Healthcare providers in Asia acknowledge complexity of managing Type 2 diabetes

INDIANAPOLIS — Many physicians in Asia say more information on managing Type 2 diabetes is needed, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, included 800 doctors from Japan, China, India and South Korea, finding that 79% say the complexity of managing the disease is underestimated. Still, high-qualty, structured patient education can help improve health outcomes for patients with the disease, and 90% said patients and healthcare providers alike would benefit from additional medical information and patient support materials. Additionally, given diabetes patients' higher risk of cardiovascular disease, 94% of physicians said management of cardiovascular risk influenced their decisions when prescribing oral diabetes drugs.

"More than 60% of the world's diabetes population lives in Asia, and physicians treating Type 2 diabetes in this region acknowledge that this is a complex condition," Boehringer Ingelheim corporate SVP medicine Klaus Dugi said. "Despite the numerous challenges Type 2 diabetes can present in the face of rising prevalence, results from this survey show that healthcare professionals in Asia are evaluating the full spectrum of available treatments, dosing regimens, risk factors and co-morbidities to achieve the best possible health outcomes for their patients."