PURPOSE:To summarize current knowledge of interventions that should improve the care of patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Interventions lie within the realms of prevention, screening, and treatment, all of which are focused on office practice.
METHODS:Review of the literature by a multidisciplinary team involved in the care of patients with diabetes, followed by synthesis of the literature into a clinical care guideline. Literature was identified through consultation with experts and a focused MEDLINE search.
MAIN RESULTS:An algorithm-based guideline for screening and treatment of the complications of diabetes was developed. The emphasis is on prevention of atherosclerotic disease, and prevention, screening, and early treatment of microvascular disease. Implementation of these practices has the potential to significantly improve quality of life and increase life expectancy in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. ype II diabetes is a common condition, affecting 2% to 3% of the adult population, and up to 20% to 25% of the elderly population. 1 Type II diabetes typically occurs in patients who are over 30 years old and weigh more than 120% of ideal body weight, and accounts for 90% of all cases of diabetes mellitus diagnosed in the United States. 1 Minorities have a prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus that is 2 to 6 times greater than that of white persons. The morbidity and mortality are higher for minorities than for white persons, and the rate is increasing. 2 The reasons for this disparity remain unclear, but could include differences in disease severity, comorbidities, or access to care.Diabetes has significant associated morbidity. Prevention and treatment of the complications of diabetes mellitus have the potential to improve quality of life and increase life expectancy. 3 The rate of cardiovascular disease is markedly elevated among patients with type II diabetes, leading to an increased mortality rate compared with the general population. 4,5 In addition, microvascular complications, which include retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, can progress to end-stage outcomes such as blindness, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and amputation. Screening and early treatment for diabetic complications have been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of end-stage disease 6,7 ; despite this evidence, implementation rates of recommended interventions are low. 8 This frequently leads to ineffective or delayed treatment of complications. 9-11 Because optimal diabetes care is a complex process, we developed a clinical care guideline to help busy clinicians incorporate prevention, screening, and treatment recommendations into practice.
METHODSA multidisciplinary team was assembled to develop an evidence-based guideline for the prevention and treatment of complications of type II diabetes. The multidisciplinary team included members from endocrinology, family practice, general internal medicine, obstetrics-gyncecology, nursing, and postgraduate medicine departments. Team members have an interest ...