For World Diabetes Day, our UK medical director Dr Roger Henderson, and patient Bill Bachop, were invited onto Sky News to discuss the role of digital health intervention for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
Living in the dark
During the interview, Dr Henderson explained that in the UK around half a million of people are unaware they are on the verge of developing the condition. This is due to the fact that in some cases the symptoms are not evident.
Bill was a victim of this. He only became aware of his pre-diabetic diagnosis because of a routine blood test appointment. Thanks to early diagnosis, he was offered the opportunity to join the Liva Healthcare programme as part of the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme digital pilot. Faced with the possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes, Bill decided it was time to take back control over his health. Working with his personal Liva Healthcare health coach, Bill started making healthy lifestyle choices part of his routine. This included having a goal of 10,000 steps daily, as well as cutting down meal portions and sugary foods intake.
A new lease of life
As a result of the programme, Bill has a new lease of life. He says, “I feel a lot better, I’ve lost 10kgs in weight, which is an added bonus and my sugar level has dropped five points. It’s a really good place to be”.
All of our patients have full access to the app even after their programme comes to an end. Bill explained that he is now in the habit of tracking his meals and activity levels, helping him to stay on track. Recording information every day into our app, allows him to have full history of his weight, activity and sugar levels and progress.
We were delighted to be invited onto the show to discuss the work we are doing, helping to drive further awareness around Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The full interview can be found on our LinkedIn page here.
