The Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE) announced the launch of non-invasive screening and management devices for diabetes at its 26th Postgraduate Forum in Diabetes Management.
The meeting, which started on Friday with a discussion on “Ethical Narratives in Chronic Care” and continued on Saturday and Sunday, took place in Sandton, Johannesburg.
It brought together leading health specialists in diabetes research, diagnosis, management, and care.
At the forum, the CDE launched non-invasive devices for screening and managing diabetes.
One of them is a handheld camera that takes images of the eye and can screen up to 27 illnesses without a blood test.
With the handheld fundoscopy camera, which uses artificial intelligence, the time for screening for diabetes is reduced because the images of the retina are sent to a central database for analysis, and results are provided in less than three minutes.
Glucose monitor device
The CDE also launched an affordable continuous glucose monitor device that monitors blood glucose levels in real time without pricking.
There has been a notable increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes, said CDE’s diabetes activist and warrior, Pitso Molemane.
Molemane, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of seven, said this was because of changing diets and people consuming more processed foods and sugary drinks.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body turns food into energy.
According to the University of Pretoria’s Diabetes Research Centre, about one in nine South African adults — or about 4.2-million adults — have diabetes.
It is the leading cause of death among women in the country.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said diabetes is the second-biggest killer after tuberculosis.
There was an increase of 58% in deaths from non-communicable diseases from 1997 to 2018, according to Stats SA.
Early detection and treatment are important in reducing the disabling effects of diabetes.
CDE CEO, Dr Grant Newton, said most diagnostic processes require the drawing of blood.
Diabetes is not fun
“When you are diabetic, every single day you have to put a hole in your finger [for blood to come out] and put it on a strip to do your glucose reading,” he said.
“Living with diabetes is not fun. So, people do one of two things: they don’t test themselves, or they react to how they are feeling when they go into a low or high.”
He said people test themselves when they already feel there is danger and then call the ambulance.
Newton said the continuous glucose monitor device, a patch-like device that people with diabetes attach to the upper arm, can monitor their glucose levels, enabling them to monitor their levels through an app on their phone.
He added that the devices would be available through the CDE starting this week.
