 should educate patients about the symptoms of hypoglycemia (such as tachycardia, sweating, confusion) and required action (ingestion of 15 to 20 gm of carbohydrate).
Patients should be motivated to stop smoking. Emphasis is required on regular eye check-ups and foot care.
Pearls and Other Issues
- T1DM is characterized by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells in the majority.
- T2DM is caused due to duel defects in insulin resistance and insulin secretion.
- Gestational diabetes is associated with maternal as well as fetal complications.
- Exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Novel therapies, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors, are safer since they do not cause hypoglycemia, are weight neutral or result in weight loss and blood pressure and impact vascular complications favorably.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
The diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus are with an interprofessional team. These patients need an appropriate referral to the ophthalmologist, nephrologist, cardiologist, and vascular surgeon. Also, patients need to be educated about lifestyle changes that can help lower blood glucose. All obese patients should be encouraged to lose weight, exercise, and eat a healthy diet. The primary care provider and the diabetic nurse must encourage all people with diabetes to stop smoking and abstain from drinking alcohol. The complications of diabetes mellitus are limb and life-threatening and seriously diminish the quality of life.