Diabetes is on the rise in Switzerland. However, a Geneva study shows that treatment of the disease leaves much to be desired. Only around half of people with diabetes receive the necessary treatment.
A team from the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) evaluated the data of 12,000 people, which was collected between 2005 and 2019 at the “Bus Santé” [Health bus] in Geneva, in order better identify risk factors for non-communicable diseases.
The researchers found that during this period the overall incidence of diabetes and the frequency of undiagnosed cases fell slightly, from 8.7% to 6.2% and from 7% to 5.2%, respectively.
But epidemiologist Pedro Marques-Vidal explained to the Keystone-ATS news agency that people with diabetes were often unwilling to visit the Health Bus.
“Diabetics tend not to accept invitations for medical examinations,” explained the specialist, who co-authored the research with Ariane Pauli (UNIL) and Carlos de Mestral (HUG). This would explain the relative drop, when the general trend is towards a slight increase, according to other national studies.
More
More
Air pollution can increase the risk of diabetes
This content was published on
Diesel particles have been found to trigger a reaction in the gut of mice that contributes to the development of diabetes, according to a study.
The proportion of people treated for diabetes remained stable, at just over 50%, which is “relatively low”, according to the research published in the Scientific Reports journal.
As for people whose diabetes is under control, i.e. whose blood sugar levels are within the norm, the proportion is one-third (34%), a stable figure over the reporting period.
“We are a little disappointed because this is quite low,” said study leader Marques-Vidal.
Women are treated less frequently
According to the study, women with diabetes are generally treated less frequently than men but have blood sugar levels that are more under control.
“Once they are treated, women take better care of themselves and adhere better to treatments,” said Marques-Vidal. For people who suffer from obesity, the study found the opposite: there are more treatments but poor control of blood glucose levels.
According to the researchers, there is room for improvement both in the care provided by doctors and in patients’ adherence to treatment.
Marques-Vidal points out that doctors often lack the time and training to provide dietary advice for diabetes. In addition, there is a kind of “cat-and-mouse game” among some patients, he noted. They take their medication shortly before seeing a doctor, but otherwise less regularly.
Adapted from German by DeepL/dkk/sb
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Alpine Environment
My grandmother has lived in the same Swiss village for 100 years
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Nestle Chair says CEO change was prompted by growth concerns
This content was published on
The abrupt replacement of Nestle SA’s chief executive officer was prompted by worries over the food and beverage company’s growth outlook, Nestlé Chair Paul Bulcke told Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Four out of five donor hearts for Swiss children come from abroad
This content was published on
Four out of five donor hearts which are transplanted into Swiss children come from outside the Alpine country, according to the director of Swisstransplant.
Climber dies on the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
A climber died on Thursday after falling with a partner while descending the Matterhorn, near Zermatt, in southern Switzerland. The other mountaineer suffered minor injuries.
This content was published on
The Dalai Lama has arrived in Switzerland for a short visit. Hundreds of Tibetans welcomed him at an airport hotel in Opfikon, near Zurich, on Friday.
Sudan: Swiss among mediators calling for continuous flow of aid
This content was published on
The seven parties, including Switzerland, who led ten days of talks on Sudan in the Geneva region, are calling for the new flow of aid to “continue and accelerate”.
Coo d’état: Basel struggles to enforce pigeon-feeding ban
This content was published on
Police in the Swiss canton of Basel City have issued only eight fines since the ban on pigeon feeding came into force in July 2020.
Nestlé CEO Schneider was ousted, paving way for veteran Freixe, sources say
This content was published on
Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider was ousted in a sudden move by the world’s biggest foodmaker as a result of the group’s underperformance.
This content was published on
Switzerland has just rejected two sugar tax initiatives. This decision illustrates the sensitivity of the sugar debate in the country.
Swiss alliance calls for obesity to be recognised as a disease
This content was published on
The Swiss Obesity Alliance wants to classify obesity as a disease in the revision of the national strategy on “non-communicable diseases”.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.