MILPITAS, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeScan, Inc., maker of the leading OneTouch® Brand of blood glucose meters for people with diabetes, and ResMed, Inc. (NYSE: RMD - News), a leading manufacturer of medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, today announced an exclusive co-marketing agreement designed to improve the lives of people with type 2 diabetes and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The joint work of the two companies will focus on educational and cross-promotional efforts intended to benefit the patients and healthcare professionals served by both companies. The goal is to build awareness among healthcare professionals of the overlap of these two conditions, trigger new approaches to patient care, and ultimately improve the rate of treating patients suffering from both SDB and diabetes.
The agreement between the two companies comes on the heels of a recent announcement by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in which the organization issued a consensus statement(1) on type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of SDB. Issued by an IDF working group, the new statement included an urgent call-to-action regarding the need to adopt new clinical practices with respect to monitoring, screening and treating patients who present with either condition.
“Through this agreement, it’s our hope to make significant inroads into educating more physicians about the coexistence, identification and care of these two diseases, and getting more patients diagnosed, treated and on the road to a healthier future,” said Tom West, President North America, LifeScan.
While more research is needed to fully understand the correlation between diabetes and OSA, it is clear that the two conditions are often linked. “Research shows that it is likely in people with type 2 diabetes that more than 50 percent suffer from some form of sleep disorder including sleep apnea,” said Paul Zimmet, MD, PhD, co-chair of the IDF working group that issued the consensus statement, and Director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia(2). “At the same time, it is increasingly evident that a significant number of people diagnosed with sleep apnea may have diabetes and they have a significantly greater risk of developing diabetes compared with those that don’t suffer from the sleep disorder.”
In addition, both conditions are under-diagnosed and, if left untreated and uncontrolled, can lead to serious complications.
Diabetes affects approximately 21 million Americans, with only a little more than two thirds of those having been diagnosed, leaving nearly 6 million unaware that they suffer from the disease and have uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Additionally, 90 to 95 percent of the diagnosed population has type 2 diabetes. Without proper management, diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and amputation.
In the United States, it is estimated that sleep apnea affects up to 24 percent of men and 9 percent of women. Among those believed to have sleep apnea, it’s also estimated that at least 90 percent remain undiagnosed. Left untreated, sleep apnea -- like diabetes -- can lead to heart disease, but it can also lead to high blood pressure, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, memory problems, depression, headaches, and sexual dysfunction.
About LifeScan, Inc.
LifeScan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company and a leading maker of blood glucose monitoring products, is dedicated to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes. For healthcare professional resources, and information on diabetes care and LifeScan products and services, visit www.LifeScan.com.
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(1) The development and writing of the IDF Consensus Statement on type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea was funded by an educational grant from the ResMed Foundation. The Foundation had no involvement in the writing, review or approval of the Consensus Statement as was disclosed over the weekend when the statement was presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco.
(2) Dr. Zimmet is chief investigator of a clinical research study of sleep apnea and diabetes that is underwritten by ResMed.
Source: LifeScan, Inc.
