|
|
Dr. Fernando Guerra unveils an 18-month study on diabetes at a press conference held June 10, 2008
|
|
|
|
June 11, 2008 · San Antonio’s rate of diabetes is twice that of the rest of the nation (14 percent compared to 7 percent). The local diabetes death rate is the second highest of the country’s 54 largest cities. The disease affects 1.3 million Texans; it is estimated that there are at least half a million more Texans with diabetes who are unaware of their condition.
Diabetes is a potentially chronic disease that often leads to amputations, blindness and kidney failure. Despite its seriousness, there is a vast void of information about how those with diabetes cope with the illness, or who it impacts and how it can be stopped.
An 18-month state authorized study to be conducted in San Antonio is going to look for those answers by taking an information snapshot of the extensive impact diabetes has in the local population.
Dr. Fernando Guerra, the director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is leading the effort. After talking to numerous area doctors, he decided to track a blood test commonly ordered for their patients.
"Physicians order a test called hemoglobin A1c test, which has been, for quite a while, the gold standard for how they assess how well individuals with diabetes are taking care of their condition — managing it — and how the physicians also make important therapeutic decisions for adjusting the dosage of medication. And that test is done as a routine. And it gives within certain parameters an indication of how well that individual is being managed," said Guerra at a press conference Tuesday at City Hall.
The new diabetes registry will also look at other information including where the patient lives, age and other lifestyle factors in an effort to discover patterns.
“The bad news is diabetes is a bad problem, especially in San Antonio,” said Dr. Benjamin Littenberg from Burlington, Vermont who is working with Guerra to manage the information gathered by the registry.
“The good news is that no one's head is in the sand about it and the leadership in San Antonio is taking it head on. And that’s very good news,” Littenberg continued.
Littenberg is also the chief executive officer for Vermedx, a company that provides physicians with state of the art technology dealing with information management and database control.
“This project isn’t just going to be just about San Antonio,” Littenberg said, “People all over the country – and all over the world – are watching about can this work and will this help patients. I’m confident it will, but it's another opportunity for us to do more good beyond the borders of Bexar County. It will not only prevent amputations and dialysis, heart attacks, kidney failure and strokes. It will also save a huge amount of money and grief and family stress and unemployment and all the secondary miserable costs of diabetes."
Before this program could be authorized, the Texas Legislature had to get involved; a law needed to be passed making diabetes a reportable disease.
Representative Joe Straus carried the bill in the state house while State Senator Leticia Van de Putte worked the state senate.
At the end of the 18-month study, a report will be compiled and the findings sent to the governor and the legislature.
|
