Abbott in Vietnam has introduced FreeStyle Libre system, the world’s leading glucose monitoring technology, for people (above the age of four) living with diabetes in Viet Nam on March 12.

The new system is expected to help millions of Vietnamese people with diabetes better manage their glucose without painful finger sticks and improve quality of life.

"Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre is the first-of-its-kind technology for people with diabetes that eliminates the need for finger sticks, requires no finger stick calibration, and continuously reads glucose levels through a small, disposable 3.5-centimetre sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days," said Dr. Mahmood Kazemi, Divisional Vice President, Global Medical & Scientific Affairs, Abbott.

The sensor measures glucose in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-time glucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels, without the need for painful, routine finger sticks or daily calibration, enabling meaningful lifestyle and therapy interventions with actionable insights.

"With traditional glucose monitoring systems, people with diabetes often have to prick their finger a number of times throughout the day, to test their glucose levels. With Abbott's FreeStyle Libre, people now have a convenient, less painful alternative to get a glucose reading that provides actionable insights," said Kazemi.

Kazemi added that clinical trials and real-world data showed that FreeStyle Libre system users have improved glucose control, decreased time in hyperglycemia (high glucose) and hypoglycemia (abnormal low glucose) as well as reduced hospitalisations, HbA1C levels and better quality of life.

“Vietnamese people living with diabetes now have a choice of managing diabetes better by making adjustments to diet, medication or lifestyle, as FreeStyle Libre provides actionable information including current glucose levels, 8-hour glucose history, a trend arrow indicating how the glucose is moving as well as time-in-range. All of this without routine finger-pricking and other hassles associated with traditional monitoring,” said Douglas Kuo, General Manager of Abbott in Vietnam.

According to the National Diabetes Survey in 2008, up to 63-75 per cent of diabetes patients do not know their disease status in the community. The number of people living with diabetes with well-managed glucose level remains very low, standing at 36 per cent or one of three meeting the HbA1C target of below 7.0 per cent.

Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Dang, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Diabetes and Endocrinology, formerly Vice Rector of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy said that proper and regular glucose management could help people with diabetes adjust their lifestyle in time and at the same time provide doctors insight information to adjust medical treatment.

Continuous glucose monitoring is recommended in Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health’s national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus for people who desire to better manage their glucose levels and for hospitalised patients with required glucose monitoring, according to Dang.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, 463 million adults (aged 20-79); or one in 11 adults, lived with diabetes worldwide, but nearly half of them were undiagnosed. In Viet Nam, the number of people living with diabetes is forecast to jump from 3.8 million to 6.3 million by 2045 by the World Diabetes Federation (IDF). — VNS