not have a spouse, and who have hyperglycemia.