Patients on the road to recovery from type 2
diabetes
MONTREAL, Jan. 13, 2020 /CNW/ - What if you were told you
could reverse the course of type 2 diabetes through exercise and a
healthy diet? That was the challenge this past year for patients at
the Montreal Heart Institute's Diabetes Prevention Clinic
supported by Sun Life Financial. The health team is thrilled
with the progress achieved by its 180 participants during the
clinic's first year.
- 72% reduced their waist circumference by an average of 5
cm
- 80% lost weight, with patients losing an average of 3.72 kg (8
lb)
- 67% reduced their circulating insulin levels by an average of
29.54 pmol/L
- 77% reduced their glycated hemoglobin (average blood sugar over
3 months) by 0.6 %
- 64% improved their fasting glucose levels, with a drop of
7.6%
- 60% reduced their triglycerides by 9.5%
- 60% increased their good cholesterol (HDL) by 5%
"These are impressive results after just one year! I
congratulate the patients who undertook this challenge and I thank
the clinic's health care professionals who've helped guide them on
their road to recovery," said Jacques
Goulet, President of Sun Life Canada. "With so many
Canadians affected by diabetes, Sun Life is committed to fighting
the disease and its potentially serious complications. This
initiative aligns with our purpose, which is to help our Clients
achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. "
"Lifestyle is better than medication for treating diabetes, and
doesn't involve the side effects frequently associated with
medication. The clinic delivers the best tools to patients, so they
can minimize complications related to their disease," said Dr.
Martin Juneau, Director of
Prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute and Diabetes Prevention
Clinic supervisor.
A multidisciplinary team of health practitioners meets
periodically with participants and gives them the tools they need
to make healthy lifestyle changes and improve their health. This
multidisciplinary program is offered at the Montreal Heart
Institute's EPIC Center, thanks to a donation of $450,000 from Sun Life.
A tailored program to meet growing demand
The Diabetes
Prevention Clinic's mission is to turn the tide on diabetes through
early detection and healthy lifestyle strategies. This program
meets a growing demand for preventive services for patients with
diabetes and prediabetes, chronic conditions currently affecting 1
in 3 Canadians. Cardiovascular disease is the most common
complication and leading cause of death in patients with type 2
diabetes1. Fortunately, many studies show that type 2
diabetics who make lifestyle changes, including a high-quality
diet, regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, no tobacco
use and moderate alcohol consumption, reduce their risk of
premature death from cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes is the 5th-leading cause of premature death in the
world. Hyperglycemia from the onset of diabetes has multiple
adverse effects on cardiovascular risk factors, including
atherosclerosis, hypertension and dyslipidemia. These issues,
together with the damage hyperglycemia causes to small blood
vessels, mean type 2 diabetes increases the incidence of coronary
heart disease by 2 to 4 times2.
Sun Life in the community
At Sun Life, we are
committed to building sustainable, healthier communities for life
and we're proud to hold the Caring Company designation from Imagine
Canada. Community wellness is an important part of our
sustainability commitment and we believe that by actively
supporting the communities in which we live and work, we can help
build a positive environment for our Clients, Employees, advisors
and shareholders. Our philanthropic support focuses on two key
areas: health, with an emphasis on diabetes awareness, prevention,
care and research initiatives through our Team Up Against
DiabetesTM platform; and arts and culture, through our
award-winning Making the Arts More AccessibleTM program.
Since 2012, Sun Life has committed $31
million globally to support diabetes awareness, prevention,
care and research initiatives. In Quebec our sponsorship and donation
initiatives also focus on home economics and financial
education.
We also partner with sports properties in key markets to further
our commitment to healthy and active living. Our Employees and
advisors take great pride in volunteering over 29,000 hours each
year and contribute to making life brighter for individuals and
families across Canada.
About the Montreal Heart Institute
Founded in 1954,
the Montreal Heart Institute constantly aims for the highest
standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its
leadership in clinical and basic research, ultra-specialized care,
professional training and prevention. It houses the largest
cardiovascular research center in Canada, the largest cardiovascular prevention
center in the country, and the largest cardiovascular genetics
center in the country. The Institute is affiliated with the
University of Montreal and has more
than 2,000 employees, including 245 doctors and more than 85
researchers.
About the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
Founded
in 1977, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation raises and
administers funds to support the Institute's priority and
innovative projects and fight cardiovascular diseases, the world's
number one cause of mortality. Its philanthropic events and the
contributions of its donors have enabled this leading
cardiovascular health care organization to become the largest
cardiac research centre in the country. Since its creation, the
Foundation has raised more than $283
million in donations. Its 27,514 donors helped make
important discoveries and support specialists, professionals and
researchers of the Institute to provide care at the cutting edge of
technology to tens of thousands of patients in Quebec.
About the EPIC Center
The MHI's EPIC Center is the
largest centre for cardiovascular disease prevention in
Canada, with more than 5500
registered members. The Center has a bit more than 80 employees and
is part of the Prevention Branch of the Montreal Heart Institute.
The centre is for healthy people who wish to keep it that way
(primary prevention) as well as for patients who had a cardiac
accident (readaptation and secondary prevention). The staff
includes physicians, cardiologists, internists, emergency
physicians, a physiologist, visiting professors, nurses,
nutritionists, kinesiologists and rescuers.
Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
Isabelle Pelletier
514 238-4178
Ipelletier.pr@gmail.com
Sun Life
Mylène Bélanger
514-904-9739
mylene.belanger@sunlife.com
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1
http://observatoireprevention.org/2018/06/28/un-mode-de-vie-sain-reduit-les-complications-cardiovasculaires-du-diabete-de-type-2/
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2
http://observatoireprevention.org/2017/02/02/complications-cardiovasculaires-diabete/
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3
http://observatoireprevention.org/2018/06/28/un-mode-de-vie-sain-reduit-les-complications-cardiovasculaires-du-diabete-de-type-2/
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4
http://observatoireprevention.org/2017/02/02/complications-cardiovasculaires-diabete/
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.