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Physicians urge aggressive pursuit, treatment of diabetes

Lifestyle changes and pharmacological agents should be employed as soon as possible to control blood glucose, say endocrinology groups.

By Susan J. Landers, amednews staff. Feb. 28, 2005.

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Washington -- Early screening for type 2 diabetes -- beginning at age 30 for those at risk -- was among recommendations offered by endocrinologist groups to encourage quick action by physicians and patients to help prevent the disease's serious complications.

Too little is being done to make sure patients are taking the proper steps to control their diabetes, the American College of Endocrinology and the American Assn. of Clinical Endocrinologists announced at a Feb. 2 briefing.

The groups had just concluded a two-day conference to review current research and address questions about the treatment of diabetes.

More than 20 million Americans have diabetes, and another 41 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that can lead to diabetes if untreated, according to the two organizations. The numbers of people with type 2 diabetes have been steadily increasing in recent years, fueled, many believe, by increasing levels of obesity.

"Patients with diabetes are often in denial," said Jaime A. Davidson, MD, chair of the conference. "The problem only mushrooms when physicians miss the window of early detection and treatment."

ACE and AACE recommend early screening for younger patients who have a family history of diabetes, are overweight or are African-American or Hispanic.

Recent advances now enable physicians to step in to slow the progress of the disease, said conference co-chair Paul Jellinger, MD. Those advances include the understanding that diet and physical activity can play a major role and that oral agents and the proper insulin are very effective.