Home
You can view the current or previous issues of Diabetes Health online, in their entirety, anytime you want.
Click Here To View
See if you qualify for our free healthcare professional magazines. Click here to start your application for Pre-Diabetes Health, Diabetes Health Pharmacist and Diabetes Health Professional.
Latest American Diabetes Association (ADA) Articles
Popular American Diabetes Association (ADA) Articles
Highly Recommended American Diabetes Association (ADA) Articles
Email to a Friend
Send a link to this page to your friends and colleagues.
New ADA Guidelines Revise Blood Pressure Goals, Testing Frequencies
The American Diabetes Association’s newly released 2013 edition of its annual “Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes” recommends two notable changes:
- A recommendation that diabetes patients have their blood pressure tested during every routine visit to their healthcare providers and that the target treatment goal for high blood pressure be revised from <130 mm Hg to <140 mm Hg.
- A change in the frequency the ADA recommends that people with type 1 diabetes test their blood glucose levels from “three or more times” per day to event-specific times that may call for much more testing. Among the times that type 1s may want to test, which can number six, or eight, or even more times per day include:
- Before meals and snacks
- Occasionally after meals
- At bedtime
- Before exercise
- When patients suspect low blood glucose
- After treatment for low blood glucose until patients are normoglycemic
- Before critical tasks such as driving
An ADA spokesman said that raising the recommended blood pressure target goal is not meant to downplay the importance of treating high blood pressure in people with diabetes. “Untreated hypertension can be very dangerous,” said Richard Grant, MD, MPH, incoming chair of the ADA Professional Practice Committee and research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.
“Nor should this be taken to mean that lower target rates are inappropriate. They may be appropriate for some patients, particularly those who are younger and have a longer life expectancy, or for those who have a higher risk of stroke—if the lower goal can be achieved without excessive amounts of treatment and without a heavy burden of side effects from medication.”
Regarding the recommended blood glucose testing changes, Carol Wysham, MD, outgoing chair of the ADA’s Professional Practice Committee and section head for the Rockwood Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, said “Many patients will need to test six to eight times per day, but some will need to test more, depending upon their activity level, how often they eat, and what other types of activities their day may include.
“It is not reasonable or practical to set a specific number for all people with diabetes who are on intensive insulin regimens, as no two person’s lives are the same. Even for the same individual, no two days are exactly alike. A person may need to test six times one day and 10 the next.”
The full clinical practice recommendations have been published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.
Categories: Blood Sugar, American Diabetes Association (ADA), Blood Glucose, Diabetes, Diabetes Health, Diabetes Health Magazine, Diabetic, Type 1 Issues
You May Also Be Interested In...
-
Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
-
Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
Comments
Every person with diabetes who has had their insurance companies limit their per month test strips should print this and take it to their doctor and/or send to their insurance company.
My insurance company has limited my test strips to 6.7 per day while I test my blood glucose 10 times per day to keep my A1C below 7 --I travel, I drive and need to make sure I am in control.
Thanks for a great update!
These changes are very interesting. Blood pressure: Does this mean that hypertension will now be diagnosed ONLY when BP exceeds 140 mm HG? Blood glucose: "Among the times that type 1s may want to test, which can number six, or eight, or even more times per day include: Before meals and snacks; 'Occasionally' after meals; before exercise; and when patients suspect low glucose. ..... "
The last example, 'when patients suspect low glucose' is VERY weak! How about those of us who have hypoglycemic unawareness and are subject to SEVERE hypoglycemia and its many complications? There is ZERO reference to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as a means of preventing complications from severe hypoglycemia such as seizures, coma, cognitive impairment, and untimely DEATH!
The ADA has no interest in advocating for CGM. There is zero chance that the ADA will include CGM in its 'Standards of Care' anytime soon! I would consider the two 'notable changes' cited in this article as very 'wishy-washy" and not very significant.
I too, am limited to 1.4 strips per day from my insurance b/c I am not on insulin. I am a Zumba instructor and have to hoard my strips so I can test before I teach a class. So the days I don't teach (two) I don't test at all.
Add your comments about this article below. You can add comments as a registered user or anonymously. If you choose to post anonymously your comments will be sent to our moderator for approval before they appear on this page. If you choose to post as a registered user your comments will appear instantly.
When voicing your views via the comment feature, please respect the Diabetes Health community by refraining from comments that could be considered offensive to other people. Diabetes Health reserves the right to remove comments when necessary to maintain the cordial voice of the diabetes community.
For your privacy and protection, we ask that you do not include personal details such as address or telephone number in any comments posted.
Don't have your Diabetes Health Username? Register now and add your comments to all our content.
Register...
Register your Diabetes Health Username here.
Have Your Say...