Diabetes in Asia
Incidence and facts
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2021):
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Diabetes is one of the fastest growing global health emergencies of the 21st century.
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In Western Pacific 1 in 8 adults have diabetes (206 million). In South-East Asia 1 in 11 adults have diabetes (90 million).
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In South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, as well as in Africa, more than half of people with diabetes are undiagnosed.
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The number of people with diabetes in the SEA Region will increase 68%, reaching 152 million by 2045. Over the same period, the prevalence of diabetes will increase 30% to reach 11.3%. The proportion of undiagnosed diabetes is third highest worldwide at 51.2%.
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in Western Pacific the diabetes-related expenditure in 2021 totals USD 241 billion – 25% of global expenditure.
Source: IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2021
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use
the insulin it does produce
Type 1 diabetes:
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It is caused by an autoimmune process in which the body’s immune system attacks the insulin- producing beta-cells of the pancreas. It cannot be prevented.
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People with type 1 diabetes require insulin to survive: they may start with 2 insulin injections/day once diabetes is diagnosed and generally progress to 3 or 4 injections/day. Studies have shown that 3 or 4 injections/day give the best blood glucose control and can prevent or delay complications caused by diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes:
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It represents the vast majority (over 90%) of diabetes worldwide. Hyperglycaemia here is the result of the inability of the body’s cells to respond fully to insulin (insulin resistance). Evidences show that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed.
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Type 2 diabetes is usually taken under control with a healthy lifestyle. Whenever this is not possible, patients need medications (pills) or insulin injections.
An insulin deficit, if left unchecked over the long term, can cause damage to many of the body’s organs, the complications of diabetes, leading to disabling and life-threatening health complications such as
Cardiovascular Diseases
(CVD)
Nerve Damage (Neuropathy)
Kidney Damage (Nephropathy)
Lower-Limb Amputation (Diabetic Foot)
Eye Disease
(mainly affecting the retina) resulting in visual loss and even blindness.
However, if appropriate management of diabetes is achieved, these serious complications can be delayed or prevented altogether.
Diabetes impact in the daily life
Diabetes is a chronic disease that hugely impacts the quality of life and its daily management turns out to be difficult: compliance of treatment, frequent measurements of blood glucose, adaptation of insulin needs, prevention of complications and/or their monitoring, etc. In addition, the psychological impact of diabetes must not be overlooked: studies have shown that people living with diabetes can feel really down due to the heaviness of the diabetes complications.
Beside this, it can be sometimes difficult today for the people suffering from diabetes to know whom to speak to, where to find appropriate information and advice outside of the medical world in order to feel less lonely facing the disease.
Among the major needs of people with diabetes:
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Help in the daily management of diabetes – people with diabetes feel alone, they interact with physicians very rarely
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Prevent the diabetes complications - people with diabetes are very scared about the impact of the complications in their life and the possibility to die
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Reduce the stress and pain related to the management of diabetes – people with diabetes dream of a easy management of diabetes, with no frustration, no anxiety, no pain
IN THE WORLD
In Italy since 2012 with a medical rep team visiting diabetologists, nurses and patients Associations, working with them to understand needs and provide solutions to diabetes patients.
Worldwide through distributor partners in more than 25 Countries.
An R&D team to design new solutions for a better compliance and a better quality of life.
Diabetes,
our specific focus.
Harmonium Pharma is an Italian diabetes company with a specific focus on the daily life of patients with diabetes, their quality of life. Most of the products are unique in the market.
Differently from other diabetes players focused on the management of hyperglycemia and on medical instruments (insulin, hypoglycemic, glucometers, strips, insulin pumps), Harmonium Pharma provides a range of products which help day-by-day people with diabetes to manage aspects such as hypoglycemia, lipodystrophy, foot care, fingertips care and prevention of complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy.
Thanks to a continuous listening of the needs of patients with diabetes, Harmonium Pharma is able to understand the difficulties of their management of diabetes, day after day.
Products to help people with diabetes. Daily.
Products to help people with diabetes in the daily management of this disease and prevention of the complications:
Harmofine®
Insulin pen needles
Insulin injection
Insulin is a requirement for the treatment of type 1 and some type 2 diabetes patients.
People with type 1 usually start with 2 insulin injections/day and generally progress to 3 or 4 injections/day. Studies have shown that 3 or 4 injections/day give the best blood glucose control and can preventor delay complications caused by diabetes.
Most people with type 2 may need 1 injection/day without any diabetes pills. Some may need a single injection along with diabetes pills. Sometimes diabetes pills stop working, and people with type 2 will start with 2 injections/day and may progress to 3 or 4 injections/day.
Insulin is commonly injected by using an insulin pen, a device containing an insulin cartridge. A needle needs to be attached to the pen for the injection and it needs to be changed at each injection (no re-use).
About 1/3 of the insulin treated patients skip injection time.
About 50% of the patients affirm that they would improve their adherence to insulin therapy if the pain could be soothed in some way.
Harmonium Pharma insulin pen needles:
HARMOFINE®
Soft and painless injection: this is the dream of patients with diabetes doing insulin injections. Based on this and in line with the mission of the company, Harmonium Pharma has designed specific needles to meet diabetics’ expectations, in order to support them in their daily management of the condition.
HARMOFINE ® insulin pen needles is now also available in Asia to help patients to comply to the therapy with less stress and less pain.
HARMOFINE® Key characteristics
HARMOFINE ® features some important advantages compared to the players currently available in the market.
Here are the main characteristics of Harmonium Pharma’s needles:
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Extra thin walls for a less painful injection: reduced stress for the skin cells
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Silicone treated tip for a smooth penetration of the needle
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Short needles (4mm) to reduce the risk of a painful injection into the muscle
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Very low presence of distortion of the needle tip after injection – meaning a high sharpening, no pain and low risk of lipodystrophies
For an easy and comfortable injection
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Thin wall for a reduced injection time: wide needle lumen, quick insulin injection, comfortable injection experience
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Small bevel angle and long bevel length – meaning great sharpening and easy skin penetration during injection
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Low penetrating force to be applied to the insulin pen for injection, and low frictional force
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High precision in puncturing the skin
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Easy twist-off cap design
For every patient, for every need.
Available in 3 sizes:
For a smooth and painless injection
Other Specifications
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3 bevels needle tip
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Compatible with the main insulin pen brands
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Each pack contains 100 sterile needles
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Sterile, non-pyrogenic, non-toxic, made of plastic and stainless steel, no PVC
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Medical device Class IIa
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EN ISO 13485:2016
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CE marked
Manufacture in Europe.
HARMOFINE ® insulin pen needles are produced in Europe by a manufacturer with a very strong experience with the design and production of any type of sharp product for diabetes (needles, syringes, lancets) and other therapeutical areas.
The company is ISO certified and is compliant to very strict rules and procedures to monitor the production: metal and plastic components, packaging and sterilisation, all inhouse processes.
Material and production technology for HARMOFINE ® are chosen so that the needles remain chemically stable after the sterilization.
Bibliography
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IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2021 https://diabetesatlas.org/idfawp/resource-files/2021/07/IDF_Atlas_10th_Edition_2021.pdf
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Comparison of the effects of a new 32-gauge × 4-mm pen needle and a 32-gauge × 6-mm pen needle on glycemic control, safety, and patient ratings in Japanese adults with diabetes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23030357/
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A 4-mm Needle Reduces the Risk of Intramuscular Injections Without Increasing Backflow to Skin Surface in Lean Diabetic Children and Adults https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/31/9/e65/28003/A-4-mm-Needle-Reduces-the-Risk-of-Intramuscular
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Safety and efficacy of insulin therapy delivered via a 4mm pen needle in obese patients with diabetes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25662503/
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Children with diabetes: the impact of fear of needles. Rzeszut JR. J Pediatr Nurs. 2011 Dec;26(6):589-92.
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Improving patient acceptance of insulin therapy by improving needle design. Norman JJ1, Prausnitz MR. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2012 Mar 1;6(2):336-8.
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Curr Med Res Opin. 2010 Jun; Skin and subcutaneous adipose layer thickness in adults with diabetes at sites used for insulin injections: implications for needle length recommendations - Michael A Gibney 1, Christina H Arce, Karen J Byron, Laurence J Hirsch
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Randomized Controlled Trial > Diabetes Technol Ther. 2012 Dec; Comparison of the effects of a new 32-gauge × 4-mm pen needle and a 32-gauge × 6-mm pen needle on glycemic control, safety, and patient ratings in Japanese adults with diabetes - Takashi Miwa, Rokuro Itoh, Takaaki Kobayashi, Takashi Tanabe, Junpei Shikuma, Tomono Takahashi, Masato Odawara
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Randomized Controlled Trial > Mayo Clin Proc. 2015 Mar; Safety and efficacy of insulin therapy delivered via a 4mm pen needle in obese patients with diabetes - Richard M Bergenstal, Ellie S Strock, Diana Peremislov, Michael A Gibney, Valentin Parvu, Laurence J Hirsch
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Needle anxiety in children with type 1 diabetes and their mothers. Howe CJ1, Ratcliffe SJ, Tuttle A, Dougherty S, Lipman TH. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2011 Jan-Feb;36(1):25-31.
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Comparison between shorter straight and thinner microtapered insulin injection needles. Nagai Y1, Ohshige T, Arai K, Kobayashi H, Sada Y, Ohmori S, Furukawa K, Kato H, Kawata T, Ohta A, Tanaka Y. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2013 Jul;15(7):550-5.