Search NaijaAgroNet

Showing posts with label monitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monitor. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Diabetes monitor, a ‘game changer’

A new method of measuring blood glucose levels in people with diabetes is a significant advance in the management of the disease, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to an independent assessment by University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Derby Teaching Hospitals experts, the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitor has been available on prescription in the United Kingdom from November 2017.

NaijaAgroNetgathered it works through a white disc adhered to the arm which connects remotely to a small monitoring device.

This design, NaijaAgroNet gathered is to replace the recommended 4-10 painful finger-stick blood glucose tests required each day for the self-management of diabetes.

Lead researcher from The University of Manchester and a Consultant Diabetologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Lalantha Leelarathna, noted that the disc is replaced every 14 days and could also be purchased by people with diabetes.

“Type 1 Diabetes can occur at any age but typically presents in childhood and requires lifelong insulin therapy. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in people over 30-year-old and is initially treated without medication or with lifestyle modification and/or tablets,” Leelarathna said.

People with Type 1 Diabetes, Dr. Leelarathna said, should measure their blood glucose many times a day so they are able to adjust their insulin dose, stressing that having a blood glucose which is too high increases the risk of diabetes complications such as eye disease, foot ulcers and kidney disease.

Glucose levels which are too low can make the person with diabetes feel unwell and unable to function. If left untreated, low glucose can cause coma and seizures.

“Despite major progress in the care of people living with Type 1 diabetes, many fail to achieve their target blood sugar level – and that risks major complications.

“A key barrier in achieving near normal glucose levels is this need for frequent fingerstick blood glucose monitoring and that’s down to pain and inconvenience.

“Our review concludes that The FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitor works well for both adults and children.

 “The studies show it is accurate, comfortable and easy to use. It is associated with a reduction in low blood sugar levels, improvements in glycated haemoglobin levels and adverse events are low.

“Our assessment of the available evidence shows that for most patients, it is a game changer.”

Dr Emma Wilmot from Derby Teaching Hospitals said: “From our perspective, the FreeStyle Libre is a significant advance in the management of diabetes. Many users describe it as ‘life changing’.

‘The challenge in the UK is to now ensure that it reaches people living with diabetes. We are delighted that this device became available on the NHS drug tariff in November 2017.

“However, it is clear from the Diabetes UK map of access that this does not necessarily mean that it will make it into the hands of those who might benefit from the development of a postcode lottery for access would further add to the variation in diabetes care across the country and may adversely impact on outcomes.’


... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Thursday, June 9, 2016

ICT helps to monitor crop growth – FAO

The Director General José Graziano da Silva has said at a meeting of agriculture ministers of the G20 in China that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) helps in monitor of crop growth, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He also said that this would promoting sustainable agriculture requires a renewed focus on innovation and investment in research, technology and capacity development,
"ICT helps in the monitoring of crop growth, utilization of new techniques, field management and harvests,” the FAO Director-General said, stressing that it has also become an essential tool for improving people’s livelihoods and welfare while advancing social justice and ensure equal access to opportunities, particularly in rural areas.
Telecommunication tools, he told NaijaAgroNet, have the potential to provide Internet access for millions of people and connect farmers with digital agriculture. This includes the use of mobile phones to report animal disease outbreaks, which is one area FAO has been supporting in recent years.
Among the innovative ways FAO is using ICT, Graziano da Silva highlighted a new partnership with Google, whose satellite data and processing power will usher in an unprecedented level of environmental literacy, especially on forestry and fisheries, he said.
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology