Diabetes Therapy Options Continue to Evolve, Doctors Remind Treatment Not Just Focus on Blood Sugar

JAKARTA - The number of people with diabetes in Indonesia continues to increase year by year. This condition encourages the need for the development of therapeutic options that not only effectively control blood sugar levels, but are also able to consider the risk of long-term complications, such as heart disease and kidney disorders.

Based on data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Indonesia has around 20.4 million adults living with diabetes in 2024. This figure places Indonesia as the fifth largest country with the largest number of adults with diabetes in the world. This number is expected to continue to increase to reach around 28.6 million people by 2050.

The high number of cases is also accompanied by another challenge, namely the still large number of sufferers who do not know that they have diabetes. It is estimated that almost 15 million adults in Indonesia have not been diagnosed, so they are at risk of complications due to delayed treatment.

In recent years, the approach to diabetes therapy has also developed. Treatment is no longer only oriented towards lowering blood glucose levels, but also considers the patient's metabolic conditions as well as efforts to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney dysfunction.

This development is one of the topics discussed at the 14th National Endocrinology Forum held by the Indonesian Endocrinology Association (PERKENI) in Bandung. In this scientific forum, one of the therapies from the SGLT2 inhibitor group was introduced, which adds treatment options for type 2 diabetes patients in Indonesia.

The Chairman of PERKENI, Prof. Dr. Em Yunir, Sp.PD, K-EMD, assessed that the presence of new treatment options can enrich the approach to treating diabetes that is tailored to the characteristics of patients.

"The launch of enavogliflozin 0.3 mg in Indonesia has an important meaning because it presents a new therapeutic option for patients, while encouraging scientific discussions on how we can better manage type 2 diabetes in our population," he said in a press conference Daewoong Indonesia in Bandung, recently.

According to Prof. Em Yunir, the burden of diabetes in Indonesia requires collaboration from various parties so that the quality of patient management continues to improve.

"Indonesia is facing an increasing burden of diabetes, so collaboration between health workers, professional organizations, academics, and industry is important to improve the quality of therapy and the long-term outlook of patients," he said.

In the same forum, experts also discussed the characteristics of type 2 diabetes patients in Asia who were assessed to have differences compared to Western populations. Some patients can experience insulin resistance and abdominal obesity even though they have a relatively lower body mass index (BMI).

Professor from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yonsei University Severance Hospital, South Korea, Prof. Yong-ho Lee, said the selection of therapy needs to consider the condition.

"This new therapy is an SGLT-2 inhibitor that has been supported by clinical evidence specifically obtained in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus," he said.

He added that the success of the therapy is not measured solely by the reduction of blood sugar.

"In treating Asian patients, the selection of therapy should not only consider the effectiveness in lowering blood glucose levels, but also its impact on metabolic parameters, such as weight and insulin resistance."

In addition to discussing the development of therapy, the forum also became a momentum for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) and PERKENI. This cooperation is aimed at strengthening joint research, academic exchange, and medical education in the field of diabetes.

The Chairman of the Korean Diabetes Association, Prof. Sung-rae Kim, said cross-country collaboration was needed to deal with the increasing burden of diabetes in the Asian region.

"This MoU connects two medical communities that have the same goal, namely improving diabetes care through scientific research and education."

"We will continue to create meaningful opportunities for academic exchange through joint research and educational collaboration," he added.

Experts assess that as the number of people with diabetes in Indonesia increases, access to a wider range of therapeutic options, early detection, and patient education remain three important aspects to reduce the risk of complications and improve the quality of life of people with diabetes.