GUIDLINE CHANGES TO CUT DIABETES COST

Early widespread screening and a lower cut-off point for clinical diagnosis of diabetes should cut costs in health care by decreasing costly complications.

Diabetes, a chronic non-curable disease affecting the body's ability to produce insulin that controls blood sugar levels in the body, can produce complications such as blindness, kidney disease, heat disease and stroke. It is the nation's fourth leading cause of death by disease.

After two years of revisions, the American Diabetes Association announced recently it has endorsed new diabetes diagnosis and management guidelines.

Jennal Johnson, nurse practitioner and coordinator of the St. Francis Diabetes Center, said the new guidelines provide for early detection and treatment of the disease.

Of the 16 million Americans who have diabetes, half are diagnosed.

"It is now recommended the screening process for diabetes for individuals should begin at 45 and older," said Johnson.

"Those at a younger age should be tested if they exhibit risk factors such as obesity, family history of the disease, hypertension or ethnic background," Johnson said.

Screenings for all low-risk pregnant women were dropped from the guidelines. Recommendations now encourage screenings for women who are younger than 25, are normal body weight, have no family history of the diabetes and are not a member of an ethnic group that may be predisposed to the disease.

A lower cut-off point for glucose blood levels will also help in early detection of the disease. Levels considered to be in the range of diabetes are blood sugar levels of 126 mg/dl (was 140 mg/dl).

"Those with fasting glucose levels of 140 are already exhibiting serious complications," Johnson said. "We want to catch the disease very early. We should now expect to see a 25 percent increase of those diagnosed with diabetes."

Blood sugar levels have been lowered to 110 from 120.

Early detection can help prevent "nasty" complications.

"Kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and lower limb damage that leads to infection and amputations can be lowered," Johnson said.

She said early detection with shortened hospital stays and a healthier diet can help manage medical costs and improve the lives of those who suffer from diabetes.