National Health Service (NHS) employers and general practitioners (GPs) had earlier agreed upon a target to reduce glucose level of the patients to below 7 percent.
Richard Lehman, a GP in Oxfordshire, and Prof. Harlan Krumholz, Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in the United States, have condemned the move arguing that it is against medical evidences that show that lowering glucose to such level is of no help to patients and may cause harm to them.
However, the Department of Health says that the move will help reduce risks of heart disease in diabetes patients.
The independent advisory panel of the department has asserted, “There is a clear relationship between hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular risk.”
“Better glycaemic control should lead to reduced cardiac
define risk for those with raised blood sugar levels," said the spokesperson of the Department of Health.
GPs will be rewarded from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) if they reduce blood glucose level of half of their patients to below 7 percent.
Dr. Lehman and Prof. Krumholz, who do not agree with these claims, wrote to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), “Reducing glycated haemoglobin below 7% is not supported by evidence and may even be harmful.
“Tens of thousands of patients will need to be given additional oral treatment or will be treated with insulindefine. Treatment with insulin brings with it an increased risk of hypoglycaemia (potentially dangerous low blood sugar levels) and the additional costs of daily blood glucose monitoring and the insulin itself.”
Ironically, new target was being initiated when three studies have proved that tighter blood glucose levels could harm diabetes patients, reducing the blood sugar to dangerous level.
The doctors argue that the new target will only increase the incomes of GPs, and will be heavier on the pockets of patients, besides putting their health at risk.
GPs will earn around £3,000 if they achieve the target. The amount is similar to what they have been earning by achieving target of reducing blood sugar level to 7.5 percent.
Post new comment