Health NZ says the real-time register is yet to be developed, but it will be an early priority for its new Diabetes National Clinical Network, Mahitahi Matehuka, which it established earlier this year. Photo: 123rf
A new national diabetes register will show for the first time how many people are living with each type of diabetes in Aotearoa, which is crucial for diagnosis and treatment, a diabetes specialist says.
Health NZ says the real-time register is yet to be developed, but it will be an early priority for its new Diabetes National Clinical Network, Mahitahi Matehuka, which it established earlier this year.
A new global study published this week reported more than 800 million adults have diabetes worldwide - almost twice as many as previous estimates have suggested - while this country's Virtual Diabetes Register shows 324,000 cases.
Dr Ryan Paul, co-chair the Diabetes National Clinical Network, said the current Virtual Diabetes Register did not differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2, despite them needing very different treatment.
The new real-time register would distinguish between them, as well as the lesser-known forms of the disease, such as monogenic diabetes (when genetic variants cause diabetes) and pancreatogenic diabetes (which can occur when the pancreas is not working).
This would lead to improved access to care, he added.
"The management of diabetes varies… by the type of diabetes, so we want to know the right type of diabetes to provide the best management for that person.
"Type 1 diabetes, they definitely need insulin, and we're very thankful that continuous glucose monitoring and automated insulin delivery, which is the gold standard treatment for Type 1 diabetes, became funded in Aotearoa from October 1.
"Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable, but we need to remember that both Type 2 diabetes and obesity have a very strong genetic component. At least 40 to 70 percent is genetic, so we need to start looking at it not just as a purely lifestyle disease but the other factors that go into that as well."
"But, just as importantly, if we do get the right diagnosis, of the right type of diabetes, that gives the best management, and it also governs access to care.
"Many people with Type 1 diabetes will be seen by specialist diabetes services in their region, whereas those with Type 2 diabetes, it may only be those with complications that get access to specialist care."
Paul said at present, best estimates based on Waikato data were that there are approximately 17,000 to 22,000 New Zealanders with type 1 diabetes, with well over half having started funded continuous glucose monitoring.
Diabetes was a leading cause of death and health loss in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally, but the disease was "not sexy" in the eyes of drug funding agencies, Paul said.
People with all forms of diabetes were routinely reproached by others, he added.
"There's a massive stigma... you mention diabetes and it doesn't matter what type you have, you're automatically blamed for having it. Even Type 1 diabetes, which is completely unpreventable."
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