SANTO DOMINGO. - Some one million Dominicans suffer diabetes in the country, with 50 percent not knowing their condition and the disease also advances among adolescents, revealed yesterday Dominican Endocrinology and Nutrition Society president doctor Lourdes Estrella.

She requested the collaboration of the authorities to initiate a national survey on diabetes, and a preventive program in the schools, because in her view that is moment that an educative and preventive program is assumed with greater responsibility, as untreated diabetes leads to increase the number of chronic patients.

The specialist released the findings in a press conference in which the Mexican-based Silanes Laboratories introduced in the Dominican market a new oral medication used in patients with type two advanced level diabetes, who are candidates to take insulin, can ingestion of a single tablet for the entire day.

Estrella said that the number of people who are not aware of their diabetics condition is a serious problem because sometimes when it is discovered complications exist and recommends that to avoid the disease, the population should have routine medical checkup, change nutritional habits and exercise.

Upon presenting the new medicine Metglital, Silanes Laboratories director Antonio Lopez stated that the product consists of combined oral therapy, which offers a patient the control of type two diabetes, which appears mostly in an advance age.

He said that the medicine innovation is that it obtains better control for most of the diabetic patients and which even extends the capacity of other medicines, because the patient has to take only one per day.

The executive revealed that a study conducted in Mexico showed that the use of this medication obtained a 1.3 percent reduction of the glucosidal hemoglobin within 12 weeks of being administered.