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Page 58
allied
academies
Nov 22-23, 2018 | Paris, France
Joint Event
Nutrition and Health
16
th
International Conference on
26
th
International Conference on
Diabetes and Endocrinology
&
Journal of Insights in Nutrition and Metabolism | Volume 2
Notes:
The untold problems of traveling with diabetes - New solutions
Diegel Uwe
LifeinA, France
I
n August 2003, an exceptional heat wave affected Europe,
causing 70,000 deaths, including more than 19,000 in
France. This year, in 2018, the first abnormal weather came
in mid-May. A heat peak was observed, with more than half
of France affected by temperatures of 30°C or more and
high humidity. This heat wave is already problematic for 750
000 diabetics in France who have to travel with their insulin.
Hotweatherandtheinsidiousproblemofinsulin:About750,000
diabetics in France use injected insulin. If insulin is exposed to
extreme temperatures, it is damaged and very quickly loses its
effectiveness. This is a major concern for diabetics during the
summer. One of the problems with insulin is that when it is
exposed to high heat, it does not show any outside changes but
simply becomes less effective, whichmeans that during periods
ofextremeheat,adiabeticcanofteninjecthimselfwithdamaged
insulinwithout knowing it, which radically affects his treatment.
New technologies are appearing for the safe transport of
medication : There are over 2.5 million people in France
suffering from diseases that prevent them from traveling,
because the medication they use must be kept cool. These
people are effectively trapped by their diseases. These
medications include drugs for chronic diseases such as
diabetes, arthritis or multiple sclerosis. This sensitivity to heat
also affects growth hormones, adrenaline and anti-venoms.
Sensitive medications are divided into two categories: those
that must be kept cool (below 25°C) and those that must
be kept cold (between 2° C and 8° C). Diegel Uwe, CEO of
LifeinA, a French start-up that is developing new solutions
that will allow people to travel anywhere, anytime, knowing
that their medication is kept at exactly the right temperature,
will present current and future evolutions in this field.
The definite guide to traveling with diabetes: The secret of
an enjoyable travel experience for a person with diabetes is
in the way in which it is prepared and taking just a couple of
precautionsbeforedeparturecanmakeall thedifference. Insulin
is sensitive to heat and should ideally be kept in a refrigerator
with a temperature between 2°C and 8°C. People with diabetes
are much more sensitive to certain events or changes of
routine which might affect their metabolism or their lifestyle.
Today, the diabetic who is in control of his disease can travel
almost anywhere. It is necessary before leaving:
- To ensure that his diabetes is well controlled.
- To get information about the availability of local diabetic care.
The best way to do this is to get in touch with the local diabetes
association. Almost without exception, every country in the
world has an association dedicated to diabetes information.
Simply go on the net, and type the name of the country,
together with “diabetes association”, and you will quickly get
all the info you need. Alternatively, phone your local association
and they will most certainly give you the contacts you need.
- Try not to travel alone in countries with extreme temperatures
where you do not speak the local language.
e:
uwe@lifeina.com