Supporting people with type 2 diabetes
throughout the pandemic
MONTREAL, Jan. 14, 2021 /CNW/ - When the pandemic forced
gyms to close, it caused some disruption to the plans that had been
developed for patients by the team at the Montreal Heart
Institute's Diabetes Prevention Clinic sponsored by Sun
Life. As people with type 2 diabetes are more vulnerable when
it comes to COVID-19, it was important they remained safe at home.
Fortunately, when public health restrictions were implemented,
telehealth was there to make remote monitoring possible. And even
though part of the team at the EPIC Center had to be moved to the
Montreal Heart Institute to support efforts there, the Clinic's 223
participants made significant progress over the course of the
year.
- 60% reduced their waist circumference by an average of 5
cm
- 66% lost weight, with patients losing an average of 4 kg (8.8
lb)
- 48% reduced their circulating insulin levels, with an average
absolute reduction of 23.95 mmol/L – a relative reduction of
7%
- 58% reduced their glycated hemoglobin (average blood sugar over
3 months), with an average absolute reduction of 0.005 pmol/L – a
relative reduction of 6.8%
- 52% improved their fasting glucose levels, with an average
absolute reduction of 0.72 mmol/L – a relative reduction of 7%
- 48% reduced their triglycerides, with an average absolute
reduction of 0.24 mmol/L – a relative reduction of 8%
- 24% increased their good cholesterol (HDL), with an average
absolute increase of 0.07 mmol/L – a relative increase of 6.6%
- 54.9% of patients completely normalized their fasting glucose
and glycated hemoglobin.
Impressive results
Since its creation in December 2018, the Clinic has seen 223 patients
and has conducted more than 17,000 fitness sessions and 1,950
individual meetings. This initiative is one of the many ways Sun
Life helps people live healthier lives, which is a central
component of the company's purpose. "I'm impressed at how close
these participants have come to recovery despite the challenges
posed by the pandemic," said Jacques
Goulet, President of Sun Life Canada. "The pandemic has
highlighted the consequences of diabetes, which can cause severe
complications in people with the disease who contract COVID-19.
This has underscored the importance of continuing to give people
the tools they need to take charge of their health."
"We're pleased that we were able to maintain the Clinic's
services even though the EPIC Center's activities had to be
suspended. The results we've seen in our patients confirm the
positive impact of regular exercise in controlling blood sugar and
insulin sensitivity and show that, when combined with a
high-quality diet, it can contribute to preventing and mitigating
the effects of type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Martin Juneau, Director of Prevention at the
Montreal Heart Institute and Supervisor of the Diabetes Prevention
Clinic sponsored by Sun Life.
Remote workouts and limited resources due to the
pandemic
The majority of the staff at the Montreal Heart
Institute had to be redeployed to the hospital to perform various
functions relating to the pandemic. As a result, the team at the
Clinic was without some of its key players. But this did not stop
them from achieving their ambitious objectives, through group
seminars and one-on-one meetings. Patients had the chance to meet
with a nurse, a nutritionist, a kinesiologist, a physician, and an
endocrinologist when needed, along with fitness sessions. With a
lockdown in place, technology allowed these important meetings to
take place virtually.
When it was no longer possible for patients to use its gym, the
EPIC Center made a series of videos available to the public. From
the comfort of their own homes, participants can watch and follow
along for at home workouts. The short videos provide health tips
and feature exercises to do at home or outdoors as a way to improve
physical conditioning. This has helped participants stay on track
toward meeting their goals.
A tailored program to meet growing demand
It has been
proven that with exercise and good nutrition, it's possible to
reverse the course of type 2 diabetes. That is the core premise
presented to patients of the Montreal Heart Institute's Diabetes
Prevention Clinic sponsored by Sun Life. The only
one of its kind in Canada, this
multidisciplinary program is offered at the Montreal Heart
Institute's EPIC Center and is made possible by a donation of
$450,000 from Sun Life. A team of
health practitioners meets periodically with participants and gives
them the tools they need to make healthy lifestyle changes and
improve their health.
The Diabetes Prevention Clinic's mission is to turn the tide on
diabetes through early detection and healthy lifestyle strategies.
The program meets a growing demand for preventive services for
patients with diabetes, prediabetes, and chronic conditions that
currently affect 1 in 3 Canadians. Cardiovascular disease is the
most common complication and leading cause of death in patients
with type 2 diabetes.1 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, can 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 that type 2 diabetes increases the incidence of
coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times.2
Sun Life in the community
At Sun Life, we are
committed to building sustainable, healthier communities for life.
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 health, with an emphasis on
diabetes awareness, prevention, and care initiatives through our
Team Up Against DiabetesTM platform; and mental health,
supporting programs and organizations with a focus on building
resilience and coping skills.
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 close to 12,000 hours
each year and contribute to making life brighter for individuals
and families across Canada.
Learn more about Sun Life in the community.
About the Montreal Heart Institute
Founded in 1954,
the Montreal Heart Institute constantly strives for the highest
standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its
leadership in clinical and fundamental research, ultra-specialized
care, professional training and prevention. It is home to
Canada's largest cardiology
research centre, cardiovascular prevention centre, and
cardiovascular genetics centre. The Institute is affiliated with
the Université de Montréal and has more than 2,000 employees,
including 245 physicians and more than 85 researchers.
www.icm-mhi.org/en
About the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
Created
in 1977, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation raises and manages
funds to support the realization of the Institute's innovative and
priority projects and to fight cardiovascular disease, the leading
cause of death in the world. Its philanthropic events and its
donors' contributions have enabled this leader in cardiovascular
health to become the largest cardiac research centre in the
country. Over the years, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
has raised more than $309 million in
donations. Its 26,032 donors have made it possible to make
important discoveries and to support the Institute's specialists,
professionals and researchers to provide state-of-the-art care to
tens of thousands of patients in Quebec. fondationicm.org/en
About the EPIC Center
The MHI's EPIC Center is the
largest centre for cardiovascular disease prevention in
Canada, with more than 4,500
registered members. The Center has just over 100 employees and is
part of the Prevention Branch of the Montreal Heart Institute. The
centre is for healthy people who wish to stay that way (primary
prevention) as well as for patients who have had a cardiac event
(rehabilitation and secondary prevention). The staff includes
physicians, cardiologists, an internist, emergency physicians, a
physiologist, visiting professors, nurses, nutritionists,
kinesiologists and rescuers. www.centreepic.org
Montreal Heart Institute Foundation
Camille Turbide
514-755-5354
camille.turbide@gmail.com
Sun Life
Mylène Bélanger
438-341-3884
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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SOURCE Sun Life Financial