โรคเบาหวานกับเทคโนโลยีใหม่ในการรักษา (CGM)

<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">What is diabetes and how does it occur? <strong><br />
</strong></span></h4>
<p>Diabetes is a disease caused by high blood sugar levels over a long period, leading to deterioration of blood vessels and the body. Normally… when we eat, the body converts the food into glucose sugar and transports it through the blood vessels to deliver energy and nutrients to various cells. But if we have diabetes, it means the body has a defect in converting glucose into energy, causing blood sugar levels to rise. The main causes are usually insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, but in Thai people, insulin resistance is more commonly found.</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">Symptoms and signs of diabetes<strong><br />
</strong></span></h4>
<p>When blood sugar levels are high due to diabetes, the obvious symptoms are frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, and if blood sugar remains very high for a long time, complications often occur such as kidney failure which may cause swelling, or if there is a history of heart disease, chest pain is common. There may also be numbness in the hands and feet, chronic wounds on the feet, but symptoms may not be very clear if diabetes is in the early stage.</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">Is diabetes caused by genetics… or behavior?<strong><br />
</strong></span></h4>
<p>According to statistics, the increasing number of diabetes patients each year is mostly due to changes in current behavior, especially eating habits rich in starch and sugar, whether in main meals, sweets, coffee drinks, sugary drinks, bubble tea, as well as work styles such as working from home and sitting in front of a computer all day, leading to lack of physical activity. All of these contribute to higher blood sugar levels and increased body weight, making diabetes more likely. However, it cannot be denied that genetics also play a role in increasing the risk of diabetes.</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">New technology for monitoring blood sugar levels helps improve diabetes treatment success</span></h4>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>In the past</strong></span>, monitoring a patient’s blood sugar level required finger-prick blood tests to measure sugar levels, which had the advantage of being quite accurate but the disadvantage of causing pain during blood collection. Patients who needed frequent blood sugar monitoring had to endure frequent pain.</li>
<li aria-level="1"><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>Currently</strong></span>, there is a new method called Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), which continuously monitors blood sugar levels by using a device that measures sugar in the interstitial fluid in tissues attached to the abdomen. A small sensor is inserted into the subcutaneous fat layer, allowing blood sugar levels to be monitored every 3 minutes continuously for 24 hours. The results are displayed through a mobile phone application, which can also be set to alert when sugar levels are too high or too low, allowing patients and relatives to know the results in real-time for adjusting diet or medication in emergencies.</li>
</ul>
<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">Who should carry a CGM blood sugar monitor?<strong><br />
</strong></span></h4>
<p>The continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device is suitable for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. However, the necessity of having this device may be considered in detail. Diabetes patients who should use this device include those with the following characteristics:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Frequently experience low blood sugar levels</li>
<li aria-level="1">Have poor blood sugar control</li>
<li aria-level="1">Are advised by doctors to strictly control blood sugar levels</li>
<li aria-level="1">Want to know their blood sugar levels frequently or continuously</li>
<li aria-level="1">Do not want the hassle and pain from frequent finger-prick blood tests</li>
<li aria-level="1">Relatives want to closely monitor and prevent emergency risk conditions</li>
</ul>
<h4><span style="color: #00826a;">Besides new technology, how has treatment improved?<strong><br />
</strong></span></h4>
<p>Currently, diabetes treatment has greatly improved, such as the use of new drug groups that not only reduce blood sugar levels but some also benefit patients with certain diabetes complications, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Reducing the rate of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients with heart and blood vessel disease</li>
<li aria-level="1">Slowing kidney deterioration in chronic kidney disease patients from diabetes</li>
<li aria-level="1">Reducing protein leakage in diabetic kidney disease patients</li>
</ul>
<p>Some new drugs also help reduce body weight, which is suitable for diabetic patients who are overweight or obese. For patients at risk of low blood sugar, such as the elderly or those with frequent hypoglycemia history, some new drugs do not increase the risk of low blood sugar. Therefore, diabetic patients with these conditions can consult their doctors to adjust treatment or medication appropriately.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Self-medicating without regular follow-up or treatment from a doctor often leads to increased blood sugar levels and easier complications. Therefore, all diabetic patients should be cared for by internists specializing in diabetes. Currently, there are new drug groups that provide better treatment outcomes and reduce diabetes complications, especially with improved technology for monitoring blood sugar levels, which is very beneficial for treatment planning.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>Dr. Ratpong Jiwarangsee</strong></span><a href="https://shorturl.asia/DMXOa"><br />
</a>Internist, Head of Diabetes and Endocrinology Center<br />
Phyathai 3 Hospital</p>


Continuous Glucose Monitoring is the continuous measurement of blood sugar levels in diabetic patients by inserting a small sensor into the subcutaneous fat layer in the abdominal area. This is very beneficial for patients and treatment planning.

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