Cost of Diabetes Treatment in Malaysia 2019

Diabetes is a major health problem among Malaysians.

The biggest issue with diabetes is that not only will it take a slow but sure toll on your health, it does the same for your finances too.

Here are some of the costs of diabetes treatment in Malaysia you need to consider should you be diagnosed with diabetes.


diabetes treatment cost malaysia
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Diabetic treatment in the hospital

Even though your condition can be controlled on your own with medication, there’s always the chance of you having to be hospitalised due to issues such as hyperglycemia, where your blood sugar level increases to dangerous levels that require further monitoring and increases in insulin dosages. Hyperglycemia would require not only medical personnel to watch over your condition, but would also require you to consult with specialists as well to check on your diet and exercise regime. The cost of a hospital admission in a private hospital will obviously be much more than the public hospitals.
The real danger of diabetes is not the disease itself but the risk of getting major complications like heart diseases, kidney disease or even stroke (paralysis due to the blockade of major blood vessel/s in the brain). A major stroke or a heart attack could be fatal and a kidney failure would require kidney dialysis on a regular basis.
Prevention is better than cure.
Secondary prevention in diabetes is about trying to prevent it from getting worse in order to avoid major complications i.e. kidney failure, heart attack, stroke etc. According to a study by Assoc. Prof. Hamdy and his team did about 15 years ago showed that losing about 7% of body weight for those who are obese and experiencing insulin resistance, would increase their insulin sensitivity by 56.8%.

diabetes vicious cycle


The study published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2003, followed the 24 participants through a six-month programme combining a low-calorie diet and moderate physical activity.

“I tell you, I was shocked when we did that study,” he says.

“I said, you know, if they become (insulin) sensitive again, those people can be cured. This means diabetes can be reversed.

“But then the problem is, how can we do it?”

He says that instead of the usual method of continually adding medications to help control blood glucose levels, a new philosophy for treatment is needed.

“The new philosophy is to target body weight, to target the waistline – how do we help people to lose weight, to decrease their waistline?”

To this end, he created a weight loss programme called Why WAIT (Weight Achievement and Intensive Treatment).

This 12-week programme revolves around dietary modification that includes low-calorie meal plans and replacing meals with diabetes-specific nutrition formulas, an individualised exercise plan that starts with 20 minutes three to four days a week and gradually increases to 60 minutes five to six days a week, and weekly group behavioural support sessions conducted by a clinical psychologist or behavioural therapist.

“I was shocked by the first results,” he says. “But over time, the results were repeated again and again.”

To date, 55 groups have gone through the programme, and he says that they have lost 16,000 pounds (7,257kg) in total.

“I think this is the best way to approach the disease: to tell your patients exactly what to do,” he says.

Read more at https://www.star2.com/health/2018/03/28/there-might-be-a-cure-for-diabetes/

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