ADA Treatment Guidelines Patient Summary

Insulin may be one way to manage high blood sugar. An overall diabetes treatment plan includes healthy eating, exercise, and oral diabetes medications. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends, as one approach, adding insulin earlier in the treatment plan for people with type 2 diabetes who have not reached their blood sugar goal after 2 to 3 months on metformin and lifestyle changes alone.

Controlling Blood Sugar

The ADA suggests that an A1C under 7% is a sign of good blood sugar control. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate goal for you. Good blood sugar control may help reduce your risk of developing long-term diabetes-related complications.

Reaching Your Goals

Current ADA treatment guidelines propose starting with diet, exercise, and metformin (an oral diabetes medication). Continue to check your A1C every 2 to 3 months.

If your A1C stays above 7%, the ADA suggests moving to other medications. One option is to add insulin (basal) to your therapy.

According to the ADA, insulin is an effective treatment for lowering blood sugar levels.

Features of Insulin

As a diabetes medication, insulin is a blood sugar treatment backed by years of study. In 1923, the scientists who discovered it won a Nobel Prize. It may be an effective treatment for helping you:

• Manage your blood sugar
• Reach your A1C goals

People taking insulin should regularly check their blood sugar levels. Your doctor will tell you how often you should check your blood sugar level and what to do if it is high or low. You and your doctor can adjust your dosage to help you meet your blood sugar goals.

Source: 2009 ADA Clinical Practice Recommendations. For further information, visit: www.diabetes.org

	To download a patient summary of the 2009 ADA guidelines, click here. A patient summary of the new guidelines will be available soon.
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