New Hyperglycemia Management Guidelines from the ADA

Posted on June 10, 2012 | 4 Comments

97 mg/dl. Yippee!

I’ll get to the following article as time allows.  Perhaps you’ll get to it before me.  It’s written for healthcare professionals.  It’s in a June, 2012, issue of Diabetes Care.  (Didn’t they publish management principles just six months ago?)  What does it say about diet, if anything?

Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes: A Patient-Centered Approach:  Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)

-Steve

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4 responses to “New Hyperglycemia Management Guidelines from the ADA”

  1. rjh | June 10, 2012 at 11:44 am |

    It says nothing explicitly about diet. It does discuss lifestyle management, the broader concept. For that it:
    1) Emphasizes aggressive lifestyle management efforts during early diagnosis stages. I was somewhat encouraged that it mentions being responsive to cultural and personal factors in choosing lifestyle management methods.
    2) In general it shifts from a single guideline for all patients towards a range of approaches to be adjusted based on patient acceptance and their diabetes response to treatments.

    • Steve Parker, M.D. | June 13, 2012 at 5:01 am |

      Hi, rjh!

      I found a food paragraph:

      Dietary advice must be personalized. Patients should be encouraged to eat healthy foods that are consistent with the prevailing population-wide dietary recommendations and with an individual’s preferences and culture. Foods high in fiber (such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes), low-fat dairy products, and fresh fish should be emphasized. High-energy foods, including those rich in saturated fats, and sweet desserts and snacks should be eaten less frequently and in lower amounts.

      And…

      As much physical activity as possible should be promoted, ideally aiming for at least 150 min/week of moderate activity including aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training.

  2. George Henderson | June 10, 2012 at 2:49 pm |

    It says: “Patients should be encouraged to eat healthy foods that are consistent with the prevailing population-wide dietary recommendations”

    God forbid that dietary treatment for any illness should diverge from the one-size-fits-all guidelines.
    Healthy foods that are not consistent with the prevailing guidelines (“including those rich in saturated fats”) are out then?
    While unhealthy foods are in, as long as they are in the permitted doses:
    “sweet desserts and snacks should be eaten less frequently and in lower amounts”

    • Steve Parker, M.D. | June 13, 2012 at 5:04 am |

      Hey, George.
      I’m surprised and disappointed they didn’t say anything about carbohydrate restriction. Even the American Diabetes Association in their yearly clinical guidelines lately has recognized the utility of carb-restricted eating for “up to two years,” at least for weight loss.