This week, find out if you have diabetes by testing yourself at the pharmacy

Do you have any doubts about possible diabetes? Head to your pharmacy to measure your glucose level until Saturday. On the occasion of the National Diabetes Prevention Week, community pharmacists can in fact perform a “TROD” (the acronym for “rapid diagnostic orientation test”) to assess blood sugar, or the sugar level in the blood. An operation that only takes a drop of blood and 15 minutes.

A TROD offered in pharmacies until June 8

Today, more than 4 million French people are diabetic, 90% of whom have type 2 diabetes. But this figure would be underestimated because nearly a million people suffer from it without knowing it. The objective of this currently proposed test is therefore clear: to detect people who are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes so that early treatment can be put in place.

This TROD, however, meets a few conditions:

• It can only be carried out as part of the diabetes prevention campaign and not all year round;
• It can be carried out with or without a medical prescription;
• It is not reimbursed as TROD in pharmacies. “For HAS, capillary blood glucose has no value in the diagnosis. So this cannot be covered by the compulsory regime.” indicates Health Insurance. (Except for strips and devices sold to patients with chronic illness.)

The Order of Pharmacists also reminds that this TROD does not replace a medical biology examination: if the pharmacist indeed discovers hyperglycemia, the patient must be referred to their attending physician to have a blood test prescribed, confirming or not this first approach. However, it allows you to become aware of your condition.

An interest for people deemed at risk

Another thing to know: only people deemed “at risk” of type 2 diabetes can benefit from this test. How do you know if you are affected? THE Findrisc test, recommended by the High Authority for Health and consisting of a series of 8 questions (on age, heredity, waist size, practice of physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and hypertension), can give you a score to determine the risk of diabetes within 10 years. Your doctor can also advise you.

Diabetes, a disease that also affects your well-being

This diabetes prevention week addresses the impact of this chronic disease on the mental health of patients. According to a Roche Diabetes Care France study conducted by OpinionWay on 500 people with diabetes, 94% of patients report experiencing at least one well-being problem linked to stress and disease management (sleep or eating disorders). , depression, stress, anxiety) – women being more affected than men:

• 30% of women feel (often or very often) depressed vs. 14% of men ^;
• 40% of them feel anxious vs. 25% of men;
• Finally, 54% of women surveyed suffer from sleep disorders compared to 34% of men.
• On the other hand, only 19% – 22% of T1D and 18% of T2D – are or have been followed by a professional specializing in mental health (psychiatrist or psychologist.

An observation which underlines the interest in improving patient care: “These figures illustrate that the impact of diabetes on Mental Health is still underestimated, despite the numerous studies on the subject. It is all the more important to be vigilant as the depression may worsen the prognosis of the disease. Warning signs such as sleep disturbances, eating disorders, loss of desire, stress, panic attacks or difficulty following treatment may indicate a need for help on the part of the patient. . Accepting a chronic illness and living with its daily constraints is a long and sometimes difficult process. Support from loved ones, caregivers, peers or associations as well as appropriate psychological monitoring are essential to help patients in the long term.” confirms Marie de Bonnieres, clinical psychologist and author of the book Living better with a chronic illness at the end of this investigation.