Measuring Blood Levels: The Bitter Life of Latvian Diabetics 0 19

Here is a teenager who was recently a boy of unhealthy fullness, and now he looks quite normal, almost athletic. Only on his shoulder is a sticker that looks like a button. This is a continuous glucose monitoring system that constantly provides information to parents. A thin flexible thread is inserted under the skin and measures indicators in interstitial fluid. It lasts for two weeks – and from this, in the literal sense, the life of this person depends. Just like thousands of others in Latvia.

How It Manifests

The general circumstances of the danger of developing diabetes include high cholesterol, obesity, heredity, poor nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, and long-term stress. Additionally, various diseases, such as high blood pressure, pancreatitis, viral hepatitis, rubella, and others.

The fatal quality of diabetes lies in the fact that it can initially go undetected. But once the disease is even timely diagnosed, it will never go away. In fact, the further duration and quality of life of a chronic diabetic can directly depend on how well the patient can coexist with their unexpected, chronic illness.

And although the disease itself, once it arises, is incurable and painful, the real danger lies in its unpredictable, various, future complications, which usually affect the arteries of the feet, blood vessels of the brain, coronary vessels, eye membranes, and kidney arteries. This is explained by the fact that the disease affects the retina, veins, arteries, and capillaries of the eyes, which often becomes the basis for complete blindness.

The main initial medical signals of the disease include a feeling of dryness in the mouth, constant fatigue, heaviness in the legs, frequent urination, tingling in the limbs, rapid fatigue, increased thirst, skin itching, furunculosis (mainly in women), as well as rapid weight loss, as the patient loses about 100-200 grams of glucose daily with frequent urination. A diabetic experiences a need to regularly eat something, however, despite this fact, they quickly lose weight.

Cannot Find 9 Million

Recently, your author also had the opportunity to see a picket organized near the Cabinet of Ministers – in support of free sensors. Nothing gave away the participants' illnesses, but such is the insidious nature of diabetes. Today you look quite healthy, and tomorrow, at a flourishing age, you find yourself in a deep coma, with what is called a one-way ticket...

The Latvian Association of Endocrinologists sent recommendations to the Saeima – to ensure monitoring for children with type 1 diabetes, pregnant women with diabetes, organ transplant patients, and patients after pancreatic resection at 100%.

As calculated by Dr. Una Gailiša (Stradiņš Hospital), if the devices were provided to all adult patients with type 1 diabetes (6400 patients), the total costs at 100% compensation would reach about 9 million euros.

How much is this? Approximately 244 times less than the budget of the Ministry of Defense for 2026. That is, half a percent of military spending would be enough to prevent many deaths over the year.

A Common Disease

As for automatic insulin pumps, which administer medication as soon as glucose levels spike – "considering limited budgetary resources," endocrinologists recommend limiting it only to children and expectant mothers. As for working adult men – that’s their problem. "It should be taken into account that not all patients will want to use these systems," the doctors note.

– Has the Ministry done any homework? – expressed hope the chairman of the Saeima's Social and Labor Affairs Commission Andris Berziņš (Union of Greens and Farmers). According to him, "the wallet with money" currently lies with the government...

To be fair, it should be noted that Health Minister Hosam Abu Meri (New Unity) approached the protesting patients, many of whom had small children already in need of insulin. But the minister could not please those gathered – our Ministry of Health had already planned the main "anchor" programs for 2027:

• oncology (66.8 million euros),
• treatment of cardiovascular diseases (42.2 million euros),
• treatment of rare diseases (31.7 million euros),
• maternal and child health improvement plan (22.2 million).

All these priorities can undoubtedly be welcomed – however, what to do if rare diseases receive more than four times the budget allocated for diabetes treatment? Unfortunately, common diabetes is a constant companion for many, many people...

Waiting for a Miracle

Liga Aboliņa, the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Health, after communicating with the protesters, expressed the idea that those in need of monitoring sensors and insulin pumps would purchase them with their own funds, and the state would then write off part of the expenses as justified costs when filing annual tax returns. Thus, purchases would decrease by a quarter – the amount of personal income tax.

Boris Knigin, Deputy Secretary of State for Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Health, noted that the Ministry of Finance has begun preparing for the formation of the budget for 2027 – and, most likely, sectoral ministries will not receive the right to propose their own priorities.

Activist Regina Lochmele, who attended the Saeima commission, shared that her close person suffers from type 1 diabetes. That is why she participated in the picket at the government. "The minister promised that as soon as the first half of the year passes, we will look at the numbers, and then together with partners and associations we will decide...".

– We will keep repeating this all the time. Promises were made in front of many witnesses, – emphasized R. Lochmele. "The minister will convene a general working group," promised parliamentary secretary Liga Aboliņa. But what will happen to the health of hundreds of children and adults during this time? One can only hope for what Andris Berziņš said: "A miracle may happen...".

EXPERIMENT

Measurements conducted in South Korea showed that patients who use glucose sensors:

• experience diabetic coma 60% less often;
• have a 72% reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases;
• have an overall mortality rate that is 60% lower.