NEW YORK, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Recent episodes of hypoglycemia are associated with worse health outcomes and more healthcare resource use among Brazilian adults with type 2 diabetes, according to new findings from Kantar Health's National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS). The research will be presented today at the ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research) 5th Latin America Conference in Santiago, Chile.
"Hypoglycemia occurs when a person has too much insulin and not enough glucose in their blood; it typically happens when a person with diabetes skips a meal, takes too much of their medication or exercises too much," said Natalia M. Flores, Ph.D., manager, health outcomes research, Kantar Health. "Ultimately it means that a patient's diabetes is not well controlled, and these episodes can lead to cardiovascular and neurologic comorbidities."
Brazilian adults with type 2 diabetes who have had a recent hypoglycemia episode had significantly higher work impairment than diabetics without recent hypoglycemia (38 percent versus 25 percent), as well as higher activity impairment (41 percent versus 28 percent). Those who had experienced hypoglycemia also had greater healthcare resource use. In the past three months, diabetics with recent hypoglycemia had visited their healthcare provider nine times, compared with six for diabetics without a recent hypoglycemia event. Likewise, adult diabetics with recent hypoglycemia reported 66 percent more emergency room visits and more than twice as many hospitalizations as those without hypoglycemia.
"NHWS results support the need to develop health strategies to improve patients' symptom control and health outcomes related to type 2 diabetes in Brazil," Flores said. "Patient education is a useful tool to help patients understand their disease and its possible complications. Educating patients on the interaction of their lifestyle and treatment regimens can potentially help them gain better control of their diabetes and avoid undesired complications."
About the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS)
The study's results were drawn from the 2011, 2012 and 2014 Brazil NHWS, a nationally representative, self-administered survey conducted annually. Respondents were provided with a list of conditions and asked which they had experienced and been diagnosed with. Topics covered include the health status, attitudes, behaviors and outcomes among adults 18 or older.
Kantar Health conducts the NHWS in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. The survey is the largest self-reported dataset in the healthcare industry.
About Kantar Health
Kantar Health is a leading global healthcare consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device and diagnostic companies. It combines evidence-based research capabilities with deep scientific, therapeutic and clinical knowledge, commercial development know-how, and brand and marketing expertise to help clients evaluate opportunities, launch products and maintain brand and market leadership.
Kantar Health deeply understands the influence of patients, payers and physicians, especially as they relate to the performance and payment of medicines and the delivery of healthcare services. Its 600+ healthcare industry specialists work across the product lifecycle, from preclinical development to launch, acting as catalysts to successful decision-making in life sciences and helping clients prioritize their product development and portfolio activities, differentiate their brands and drive product success post-launch. Kantar Health is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP. For more information, please visit http://www.kantarhealth.com.
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