CSOFT’s Coffee and Conversations Podcast: Exploring Patient Diversity

CSOFT is excited to announce the launch of our Coffee and Conversations podcast! CSOFT International and CSOFT Health Sciences are so excited to produce a podcast where listeners can tune in to learn more about the life sciences and language services industry. Featuring experts from a diverse range of industries and fields, we hope the discussions will inform and educate our listeners as they wake up or unwind with a hot drink. As part of CSOFT’s month-long focus on issues in patient diversity, hosts Brigid and Sam sat down with CSOFT CEO Ms. Shunee Yee and Dr. George L. King for our premier episode of Coffee and Conversations, in which we explore patient-centric care, particularly regarding the treatment of patients with diabetes during the current health crisis.

Patient Diversity and Diabetes with Asian American Populations

For patients with diabetes, “The chances of having severe COVID, either being hospitalized or intubated, or [dying], is at least two, if not, threefold higher” said George King, MD, Director of Research, Senior Vice President, Head of the Section on Vascular Cell Biology at Joslin Diabetes Center, and Professor of Medicine and Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. Founding the Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) to discover protective factors and prevent the development of diabetic eyes, kidneys, and nerves, Dr. King discussed the many important ways patients with diabetes, particularly patients with Asian background, can and should manage their diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to being vaccinated, wearing a mask, avoiding large crowds, and following the appropriate health guidelines, there are some lifestyle factors people with diabetes can do to successfully manage their glucose levels, or A1C level (a measurement of glycemic glucose control over the last 3 months) during the pandemic. As described in Dr. King’s book, The Diabetes Reset: Avoid It. Control It. Even Reverse It. A Doctor’s Scientific Program, having access to and taking one’s medication correctly, as well as participating in regular exercise, maintaining a healthy, fresh diet, and a healthy sleep schedule (at least 6 hours of sleep per night), people with diabetes can successfully manage their condition. Additionally, by following these steps, along with guidelines outlined in the before-mentioned book, people with prediabetes can delay it, prevent it, or even reverse it throughout the world.

Referencing the International Diabetes Federation’s findings, Shunee Yee spoke in the podcast about the severe prevalence of diabetes worldwide, stating that estimates predict that “By 2045, there will be over 700 million people living with diabetes across the globe,” and that currently, “1 in 2 people with diabetes [are] undiagnosed,” with, “rising rates…particularly in Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia”. Addressing this, Dr. King spoke of the complexity of disparity of care with people living with diabetes around the world. Highlighting the importance of participating in clinical trials, particularly for Asian and Asian American populations, Dr King emphasized that it is through clinical trials that, “we find out whether medication [can] work or not,” and that, “It is so important for a drug … or a device … to be studied in the population or the country where it will be sold or be approved”.

Expanding on the topics of patient diversity and disparity of care, Dr. King will be featuring on our upcoming webinar hosted by XTalks, Linguistic Validation: Facilitating Patient Diversity in Clinical Trials, on May 7 at 12pm ET. To register, click here.

Be sure to listen to our Coffee and Conversations podcast! Next month’s episode will explore the importance of mental health awareness and supporting one another during this time.