Guidelines

Results from a number of recent studies highlight the importance of psycho-social factors in diabetes management. Research shows that psychological co-morbidity is prevalent in people with diabetes. As a result, well-being, self-care and glycaemic control are adversely affected. Depression is common in people with diabetes, and

More than 16 million Americans have diabetes. It is the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the USA. The American Diabetes Association’s Provider Recognition Programme, launched in 1997 to encourage and set standards for comprehensive and quality healthcare for people with diabetes, is working. Minneapolis has created such a model which has achieved ADA recognition. The result has been a significant improvement in blood glucose control among the HMOs’ patients, as well as better screening for – and control of – related risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes is one of the most common long-term progressive diseases of childhood. In many parts of the world Type 1 diabetes in children is increasing by 3% to 5% each year. Type 2 diabetes is also declaring itself in younger and younger age groups. These children have a lifetime of diabetes ahead of them. In an effort to contribute to an improvement in the care and quality of life of young people with diabetes, the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) recently published comprehensive consensus guidelines.

Editor-in-Chief's editorial

The lack of trained healthcare professionals and of programmes to train them has been cited by many member associations of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) as the most critical issue hindering the delivery of high quality diabetes education and care. To address this, the IDF Consultative Section on Diabetes Education set out to write a curriculum that could be used in all IDF member countries. This goal has now been achieved. Read more for an overview of the most remarkable features of this new publication.

Diabetes is the commonest non-communicable disease worldwide. Researchers predict it will increase by around 160% by the year 2025. Sadly, most of this increase will occur in developing countries, which have the least resources to deal with the problem. Even in the most developed countries, health systems are struggling to meet demands for services. In recent years, this has led to a strong focus on prevention research.

Although the exact magnitude of the problem in Africa is not well understood, diabetes is a serious threat to public health throughout the continent. In 2003, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicted that by 2010, diabetes prevalence in Africa would increase by around 95%. Ignoring diabetes could lead to the breakdown of the fragile health systems in Africa, which are already overwhelmed by communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.

Too many of the nearly 200 million people in the world with diabetes suffer from diabetes-related foot complications. As a result, the impact on their quality of life is massive. The loss of a foot or part of a leg is the devastating end result of one

Evidence-based guidelines have come of age in the last decade, with a number of countries producing one form of diabetes evidenced-based guideline or another. But this very concept has placed a barrier to guideline development in front of those with no expertise in the area, in contrast to the intuitively obvious consensus guidelines of old. As a result of demands from its members, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has sought to meet the need for guidance on guideline development. Philip Home discusses the new document which was made available at the recent IDF Congress in Paris.

The people of the Caribbean region are facing a serious threat to health which will potentially overwhelm healthcare systems in the small and relatively poor countries of the region. It is estimated that by the year 2010, the number of people with diabetes in the Caribbean will reach 20 million. Diabetes prevalence in the area is projected to increase to approximately 25% of the adult population.