Are diabetic patients being overly treated for diabetes?
According to a new study, a quarter of diabetics not on insulin were found to be receiving treatment well beyond clinical guidelines.
Those at greatest risk were the elderly and those with other diseases, like dementia or kidney disease. These patients saw a 3 percent chance of having dangerously low blood sugar levels when treated over the recommended guidelines.
The authors of the study are calling on doctors to weigh the risks and benefits of how they’re treating their most complicated patients.
So what should you do?
- Know your hemoglobin A1c number. It’s one way we track diabetes control.
- Ask if the medication you’re on is the standard of care or if it’s your doctor’s original approach.
- And always ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible drug-drug interactions.
No comments:
Post a Comment