Study

Study for Diabetes & Hypertension Prevalence Launched

India's largest study to estimate diabetes and hypertension prevalence amongst outpatients across 10 states

Aventis Pharma Limited (Group sanofi-aventis) recently announced the launch of Screening India's Twin Epidemic (SITE), a cross-sectional study that aims to estimate the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed cases of diabetes and hypertension in outpatient settings in major cities across India. The study will involve 1,000 general practitioners including consultant physicians and over 20,000 patients from 10 states, namely Maharashtra, New Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh; making it one of the largest study of its kind in India. The study was commissioned by sanofi-aventis with the aim of quantifying and increasing awareness amongst medical professionals and patients on the lurking likelihood of a twin epidemic of diabetes and hypertension.

The SITE study will screen 20,000 patients, covering a wide variety of people, including businessmen, working professionals and housewives, mainly in metro cities, aged 18 years and above. The study is expected to conclude with collated results from all 10 states by December 2010. The principal coordinators of the study recently announced the completion of the study in Maharashtra and New Delhi, with the results expected to be announced shortly.

The study has taken into account various parameters - medical history, family history, diet, demographic data - height, weight, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, pulse, treatment history and fasting blood test for lipids, glucose, (including HbA1c) as well as urine for proteins. Said Dr Muruga Vadivale, Senior Director - Medical and Regulatory Affairs, sanofi-aventis India, "With India having the largest number of diabetic patients in the world, the disease is posing an enormous health as well as economic problem to the country. The study reinforces our commitment to an in-depth involvement in one of India's key public health issues and in creating awareness about the dormant twin epidemic waiting to explode. We hope to provide medical professionals with valuable insights on the twin epidemic of diabetes and hypertension. We also want to create awareness amongst them and patients about screening for these diseases at the earliest."

Dr Shashank Joshi, Consultant Endocrinologist, Lilavati Hospital and National Coordinator of SITE study, said, "Through SITE we hope to identify gaps in treatment needs at the first point of contact for a patient. Since SITE is being conducted at the general practitioners' and consultant physicians level, it will give us important insights on how we screen patients for risk factors and how well we manage them versus current guidelines."

Said Susheel Umesh, Senior Director Cardio-Metabolism Business Unit, "That India has the largest diabetic population is well known. But what is important is to reinforce the need for early detection, early diagnosis and timely management of both hypertension and diabetes. Through sanofi-aventis SITE study we want to delve deeper into how this can be done more effectively."

EH News Bureau