NICE Releases New Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes Care

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidance which says that health professionals should adopt an individualised approach to treating patients with type 2 diabetes.

The updated guidelines says that patients with type 2 diabetes need an individually tailored approach to care which takes into account their personal preferences, other illnesses and any other medication they may be taking. NICE recommends monitoring blood pressure every 1-2 months and intensifying antihypertensive drug treatment until blood pressure is consistently below 140/80 mmHg, or below 130/80 mmHg if the person has kidney, eye or cerebrovascular damage.

The guidance also stresses the importance of educating adults with type 2 diabetes so that they can manage their condition effectively. This includes diet, exercise and general lifestyle advice, and advice on taking prescribed medications correctly.

“This update to the guideline for type 2 diabetes is good news for people with type 2 diabetes and for health professionals given the many therapies now available,” says Dr Amanda Adler, a consultant diabetologist who helped develop the guidelines. “The guideline comprehensively covers the best care for patients with type 2 diabetes, taking into account effectiveness of medications, enhancing quality of life, and wisely using NHS resources.”

Other experts have welcomed the new recommendations, but have also criticised NICE for delays in developing new clinical standards for treating and managing type 2 diabetes.

“There are many things we welcome from these new guidelines but we are calling on NICE to commit to ongoing updates so that people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from the latest advances in medication and diabetes care,” says Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK. “Diabetes treatment is an ever-changing field so it is important for recommendations to be updated regularly to reflect new evidence.”

He adds: “We urge NICE to go ahead and set up the proposed standing committee to enable a far more rapid update of reputable diabetes guidance.”