IDF releases new guidelines for diabetes treatment

MONTREAL A global diabetes organization has released new guidelines for the treatment of the disease, estimated to affect 285 million people worldwide.

The International Diabetes Federation announced Thursday the adoption of guidelines concerning gestational diabetes, self-monitoring of blood glucose and oral health at the 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal.

“These guidelines are just a first step,” IDF Task Force on Clinical Guidelines chairman Stephen Colagiuri said in a statement. “In addition, IDF coordinates workshops worldwide to ensure that care for all people with diabetes is improved regardless of income level or geography.”

In the case of gestational diabetes -- a form of diabetes that often occurs in pregnant women -- the organization hopes to set a global standard of care for it and for diabetics who become pregnant under the IDF Global Guideline on Pregnancy and Diabetes. The organization said that, like Type 2 diabetes and obesity, gestational diabetes is becoming more common and increases the risk of diabetes after pregnancy.

Poor oral health can also affect people with diabetes, and the organization’s Oral Health for People with Diabetes Guideline recommends a focus on clinical care that integrates diabetes and oral health specialists.

Meanwhile, the IDF Guidelines on Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Non-Insulin Treated Type 2 Diabetes recommends that self-monitoring should be individualized to address individual patients’ educational, behavioral and clinical requirements.