Maintaining a healthy weight is vital in a treatment regimen for type II diabetes, which is why the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has included obesity management recommendations in its recently published Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2016.
"Diabetes management requires individualized, patient-centered and culturally appropriate strategies," Dr. Jane Chiang, the ADA's senior vice president of medical and community affairs, said. "Clinical practice guidelines are important for improving population health, but for the best outcomes, diabetes care has to be individualized for each patient. The new obesity management and vulnerable population sections are two examples where individualized care is so important: these interventions can help reduce the risk of long-term complications and improve diabetes outcomes."
The new standards also encourage those with type II diabetes to use new digital resources for monitoring their disease.
"The association's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes are a living document that is revised and updated annually to address the needs of patients and their providers and to shape diabetes care and policy both nationally and internationally," Dr. William Herman, chair of the association's Professional Practice Committee, said. "People with diabetes, their families and their health care providers are constantly challenged to achieve diabetes treatment goals."
This year's new information includes diabetes self-management education and support, treatment tips for youth and a detailed section about treating diabetes in older adults.
The new standards, in addition to other materials and resources, are available online at www.diabetes.org.
