Siemens and Marvel’s Iron Man Raise Profile of Diabetes Prevalence Among Adolescents

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics is raising awareness of the prevalence of diabetes among adolescents to healthcare professionals with the help of Marvel Super Hero, Iron Man. The character recently attended the Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics exhibition stand at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference in Manchester to promote early diagnosis and treatment to manage diabetes effectively.

Diabetes testing can be delivered at the point of care via Siemens’ DCA HbA1c test kit and DCA Vantage Analyzer. The test kit recently gained the CE mark as an aid to diagnose diabetes and identify those at risk from developing the disease.

Iron Man’s appearance at Diabetes UK follows the ‘Become a Diabetes Hero’ campaign by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Marvel Custom Solutions. The campaign aims to strengthen the awareness of adolescents with diabetes among healthcare professionals and the benefits of using the HbA1c test to detect the disease and identify young people in danger of developing the disease.

HbA1c testing offers convenience as it can be conducted at any time and requires no preparation by the patient, and provides fast and accurate results for clinicians in GP surgeries, hospitals and clinics. The Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics DCA HbA1c test requires only a small (1μL) whole blood finger stick sample to enable clinicians to identify at-risk patients within minutes. Test results can be reviewed and disease management options discussed during the same patient visit, reducing a need for follow-up visits.

“The rate of diabetes among adolescents is a cause for concern. We are proud to team up with Marvel’s Iron Man, a Super Hero we feel embodies our passion for innovation, to help raise awareness of the disease among young people,” states Hilda Crockett, Regional Business Manager for Point of Care at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. “Rapid and comprehensive diagnosis of diabetes helps clinicians to provide early intervention, and the DCA HbA1c test kit and DCA Vantage Analyser enables exactly that, whether in a GP surgery, hospital or clinic.”