9th edition of the press and internet campaign "Living with Diabetes"

Anna Śliwińska - President of the Management Board of the Polish Diabetes Association - was featured on the cover of this substantive title. In an interview with us, she tells us how the Polish Diabetes Association has been striving for proper patient education for years; why is it so important? What is the level of awareness of Polish patients struggling with diabetes? "There is no doubt that in the case of diabetes, only a patient who is well educated and motivated to treat is able to control the disease.". EXPERTS HAVE A VOICE The entire publication opens with an interview with Prof. Maciej Małecki, President of the Polish Diabetology Association, who explains why it is so important to think about diabetes in the long term, the complexity of its treatment, an individual approach to the patient and the relationship between diabetes and its complications. Prof. Krzysztof Strojkiem, National Consultant in Diabetology, explains in a factual and detailed manner the assumptions of the 75+ programme, its practical aspects in diabetology and the need for its continuous update. The President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Prof Nam H. Cho, outlines the global need for patient education in the context of living with a disease that generates complications, particularly cardiovascular ones. PATIENT NEEDS IN INSULIN THERAPY The effectiveness and safety of insulin therapy consist of three elements: education,̨ appropriate patient behaviour and appropriate, tailored treatment. Prof Leszek Czupryniaki, Prof Anna Noczyńska are experts who, in the debate about the comfort of insulin treatment, point out the principles of tailoring therapy, the importance of individualisation, the need to reduce the risk of complications and modern treatment methods. A new ultra-rapid-acting insulin has also recently been launched - check out what you know about it. "We also recognise that if the therapy is tailored to the patient's life, we increase the chances that it will be implemented more by the patient." - emphasises Prof. Leszek Czupryniak. Insulin therapy is first and foremost the everyday life of a patient with type 1 diabetes. Therefore, the publication could not do without their true stories . Kinga Haraźny, Karolina Weilandt and Jerzy Magiera agreed to share small fragments of their lives with diabetes. Each of them has insulin tailored to their lifestyle, work, private activities, abilities and needs. By showing the individualisation of their treatment at the same time, we easily conclude that none of them has let diabetes dominate their lives - and this is the most important message of the whole edition. CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS The publication covers very important topics related to cardiovascular complications. Experts urge that our awareness and knowledge of them is still too low, so they present the issues in detail: Anna Sliwinska, President of the PSD: "It is estimated that up to 95 % of diabetes treatment takes place without the involvement of a doctor. This is due to the nature of diabetes, a disease that many times a day requires the patient to make treatment decisions, so-called therapeutic decisions." Prof. Edward Franek: "Cardiovascular complications are the most common cause of death among diabetic patients. Other complications - damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, are also a cause of abstinence, often hospitalisation, a cause of reduced quality of life, disability, and can eventually become a cause of death. That is why their prevention as early as the diagnosis of the pre-diabetic state and all subsequent stages of diabetes is so important. " Prof. Pawel Piatkiewicz: "We should remember that glycaemic levels are an important but not the only risk factor for the development of cardiovascular complications. A person with diabetes as well as a person without diabetes should take care of, among other things, normal cholesterol levels, correct blood pressure values, physical activity, a healthy diet, but also give up stimulants such as cigarettes." Prof. Paweł Bogdanski: "Bhe importance of making patients aware of the risk factors for developing diabetes and preventing its complications. We must emphasise that diabetes is already a real epidemic, which is developing simultaneously with the obesity epidemic." MODERN TECHNOLOGIES Until recently, diabetics with type 1 diabetes were condemned to constant punctures, restrictions on activities of daily living and living in fear of dangerous hypoglycaemic states. Fortunately, there are now modern technologies that allow them to effectively control their disease and live without restrictions and even face challenges unavailable to many healthy people. Several patients with type 1 diabetes using an insulin pump are featured in the publication. Prof. Dorota Zozulinska-Ziolkiewicz and Michal Jelinski are a great example of a diabetes team who, thanks to joint decisions, proper doctor-patient communication and selected treatment, successfully use the possibilities of the insulin pump. At the same time, they prove that it is possible to live a truly active life with diabetes. Another example of modern solutions are the apps available to patients today for effective diabetes monitoring. In this publication, you will find interesting material on which tools can positively influence your self-monitoring results and whether it is worth using them. THE ROLE OF OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES Clinicians acknowledge that observational studies are of very high therapeutic value in type 2 diabetes, and they add that further reports on flozins translate into improved therapy in type 2 diabetes. In view of these diabetes requirements, what place does the Real World Evidence (RWE) observational study on flozins have. Sound serious? Be sure to read our conversation with Prof. Grzegorz Dzida and you will understand why we raised this topic. GENETICS AND DIABETES? The editors have also addressed the issue of diabetes with a genetic basis. Thanks to the support of Dr Iwona Kozak-Michałowska - Director of Science and Development at Synevo, we show how we currently know the MODY and LADA types and what guidelines apply for proper diagnosis. WE ARE UNITED BY DIABETES The diabetic foot is the leading cause of lower limb amputations - as many as 70% amputations worldwide are linked to diabetes. Thanks to the voice of Anna Michnikowska - Editor-in-Chief of the monthly magazine Szugarfrik www.szugarfrik.pl we call for responsible behaviour and comprehensive solutions in the prevention of this complication. 30 years have passed...Diabetic magazine is celebrating a round anniversary. On this occasion, the editorial team is taking pride in its history. The magazine was founded by a group of social activists who, in the coarse reality of the end of communism, established an association for people with diabetes. Its mission was to act on behalf of diabetics and fight to improve the quality of their treatment. Education was to play a significant role in this. Here you have the chance to compare the two covers: the oldest and the youngest! Detailed information on the entire project and access to the online version can be found here. go to the online version of the magazine