2,000 Vietnamese children have type 1 diabetes

Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director in charge of management and operation of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), gave the above information at the training course on implementation. Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents, afternoon of June 24.

In Vietnam, there is currently no comprehensive data on the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes in children. Data from tertiary hospitals for children shows that the disease has been increasing nationwide for the past 7 years and diagnosis and treatment are still difficult.

For example, at the National Children's Hospital, about 10-15 children with type 1 diabetes were treated each year. However, in recent years, the number has increased rapidly, with hundreds of children being treated each year. Currently, the hospital is managing about 200-300 children with type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells (insulin-secreting cells), causing endogenous insulin deficiency, while type 2 diabetes is caused by progressive reduction in pancreatic beta cell function on the basis of insulin resistance.

Diabetes affects the heart, eyes, nerves, is a major cause of kidney failure and many other complications, increasing medical costs and reducing quality of life. Medical costs for adults with diabetes account for 12% of global health expenditure.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 537 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, a figure that is expected to rise to 783 million by 2045. Half of people with diabetes are undiagnosed. Many people live with the disease for a long time without knowing their condition, and by the time they are diagnosed, complications have already developed. 70% of cases can be prevented or delayed by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dien, Director of the National Children's Hospital, said that type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs from infancy to any age. The cause is related to many factors such as genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, the immune system...

The disease usually starts with quite dramatic symptoms in a short period of time such as excessive thirst, excessive drinking, frequent urination, rapid weight loss within 2-6 weeks before hospitalization. More severe cases may lead to coma due to ketoacidosis or increased blood osmotic pressure. During this period, the patient may have other symptoms such as epigastric pain, vomiting, nausea leading to misdiagnosis with other diseases.

"Type 1 diabetes patients need to be treated with insulin initially in the hospital, then a stable dose will be treated at home," Associate Professor Dien said, adding that the main focus is on monitoring the patient and providing appropriate treatment to reduce complications.

Currently, only a few large hospitals such as the National Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital 1 and Hue Central Hospital manage groups of children with type 1 diabetes. This is a difficult problem in treating children because currently few pediatricians are knowledgeable about this disease.

Experts have proposed expanding the management system for this group of diseases in medical facilities, with only a small unit managing 15-20 patients to help reduce the burden on upper-level hospitals. On this occasion, the Danish Embassy and the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment (Ministry of Health) signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to improve medical capacity for the period 2024-2026, including improving the treatment of childhood diabetes.