SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE - CAHI FELLOW IN COSTA RICA

RESULTS THAT GIVE HOPE: FEWER DEATHS AND MORE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES

Thomas Meoño, who joined the CAHI Fellows Network in 2018, is having a positive impact on patients with diabetes, giving them the opportunity to live better and longer, by reducing the risks associated with this condition.

The results were presented at the 81st National Medical Congress of Costa Rica, held in Fortuna de San Carlos. The project that Dr. Meoño has been developing involves public-private partnerships, with the participation of the Municipality of Cartago, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the Dos Pinos company, and the University of Costa Rica.

This coordinated effort between different organizations has made it possible to generate these encouraging results: in an intervention with 71 patients with decompensated type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, in which educational talks, medical coaching, nutritional control and supervised physical exercise were combined for 12 weeks, it was achieved that 83% of people will decrease Glycosylated Hemoglobin by at least 1% compared to income levels.

The relevance of this impact is for these patients life or death. According to what is known from the UKPDS study (UKDPS, Stratton, 2000: IM, Adler AI, Neil HAW, et. Al. BMJ. 1000: 321: 405-412), this translates into a decrease of up to 43 in possible amputations, 37% in microvascular complications, 21% in death associated with diabetes and 14% less probability of suffering a heart attack.

In short, the work of a transdisciplinary network of health professionals, with the support of a public-private partnership, facilitates the generation of this positive impact by developing a comprehensive approach to chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes. The commitment is to continue with this work to achieve greater impacts in periods between 5 and 10 years, in which the quality of life of patients can increase significantly.

The CAHI Fellows Network continues to achieve a concrete positive impact on the health of people in Central America, producing good practices and generating replicable knowledge and techniques.

If you want to know more about this project, exchange perspectives and receive specific information, write to cahi@cahisalud.org