A major physicians group has issued a new guideline for treating the most common form of diabetes. The American College of Physicians recommends that metformin be prescribed to improve blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The ACP said metformin is an effective treatment strategy because it has better effectiveness, is associated with fewer adverse effects, and is cheaper than most other oral medications.
Diabetes is a leading cause of death in the United States. It can cause serious complications such as blindness, kidney failure and heart disease.
ACP President dr. Nitin S. Damle said the organization felt it was important to issue a guideline because of several new studies evaluating medications for type 2 diabetes as well as recent fda approvals of several new medications.”
If a second medication is needed to improve high blood sugar, ACP recommends that doctors and patients discuss the benefits, negative side effects and costs.
The physicians group said its guideline is based on a review of studies on the effectiveness of medications for type two diabetes.
Researchers considered factors including patients’ weight, blood pressure, heart rate, as well as complications including heart disease, nerve damage and death.