The American Diabetes Association Updates Medical Nutrition Therapy Guidelines
The American Diabetes Association has revised its medical nutrition therapy guidelines from those published in 2002 and 2004. The entire set of revised guidelines may be found in the January issue of Diabetes Care, 2008.
The goal of these recommendations is to make health care professionals and people with diabetes aware of beneficial nutrition interventions. These recommendations are based on the best evidence-based medicine guidelines we have to date. The guidelines take into account treatment goals, strategies to attain those goals and changes that people with diabetes are willing and able to make. It is noted that nutrition-related goals requires a coordinated effort between the medical team and the individual with diabetes.
The position statement highlights the area of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) because of the close relationship of weight with the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes. The position statement also highlights many areas that deal with diet and nutrition. The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends primary interventions to delay or prevent the development of diabetes and uses public health measures to decrease the prevalence of obesity and implementing medical nutrition therapy in individuals with pre-diabetes.
The position statement also highlights the need for monitoring metabolic parameters inclusive of blood glucose and HbA1C, lipids, blood pressure, body weight, and renal function during diabetes treatment. Such monitoring will assist the practitioner in individualizing therapy and optimizing outcomes. The authors state that many aspects of MNT require further study.
The list of primary recommendations may be found at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/568032_print
About the Author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
