Groups Release New Guidelines On Treating Hyperglycemia.

The NPR  (4/20, Shute) "Shots" blog reports, "If there's one thing that people with diabetes get pounded into their heads, it's that they've got to keep their A1C level under control." Now, however, "new diabetes management guidelines announced today will cut many people with diabetes some slack."

        HealthDay  (4/20, Gordon) reports, "Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder, and treating the disease often requires a personalized, multi-pronged approach, say new expert guidelines  (pdf) on treating high blood sugar levels, issued Thursday" jointly by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. "The new guidelines are scheduled to be published in the June issue of Diabetes Care, but were released online ahead of publication on April 19" as well as in the journal Diabetologia.

        According to the new position statement, "both HbA1c targets and pharmacological interventions should be tailored to patients' needs and preferences," MedPage Today  (4/20, Fiore) reports. "Lifestyle intervention still remains the first step in management, but the statement also calls for patient education focusing on diet and exercise in order to achieve lifestyle changes." And, even though "metformin remains the first-line drug...after that there's limited data for guidance, although double or triple combination therapy with oral or injectable agents is reasonable, the statement said."

        HeartWire  (4/20, Barclay) points out that "a major treatment goal must be comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction," the guidelines recommend. HeartWire adds that the new guidelines replace a set published about five years ago and incorporate "recent developments."