Prevention of type 2 diabetes: data from recent trials

All four main studies of lifestyle intervention on diabetes incidence found a clear benefit for diet and exercise intervention compared with usual care. Although the study populations differed by race and ethnicity, the mean BMI, and the intensity of the lifestyle intervention provided, all investigators found substantial diabetes risk reduction with modest weight loss and increased physical activity. Results of these trials give health care providers useful and heartening information to share with patients at risk for diabetes. The challenge remains to find feasible and cost-efficient methods to identify people at risk and to deliver effective lifestyle interventions. Findings from trials of pharmacologic agents such as metformin, acarbose, and troglitazone are encouraging; however, the ADA recommends that drug therapy should not be used routinely to prevent diabetes until more information regarding the cost-effectiveness of such intervention is known [20]. Results from trials that found a lower incidence of diabetes among those randomly assigned to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins, or hormone therapy are intriguing but must be viewed with caution because they are based on post hoc analyses. Because it is difficult to conduct randomized controlled trials of major operative procedures such as bariatric surgery, observational studies that compare surgical interventions for weight loss with traditional weight-loss management may be the best evidence available. These studies have the potential for healthy-person bias in that people who choose bariatric surgery may have other healthy behaviors that are often difficult to measure and control for; such behaviors could account for their lower incidence of diabetes. Undeniably, the best test to diagnose those at high risk for diabetes is not yet known. New strategies that identify those with pre-diabetes and that overcome the limitations of the current tests, particularly the 2-hour post-challenge glucose test, are needed.     

Screening for Diabetes and Prediabetes Should Be Cost-Saving in Patients at High Risk

OBJECTIVE

Although screening for diabetes and prediabetes is recommended, it is not clear how best or whom to screen. We therefore compared the economics of screening according to baseline risk.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Five screening tests were performed in 1,573 adults without known diabetes—random plasma/capillary glucose, plasma/capillary glucose 1 h after 50-g oral glucose (any time, without previous fast, plasma glucose 1 h after a 50-g oral glucose challenge [GCTpl]/capillary glucose 1 h after a 50-g oral glucose challenge [GCTcap]), and A1C—and a definitive 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Costs of screening included the following: costs of testing (screen plus oral glucose tolerance test, if screen is positive); costs for false-negative results; and costs of treatment of true-positive results with metformin, all over the course of 3 years. We compared costs for no screening, screening everyone for diabetes or high-risk prediabetes, and screening those with risk factors based on age, BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference, lipids, or family history of diabetes.

RESULTS

Compared with no screening, cost-savings would be obtained largely from screening those at higher risk, including those with BMI >35 kg/m², systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg, or age >55 years, with differences of up to −46% of health system costs for screening for diabetes and −21% for screening for dysglycemia₁₁₀, respectively (all P < 0.01). GCTpl would be the least expensive screening test for most high-risk groups for this population over the course of 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

From a health economics perspective, screening for diabetes and high-risk prediabetes should target patients at higher risk, particularly those with BMI >35 kg/m², systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg, or age >55 years, for whom screening can be most cost-saving. GCTpl is generally the least expensive test in high-risk groups and should be considered for routine use as an opportunistic screen in these groups.Recommendations to screen for diabetes and prediabetes are prompted by the increase in prevalence of diabetes, its associated morbidity, mortality, and cost, and the availability of interventions to prevent diabetes and its complications. However, there is controversy regarding the target population and the screening test. The American Diabetes Association recommends screening all people 45 years and older or all people with a BMI ≥25 kg/m² and an additional risk factor every 3 years (1) using A1C, fasting plasma glucose, or oral glucose tolerance tests; however, other studies have found that other screening protocols may be equally or more cost-effective (2).Because patients prefer tests that do not require fasting (3), we previously evaluated costs associated with tests that can be used opportunistically, during outpatient visits, at any time of day, without the need for a fast, such as a glucose challenge test (plasma or capillary glucose 1 h after a 50-g oral glucose challenge [GCTpl or GCTcap], similar to screening for gestational diabetes), random plasma glucose (RPG) or random capillary glucose (RCG), or A1C (4). With the volunteer population of the Screening for Impaired Glucose Tolerance (SIGT) study, we found that all of the screening tests would be cost-saving compared with no screening for the detection and 3 years of treatment of dysglycemia₁₁₀ (diabetes or prediabetes₁₁₀, i.e., impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] and/or impaired fasting glucose [IFG] with fasting plasma glucose 110–125 mg/dL [6.1–6.9 mmol/L]) from a health system perspective and cost-neutral from a societal perspective. However, screening costs also could be impacted by factors other than the tests themselves, such as the population targeted for screening. In this study, we compared the health system costs associated with screening for diabetes or dysglycemia₁₁₀ for groups with different risks of having these disorders.     

What Is the Impact of Targeted Health Education for Mental Health Nurses in the Provision of Physical Health Care? An Integrated Literature Review

Individuals with a severe mental illness have a gap in life expectancy of up to 20 years in comparison to the general population. Nurses who work in mental health services have been identified as best placed to improve the physical health outcomes of individuals with mental illness. The literature identifies a lack of nursing knowledge related to physical health care and the presence of metabolic syndrome which is impeding nurses in providing essential physical health care to patients. An integrated literature review was carried out due to the dearth of research evidence pertaining to the impact of targeted education specifically with psychiatric/mental health nurses in the provision of physical healthcare. A search for literature included the following databases: CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and Web of Science revealed nine studies: seven quantitative, one qualitative and one mixed method. Qualitative synthesis has shed light on the value of targeted education on improving knowledge and skills in providing physical health care that can then be translated into clinical practice. Targeted education in physical healthcare grows psychiatric/mental health nurse's confidence and develops the skills necessary to enable them to screen and monitor and offer range of physical health interventions to individuals with severe mental illness.

Accessible summary ? The poor physical health outcomes and premature death of individuals with severe mental illness is of growing concern; a contributing factor is a lack of knowledge and confidence amongst psychiatric/mental health nurses to providing physical health screening and intervening in preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke cancer, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

? An integrated literature review was used to ascertain if targeted education on physical health care can improve the knowledge base of psychiatric/mental health nurses within physical health care.

? Nine studies were critically appraised, and the data reduced using a narrative synthesis that tells a story of the findings from these research studies.

? The review found that targeted education with psychiatric/mental health nurses does result in a statistical increase in knowledge This review finds that nurses have not been regularly supported with physical health education to alter existing practices. This lack of knowledge within physical healthcare is hindering psychiatric/mental health nurses to fully engaging in physical health care activities in practice.

     

妊娠期糖尿病孕妇产后转归及保健情况调查

目的：了解妊娠期糖尿病（GDM）孕妇产后2年转归情况、保健现状和产后保健需求,为完善GDM孕妇产后保健、减少不良转归提供参考。方法：通过便利抽样对2年内在天津市某三级甲等医院产科分娩的妊娠期糖尿病孕妇产后转归现状及保健需求进行问卷调查。结果：13.6%GDM孕妇出现产后体质量滞留;56.5%GDM孕妇产后从未监测过血糖,4.2%GDM孕妇在产后不同时间出现了糖耐量受损,1例GDM孕妇产后2年内已确诊2型糖尿病;59.7%GDM孕妇在产后42天内进行了产后保健,34.6%GDM孕妇从未进行过产后保健,36.1%GDM孕妇没有得到任何相关专业人士的指导;GDM孕妇更希望由妇产科医生、助产士、社区保健医生通过孕妇学校课程、宣传手册、微信公众号等线上形式提供新生儿保健指导、膳食指导、运动指导、主要照护者健康教育等保健内容。结论：目前GDM孕妇对血糖变化重视程度较低,自我监测意识较差;产后保健不够系统、规范,未来应进一步加强筛查与管理,以减少GDM产后不良转归的发生。     

Does diabetes care compete with the provision of women's preventive care services?

OBJECTIVE: Care for chronic diseases may compete with preventive health care. To test this hypothesis, we examined the association between diabetes-related processes of care and preventive care in women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using data from a prospective cohort study of diabetes care in managed care settings, we reviewed the care 540 diabetic women received from 355 primary care providers within 14 provider groups from one health plan. Of the 540 women, 278 were eligible to receive mammograms and 314 were eligible to receive Pap smears. Mammography performance was measured as at least one mammogram over a 2-year period and Pap performance was measured as at least one Pap smear over a 3-year period. To assess the association between diabetes-related processes of care and preventive services, we used hierarchical logistic regression models, accounted for clustering within provider groups, and adjusted for patient age, race, income and education level, diabetes treatment and duration, and health status, as well as physician age, sex, years of practice, and specialty. Diabetes-related processes of care were defined as dilated retinal examinations, urine microalbumin/protein testing, foot examinations, lipid and HbA(1c) testing, recommendations to take aspirin, and influenza vaccinations received over a 1-year period. RESULTS: In this cohort, 73% of eligible women received mammograms and 56% received Pap smears. After adjustment of models, better diabetes-related processes of care, better health status, and non-Medicaid insurance were associated with mammography performance. Better diabetes-related processes of care, younger patient age, and any visit to a gynecologist were associated with Pap performance. CONCLUSIONS: Better processes of diabetes care were associated with better women's preventive health care. Diabetes management did not compete with sex-specific screening.     

Four assay methods for glycated hemoglobin compared as screening tests for diabetes mellitus: the Islington Diabetes Survey

We assessed the utility of four methods of glycated hemoglobin assay (agar gel electrophoresis with Schiff base, agar gel electrophoresis with prior removal of Schiff base, boronate affinity chromatography, and isoelectric focusing) as screening tests for diabetes mellitus, studying 223 subjects undergoing an oral glucose-tolerance test after fasting and 2 h after ingestion of 75 g of glucose. Assessment of glucose tolerance status according to the 1980 World Health Organization diagnostic criteria indicated that 13 subjects (5.8%) had diabetes, 48 (21.5%) had impaired glucose tolerance, and nine (4.0%) could not be classified (six of these because of missing values). Use of receiver-operating characteristic curves to compare the assays as screening tests showed the affinity chromatography assay to be superior. Assays for glycated hemoglobin after fasting had better precision than post-glucose-load assays as screening tests, and test characteristics of glycated hemoglobin assays on fasting subjects were similar to those of the blood-glucose estimation after fasting. We conclude that measurement of glycated hemoglobin may be a useful screening test for diabetes, and that such measurement of stable glycated hemoglobin is as accurate as measurement of fasting blood-glucose in screening for diabetes. For this use, we found methods that measure stable glycated hemoglobin superior to that measuring both stable and labile Schiff-base fractions.     

Diabetes management by the patient and a nurse practitioner

Patients facing a lifelong disease condition need time and feedback from knowledgeable health professionals to achieve successful treatment compliance. Long-established behavior may need to be changed and the patient and his family need support during the process. Day-to-day problems must be viewed as important and time must be taken to help the patient find acceptable therapeutic solutions. Establishing the diagnosis of diabetes and prescribing diet and medications are only the beginning of a time-consuming, difficult educational process for the patient. Unfortunately, most health care resources are directed to the patient. Unfortunately, most health care resources are directed to the initial diagnosis and treatment or the treatment of complications. Many dollars may be saved and the patient may have a better chance at a more normal life if some time and effort are directed to making him a more knowledgeable therapeutic agent.     

Falling short: When testing is mandated and follow-up is not

In 1999, the Texas Legislature mandated acanthosis nigricans (AN) screening in primary schools in designated regions of the state through the passage of House Bill 1860 to identify children at risk for diabetes by identifying the skin condition AN. AN is related to insulin resistance, and, thus, is associated with type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus type 2 [DMT2]), a growing concern among school-aged children. Since 1999, millions of children have been screened and hundreds of thousands have been screened positive. No data are available about the effectiveness of the program in identifying DMT2 among the school-aged population because no follow-up is mandated. The current practice is to send a letter to the parents of the child who screens positive, advising the parents to take the child to a health care provider for further assessment. Hence, children within the state may have diabetes or are developing diabetes but have yet to be diagnosed. In light of the presence of a law mandating AN screening, mandating a follow-up to identify those who have diabetes or are developing the condition of diabetes can provide early intervention and decrease costs of care. It is not known why the follow-up of those who screen positive was not included in the initial legislation. It may have been due to the cost of the necessary blood tests that are used to assess an individual for diabetes. Related to this is the reality that blood tests are invasive procedures, whereas screening for a skin disorder is not, thereby possibly explaining the omission of mandated follow-up from the legislation .     

Opportunistic screening for diabetes in routine clinical practice

OBJECTIVE: Since 1997, the American Diabetes Association has recommended that nondiabetic individuals >/=45 years of age be screened for diabetes at least every 3 years. We sought to characterize the frequency, methods, and results of diabetes screening in routine clinical practice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied opportunistic screening in nondiabetic members of a health maintenance organization >/=45 years of age who were assigned to a large, integrated, academic health care delivery system. Screening was defined as the first glucose, HbA(1c), or oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2000. Chart review was performed to determine the prevalence of diabetes risk factors and to describe follow-up. RESULTS: Of 8,286 nondiabetic patients >/=45 years of age, 69% (n = 5,752) were screened. The frequency of screening was greater in patients with one or more primary care visits and increased with age. Women were more likely to be screened than men, and patients with at least one diabetes risk factor were more likely to be screened than those without risk factors. Random plasma glucose was the most common screening test (95%). Four percent (n = 202) of those screened had abnormal results. Only 38% (n = 77) of those with abnormal results received appropriate follow-up, and 17% (n = 35) were diagnosed with diabetes within 6 months of screening. The yield of screening was very low (0.6%, 35 of 5,752). CONCLUSIONS: Despite frequent screening and appropriate targeting of high-risk patients, follow-up of patients with abnormal results is uncommon and the yield of screening is low. Interventions are needed to help physicians recognize and provide appropriate follow-up for patients with potentially abnormal random glucose levels.     

Is type 2 diabetes an operable intestinal disease? A provocative yet reasonable hypothesis

Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95% of all cases of diabetes, is a growing epidemic that places a severe burden on health care systems, especially in developing countries. Because of both the scale of the problem and the current epidemic growth of diabetes, it is a priority to find new approaches to better understand and treat this disease. Gastrointestinal surgery may provide new opportunities in the fight against diabetes. Conventional gastrointestinal operations for morbid obesity have been shown to dramatically improve type 2 diabetes, resulting in normal blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels, with discontinuation of all diabetes-related medications. Return to euglycemia and normal insulin levels are observed within days after surgery, suggesting that weight loss alone cannot entirely explain why surgery improves diabetes. Recent experimental studies point toward the rearrangement of gastrointestinal anatomy as a primary mediator of the surgical control of diabetes, suggesting a role of the small bowel in the pathophysiology of the disease. This article presents available evidence in support of the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes may be an operable disease characterized by a component of intestinal dysfunction.     

The challenge of translating scientific knowledge into improved diabetes care in the 1990s

The problems associated with translating scientific knowledge into improved diabetes care are formidable but solvable. The American public has already made important changes in its health-related behavior. Millions of people have stopped smoking cigarettes, and many people have changed other behaviors to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Many of the changes required to improve the quality of diabetes care in the 1990s will involve significant changes in our society's health-care policies and its health-related values and behaviors. Such changes, although often difficult to bring about, have the potential to have a profound and lasting impact on the health of our society. Many patients with diabetes have already implemented new care practices such as self-monitoring of blood glucose and multiple insulin injection regimens. As better technology and more evidence for the efficacy of rigorous blood glucose control become available, they will also be translated into practice. Diabetes care can be improved but to do so significant scientific and societal resources will have to be brought to bear on the problem of understanding and influencing the health-related behavior of people with diabetes and the health-care professionals and institutions providing care for them.     

Minority issues in prostate disease

This article has discussed the increased incidence and disproportionately increased mortality of prostate cancer among African American men.Although the exact reasons are unknown, genetics may play a role, in addition to health care practices. Morbidity from other disease states, such as diabetes, obesity, or hypertension, may influence the overall survival of patients with prostate cancer. Current research tools will continue to explore biologic differences between the races; however, socioeconomic status and access to health care must not be overlooked. Several studies have demonstrated that similar disease stages and equal access to health care will result in similar outcomes.It is recognized that screening for prostate cancer will remain a controversial topic. Several influential professional societies recommend against screening and other professional societies endorse screening. Large-scale trials are currently underway hoping to answer this critical question.Since the advent of current screening tools, however, it seems that the overall mortality for prostate cancer has decreased and this cannot be ignored. Certainly, screening programs and clinical trials have traditionally had difficulty in recruiting minority participants, although more recent trials seem to be finding success. A primary care physician who is viewed as competent by their patients can certainly have a positive impact on their African American patients' willingness to participate in studies and screening programs. Most importantly, on the individual level, primary care physicians can provide a great service to their minority patients by offering educational materials on prostate cancer and by offering screening to qualified patients. The current American Urologic Association and National Cancer Institute guidelines recommend offering screening to all men age 50 and above. African American men or men with a first-degree relative with prostate cancer should be offered screening beginning at age 40.Proper screening consists of both a digital rectal examination to assess for asymmetry or nodules of the prostate and a serum PSA. Current recommendations are that individuals with a serum PSA greater than 4 ng/mL ora prostate nodule or asymmetric prostate should be referred to an urologist,where a biopsy can be performed easily in the office setting.The PSA cutoff of 4 has recently been questioned. A study by Thompson et al [31] evaluated 2950 men with a PSA of 4 or less with prostate biopsy.They found that the risk of prostate cancer in men with a PSA between 3.1 and 4 was 26.9% and that 25% of these men with prostate cancer had high-grade disease. All men found to have cancer had T1 disease. The clinical relevance of this surprisingly high rate of prostate cancer in men with a normal PSA is yet to be determined and is pending in studies on the ultimate effect of screening on mortality from prostate cancer. This information is not intended to confuse the issue, but intended to provide the most up-to-date information and allow for the best clinical decision making by the primary care physician. What can currently be recommended is if a patient is concerned about his possibility of having prostate cancer despite a normal PSA, a referral to an urologist to at least further discuss the issue may be in order. This may be especially true if the patient is African American or has a family history of prostate cancer at an early age.     

Relationship of depression and diabetes self-care, medication adherence, and preventive care

OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether diabetes self-care, medication adherence, and use of preventive services were associated with depressive illness. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a large health maintenance organization, 4,463 patients with diabetes completed a questionnaire assessing self-care, diabetes monitoring, and depression. Automated diagnostic, laboratory, and pharmacy data were used to assess glycemic control, medication adherence, and preventive services. RESULTS: This predominantly type 2 diabetic population had a mean HbA(1c) level of 7.8 +/- 1.6%. Three-quarters of the patients received hypoglycemic agents (oral or insulin) and reported at least weekly self-monitoring of glucose and foot checks. The mean number of HbA(1c) tests was 2.2 +/- 1.3 per year and was only slightly higher among patients with poorly controlled diabetes. Almost one-half (48.9%) had a BMI >30 kg/m(2), and 47.8% of patients exercised once a week or less. Pharmacy refill data showed a 19.5% nonadherence rate to oral hypoglycemic medicines (mean 67.4 +/- 74.1 days) in the prior year. Major depression was associated with less physical activity, unhealthy diet, and lower adherence to oral hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering medications. In contrast, preventive care of diabetes, including home-glucose tests, foot checks, screening for microalbuminuria, and retinopathy was similar among depressed and nondepressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: In a primary care population, diabetes self-care was suboptimal across a continuum from home-based activities, such as healthy eating, exercise, and medication adherence, to use of preventive care. Major depression was mainly associated with patient-initiated behaviors that are difficult to maintain (e.g., exercise, diet, medication adherence) but not with preventive services for diabetes.     

Progression from newly acquired impaired fasting glusose to type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: We sought to estimate the rate of progression from newly acquired (incident) impaired fasting glucose (IFG) to diabetes under the old and new IFG criteria and to identify predictors of progression to diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified 5,452 members of an HMO with no prior history of diabetes, with at least two elevated fasting glucose tests (100-125 mg/dl) measured between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 2003, and with a normal fasting glucose test before the two elevated tests. All data were obtained from electronic records of routine clinical care. Subjects were followed until they developed diabetes, died, left the health plan, or until 31 December 2005. RESULTS: Overall, 8.1% of subjects whose initial abnormal fasting glucose was 100-109 mg/dl (added IFG subjects) and 24.3% of subjects whose initial abnormal fasting glucose was 110-125 mg/dl (original IFG subjects) developed diabetes (P < 0.0001). Added IFG subjects who progressed to diabetes did so within a mean of 41.4 months, a rate of 1.34% per year. Original IFG subjects converted at a rate of 5.56% per year after an average of 29.0 months. A steeper rate of increasing fasting glucose; higher BMI, blood pressure, and triglycerides; and lower HDL cholesterol predicted diabetes development. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, these are the first estimates of diabetes incidence from a clinical care setting when the date of IFG onset is approximately known under the new criterion for IFG. The older criterion was more predictive of diabetes development. Many newly identified IFG patients progress to diabetes in <3 years, which is the currently recommended screening interval.     

How appropriate are cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction requests for suspected central nervous system infections?

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays have become the main diagnostic tests for central nervous system viral infections in recent years. Previous studies have suggested algorithms based on CSF leukocyte count and total protein levels to determine when CSF PCR assays are indicated. Based on these criteria, 1,469 CSF PCR tests requested over a two-year period were reviewed. A proportion of positive PCR results were found in children with normal CSF, unlike in adults where such occurrences were extremely rare. The results suggest that applying a strategy of screening CSF specimens using leukocyte count, glucose and protein, at least in adults, may have avoided more than half of CSF PCR requests with little detriment to patient care and considerable cost savings. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine whether algorithms using standard CSF parameters and clinical information can optimise the use of CSF PCR assays in clinical practice.     

Performance of a predictive model to identify undiagnosed diabetes in a health care setting.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a predictive model to identify individuals with an increased risk for undiagnosed diabetes, allowing for the availability of information within the health care system. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A sample of participants from the Rotterdam Study (n = 1,016), aged 55-75 years, not known to have diabetes completed a questionnaire on diabetes-related symptoms and risk factors and underwent a glucose tolerance test. Predictive models were developed using stepwise logistic regression analyses with the absence or presence of newly diagnosed diabetes as the dependent variable and various items with a plausible connection to diabetes as the independent variables. The models were evaluated in another Dutch population-based study, the Hoorn Study (n = 2,364), in which the participants were aged 50-74 years. Performances of the predictive models were compared by using receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) curves. RESULTS: We developed three predictive models (PMs), PM1 contained information routinely collected by the general practitioner, while PM2 also contained variables obtainable by additional questions. The third predictive model, PM3, included variables that had to be obtained from a physical examination. These latter variables did not have additive predictive value, resulting in a PM3 similar to PM2. The area under the ROC curve was higher for PM2 than for PM1, but the 95% Cls overlapped (0.74 [0.70-0.78] and 0.68 [0.64-0.72], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Using only information normally present in the files of a general practitioner, a predictive model was developed that performed similarly to one supplemented by information obtained from additional questions. The simplicity of PM1 makes it easy to implement in the current health care setting.     

Gestational diabetes mellitus screening tests: a review of current recommendations.

Early recognition and management of gestational diabetes decreases the incidence of macrosomia. Infant morbidity and mortality are also decreased. While there continues to be little agreement regarding precise methods of screening and diagnostic criteria for GDM, most specialists recommend screening with the 50-g oral glucose load followed by a 3-hour GTT. Screening only those women with select risk factors may result in 30% to 50% of women with gestational diabetes being overlooked. Careful explanation of testing methods and implications may result in improved patient understanding of the importance of this diagnosis and of its impact on future health care needs.     

Management of glycemia in type 2 diabetes

The management of type 2 diabetes has been revolutionized over the last 3 to 5 years as a result of dramatic changes in our health care system, new clinical trial data, novel pharmacologic agents, and a better understanding of appropriate methods for patient education regarding lifestyle issues. As a result, diabetes management has become much more heterogeneous, with dramatic differences in style and approach used by practitioners, whether diabetes specialists, primary care providers, or allied health professionals. Diabetes care has also become much more rewarding: The vast majority of patients can now achieve excellent glycemic control while leading full and unrestricted lives. In this article, a construct is reviewed by which comprehensive diabetes care may be approached in a primary care setting. The overall goal of diabetes management should be to provide an opportunity for patients to live out their normal life expectancies with minimal complications. In other articles, screening and treatment suggestions for diabetes complications are provided. Prospective interventional and epidemiologic studies demonstrate that glycemic control is critical to avoidance of complications; the methods to achieve glycemic control are the major focus of this chapter.     

Body Mass Index as a Guide for Diagnosing Prediabetes and Diabetes

The incidence of overweight and obese people has threatened the national healthcare system and the health of individuals who are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. An estimated one third of diabetes is undiagnosed in asymptomatic patients. This article describes how screening for prediabetes and diabetes can reduce both physical and financial costs and improve health care outcomes by early detection. A hemoglobin Alc (HbgAlc) can be cost effective through a single blood draw detailing the patient's average serum glucose over the previous 3 months. Electronic health records have the capacity to calculate body mass index, which could prompt HbgAlc screening.     

Preventing cervical cancer: the Pap test and the HPV vaccine

Women look to their internists and other primary care physicians to provide preventive health care. Periodic Pap tests are as much a part of a woman's ongoing health care as periodic lipid assessments, mammograms, screening for colon cancer, or any of the other recommended screening assessments. This article provides primary care physicians with the information needed to perform Pap tests at the appropriate intervals, or if not set up to do Pap tests themselves, to make the appropriate referrals. Also provided is the necessary information to counsel women with abnormal Pap tests who may need colposcopy or other follow-up evaluation. Finally, the role of the HPV vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer is summarized.