New Clinical Recommendations for Treating America’s Largest Healthcare Epidemic

HOUSTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Diabetes experts today issued new recommendations for the treatment of prediabetes, a condition affecting 57 million Americans, at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress. These clinical recommendations include specific instructions for lifestyle intervention and medication.

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They come as a result of the first-ever prediabetes consensus conference, which was held last July in Washington, D.C. At the conference, 23 international experts in diabetes and metabolic disorders reviewed all existing scientific data to examine the status of the disease, facts about related complications, what happens to people who progress to diabetes, economic implications of early intervention, and what further studies were needed. After analyzing all available data, their recommendations called for specific guidelines on both lifestyle and pharmaceutical intervention where appropriate.

Some suggested lifestyle modifications for people with prediabetes include:

• Weight Reduction – Prediabetes patients should attempt to reduce their weight by five to ten percent, with long-term maintenance at this level. This modest degree of weight loss may result in decreased fat mass, blood pressure and glucose.
• A program of moderate to intense physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes daily, at least 5 days a week.
• A diet that includes calorie restriction, increased fiber intake, and possible limitations in carbohydrate intake. Dietary recommendations specifically for blood pressure include lower sodium intake and avoiding excess alcohol.

AACE Vice President Daniel Einhorn, MD, FACP, FACE, also suggested a more aggressive approach to treating patients in high risk groups with medications, including Metformin, TZD’s, DDP4 and GLP1.

“These medications illustrate a specific ‘plan of attack’ for treating prediabetes,” Dr. Einhorn said. “But it’s important that caution is exercised.”

Prediabetes is a condition that leaves patients at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. It is defined by elevated fasting glucose levels or impaired glucose tolerance, although Dr. Einhorn suggested A1c levels should be considered as a diagnostic tool.

“An A1c level of 6.0 to 6.5 indicates treatment for prediabetes with certain caveats,” he said.

As with diabetes management, the new AACE recommendations focus on early detection and smart lifestyle choices.

“Lifestyle intervention should be the cornerstone of treatment for all patients,” Einhorn said. “And it should be reinforced with each visit to the doctor.”

A complete copy of the ACE/AACE Consensus Statement titled, “Diagnosis and Management of Prediabetes in the Continuum of Hyperglycemia – When do the Risks of Diabetes Begin?” is available for download on the AACE Web site here.

For more information about diabetes, download the American College of Endocrinology’s (ACE) “Power of Prevention(R)” Magazine here. The magazine features medical information on prediabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetes complications, and tips on how diabetes patients can best prepare for disaster.

A short, one page bio and high resolution photo of AACE Vice President Daniel Einhorn, MD, FACP, FACE, are available here.

About AACE

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,200 members in the United States and 92 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.

SOURCE American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists