Type 2 Diabetes: New poll of more than 700 Latin American physicians provides insights into complexity and challenges

• More than 73 percent of physicians surveyed said the complexity of Type 2 Diabetes is underestimated¹
• 93 percent of physicians considered risk for stroke and heart disease when treating people with Type 2 Diabetes¹

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company today announced results from an online poll of more than 700 physicians treating people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) from across six Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela.

T2D is a growing concern for people living in Latin American countries; the International Diabetes Federation estimates today’s T2D population in Latin America will grow by 60 percent by 2035.²

The poll investigated physicians’ perceptions of the challenges and issues faced when treating people with T2D. It showed 73 percent of physicians think the complexity of managing the condition is currently underestimated.¹

When asked about the key challenges faced when treating T2D, 39 percent of respondents indicated risk factors, such as obesity, smoking and hypertension, are the most important challenges, while 20 percent responded the risk of medication side effects (for example low blood sugar and weight gain) is the most important challenge faced.¹

Acknowledging that people with T2D are at increased cardiovascular risk,³ 93 percent of physicians surveyed indicated the risks of stroke and heart disease influence their treatment decisions.¹

The poll also highlighted physicians’ priorities on treatment prescribing decisions, which require careful consideration. When asked about what influences medication choices in addition to the management of blood glucose levels, 43 percent of respondents said ‘number of doses per day’ was the most important consideration.¹ ‘No need for dose titration for different patient profiles’ was the most influential factor for 29 percent of physicians, while a further 28 percent said ‘no impact on weight’ is the most important consideration.¹

To help overcome the complexities of managing T2D, 79 percent of respondents felt both physicians and patients could benefit from more educational material.¹ It has been shown that high quality, structured and easy to understand patient education can help people better manage their condition and improve health outcomes and quality of life.⁴

The results of the poll mirrors those from two previous polls conducted by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company in 2013 of 1,000 physicians from six European countries and more than 800 physicians from four Asian countries, showing that treatment considerations are similar across the globe.^5,6

References

1. Instar Research online survey, Latin America, data on file with Boehringer Ingelheim, 2014.
2. International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes Atlas 6th Edition. Brussels 2013.
3. Cramer. JA. Diabetes Care, Volume 27. No 4. May 2004. Available at: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/5/1218 [Accessed Oct 2013].
4. Patient.co.uk. Diabetes Education and Self-management Programmes. October 2010. Available at: http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/diabetes-education-and-self-management-programmes [Accessed Oct 2013].
5. MedLIVE PULSE online survey, Europe, data on file with Boehringer Ingelheim, 2013.
6. MedLIVE PULSE online survey, Asia, data on file with Boehringer Ingelheim, 2013.