Easy-to-use tools for managing type 2 diabetes

Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced a new set of guidelines is available to help health professionals manage patients with type 2 diabetes.

The guidelines have been developed by the Ministry of Health and the New Zealand Guidelines Group, and are available at http://www.nzgg.org.nz/practice-tools/diabetes.

The web-based tools will be useful for primary care clinicians to help identify patients at high risk of diabetes-related complications, manage raised blood pressure effectively, control blood sugar levels well, and start insulin treatment appropriately.

Previous guidelines used to be weighty tomes that are not easy to use in a busy GP clinic. In contrast, these new resources are quick reference guides, which healthcare professionals can easily flick through.

Type 2 diabetes is related to unhealthy weight and is a major cause of illness and early death. The range of complications that may develop with diabetes include heart disease, blindness, foot problems and kidney disease.

More than 200,000 adults have diagnosed diabetes, predominantly type 2, and it has been estimated that around 100,000 have not yet had it diagnosed.