Diabetes is quickly becoming a threat to young people living all over the world. This metabolic disorder ranks as the fourth main cause of death. If not controlled, its deadly arm strikes with heart attacks, kidney failures, blindness, amputation, and obesity.

According to statistics, within the next 20 years, this condition will reach epidemic proportions with 19,000 developing diabetes daily and that number will grow to 333 million by 2025. Eighty percent of the cases are expected to be from developing countries like the Philippines.

More than 50 percent of those who suffer from diabetes are unaware of their condition. This, in turn, leads to expenses amounting to millions in treating complications that arise from undiagnosed or poorly treated diabetes.

By the end of this year, it will cause more than 3.8 million deaths globally – more than six percent of the total world mortality rate and similar in magnitude for those reported for HIV/AIDS in 2002. Statistics show that a person dies of a diabetes-related illness every 10 seconds.

Novo Nordisk launched Changing Diabetes – a three-pronged agenda focusing on education, services, and products. As part of its education program, the company introduced the "Diabetes Leadership Thought Series" where half a dozen diabetes experts from around the world will visit the Philippines to share their ideas on the latest developments in treatments and control. The most recent of this was a visit from the Endocrinology and Metabolism department chief of Denmark’s Aarhus University Hospital, Kjeld Hermansen.

The firm aims to constantly provide better products. This year, the company launched insulin detemir, Levemir. This basal insulin is very predictable and allows control of insulin level with only one injection daily. It comes in the devices called FlexPen, that makes dosage delivery more accurate and lessens the pain of inoculation.

During the event Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua of the UP College of Medicine and a leader in Philippine Diabetics research and treatment shared his experience with more than 400 doctors. He emphasized on early use of insulin with modern insulin for better control.

Novo Nordisk is looking into ways to defeat diabetes at all stages of its progression. It offers a complete line of diabetes products. Insulin therapies like NovoRapid, Levemir, and NovoMix help patients regain control and normalcy in their lives.