American Diabetes Association Updates Standards of Care

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, associated with a significant clinical and financial burden. A publication in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology notes that, between 2000 and 2021, the number of adults in the US with diabetes rose from 11 million to 30 million. With a large portion of the population affected, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) updated its standards of care for preventing, diagnosing, and treating diabetes.

According to the press release, the recently published Standards of Care in Diabetes—2023 provides a set of comprehensive guidelines for diabetes care. The evidence-based approach is backed by scientific research and clinical trials to deliver up-to-date information on this incredibly strenuous disease.

Data from the American Podiatric Medical Association suggests that diabetes care amounts to $245 billion in healthcare costs annually. Standards of care and best practices may mitigate or reduce some healthcare spending by providing effective and proven treatment and prevention strategies.

The press release from the ADA highlights some notable updates and changes from previous iterations of these guidelines. The new standards emphasize weight loss and teach clinicians how to support increased weight loss with recommendations on medications, sleep, and physical activity.

Additionally, the guidelines reiterate the importance of considering social determinants of health when delivering or designing care regimens for patients. Other suggestions included new ways to manage and lower LDL levels, information on the role of finerenone, and guidance on SGLT2 inhibitor use.

Another notable change is the new hypertension diagnosis cutoffs. According to the ADA, a systolic blood pressure greater than 130 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure greater than 80 mmHg is considered hypertensive.

The new standards of care also include additional updates on newer diagnostic and prevention tools and topics, including the following:

• digital health
• telehealth and telemedicine
• point-of-care A1C testing
• food insecurity
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• COVID-19

"ADA's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, a chronic illness that requires continuous medical care, and the release of ADA's Standards of Care is a critical part of that mission," said Chuck Henderson, chief executive officer for the ADA, in the press release. "This year's annual report provides necessary guidance that considers the role health inequities play in the development of diabetes, particularly for vulnerable communities and communities of color disproportionately impacted by the disease. This guidance will ensure healthcare teams, clinicians, and researchers treat the whole person."