Endocrinology

Although some believe that insulin is the gold standard for treating type 2 diabetes, Harold Lebovitz, MD, of SUNY Health Sciences Center, Brooklyn, says that is not necessarily the case.

Guidelines and goals play a key role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but they must be tailored to the needs of individual patients. The bottom line, according to Yehuda Handelsman, MD, is that no patient should register an increased glycemic level while in treatment.

Physicians report that many patients are "terrified" when they are diagnosed with diabetes because they liken it to a death sentence.

The term "prediabetes" was first coined in 1979 by the World Health Organization and the National Diabetes Data Group.

The A1C test measures the percentage of a patient's hemoglobin that is glycated. The higher the A1C level, the poorer the patient's glycemic control and the higher their risk of diabetes-related complications.

Even when the course of treatment for type 2 diabetes clear, it can be difficult to get patients to follow it. Patient education plays a key role and others have advocated pay-for-performance programs for physicians.

Our expert panel discusses the biggest challenges faced by doctors and patients in achieving treatment goals for type 2 diabetes.