The American Diabetes Association has released new standards for diabetes care to reflect changes in technology, improved medications and a deeper understanding of the social factors that contribute to disease and diabetes control.
The annual guidelines are much more aggressive than in the past. One of the updates include changes in standards for weight control. What used to be a weight loss recommendation of 5% of excess body weight for people who are overweight or obese, is now 15%. Other changes include blood pressure (now recommended to be 130/80 or below) and cholesterol management, which has new LDL treatment targets: below 70 for individuals who test negative for heart disease, and below 55 for individuals who test positive for heart disease.
Help your patients prevent or delay progression to diabetes by referring them to a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program, like DiabetesFreeNC.
DiabetesFreeNC, a statewide initiative to help prevent Type 2 Diabetes, lets physicians and care teams support their patients who have prediabetes with a free or low cost, evidence based National Diabetes Prevention Program.
Learn more about the initiative and take the pledge by clicking here.