Korea’s newly updated diabetes treatment guidelines said physicians should screen diabetes faster, restore blood sugar levels more effectively, and manage blood sugar levels more thoroughly.
The Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) released the 2021 Treatment Guideline for Diabetes at its 34th Spring Conference and the fifth Korea-Japan Diabetes Forum last month.
The KDA emphasized the importance of screening to find those highly likely to be diagnosed with diabetes early. As patients with type-2 diabetes without any particular symptoms often miss the timing of diagnosis, the latest guideline provides the screening criteria and testing methods for high-risk diabetic patients based on results of the recent local clinical trials.
The KDA also encouraged physicians to use internationally standardized continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and outpatient blood sugar controlling programs to help patients manage their glucose levels more strictly.
Advocacy Action: Does your country have a comprehensive screening programme? The cost benefit analysis of catching type 2 diabetes early with the increased change of reversing the diagnosis cannot be over-emphasised. Is this something you could raise, can your national diabetes patient group help you, or can PDGN assist you with background information?