How to monitor and manage diabetes

Diabetes is a significant public health concern in Malaysia. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, seven million Malaysian adults aged 18 years and older are estimated to develop diabetes by 2025. The disease is strongly associated with obesity that comes from sedentary lifestyle and diet.

Currently, research has shown that it is possible for people living with this disease to reverse it, through diet changes and weight loss. So, how can a person living with diabetes reverse this? The key seems to be in managing one’s lifestyle and keeping blood sugar levels within the recommended range. However, that can be challenging as many factors could cause your blood sugar levels to change, sometimes unexpectedly.

With the introduction of new technologies like Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems, it is able to provide people living with diabetes real-time feedback on their current glucose levels, allowing them to know their health and make the right choices when it comes to food.

Datuk Dr. Zanariah Hussien, a Consultant Endocrinologist and physician, discusses the challenge of diabetes when it comes to monitoring their blood sugar level. She also talks about the usability of CGM as means of measuring glucose level continuously.

Dr. Zanariah is the Head of the Endocrinology Subspecialty Service of the Ministry of Health Malaysia. She has been involved in the development of local clinical practice guidelines for diabetes and is also a member of the advisory boards for the National Diabetes Institute (NADI) and Malaysian Diabetes Educator Society (MDES).

In addition, she talks about:

What is CGM and how it helps patients.
The importance for diabetes patients to monitor their glucose levels consistently.
How frequent patients need to monitor their glucose level.
The difference between blood glucose monitoring and CGM.
Time in Range (TIR) – the percentage of time that a person spends with their blood glucose levels in a target range, and its importance.
The key factors to consider to reduce risk of diabetes.
How patients can reduce the impact of the disease on their daily lives.