IDF Guidelines address pregnancy, self monitoring blood glucose and oral
health
The International Diabetes Federation
(IDF) launched three diabetes guidelines
on the Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose,
Pregnancy and Oral Health at its 20th
World Diabetes Congress in Montreal in
October.
The Guidelines are the work of the IDF Task Force on Clinical Guidelines,
which is focused on meeting the critical
global need to provide up-to-date
evidence-based information and
training for healthcare professionals.
This is especially important as, alarmingly,
the latest data from the IDF
Diabetes Atlas show that over 285
million people worldwide now live with
diabetes. Within 20 years, IDF predicts
the figure will jump to 435 million.
Healthcare professionals must be
equipped with the latest improvements
and standards in diabetes care to tackle
this spiralling epidemic.
The IDF Global Guideline on
Pregnancy and Diabetes aims to set a
global standard for the care of gestational
diabetes and people with diabetes who become pregnant. Gestational diabetes is
common and, like obesity and type 2 diabetes, is
increasing in frequency throughout the world.
The risk of developing diabetes after gestational
diabetes is very high.
“This is the first International Diabetes
Federation Guideline on Pregnancy. It is an
important issue for IDF to address because of the
growing number of women this now affects worldwide,”
said Dr Stephen Colagiuri, Chair of the IDF
Task Force on Clinical Guidelines.
IDF also released new guidelines on the Self-
Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Non-Insulin
Treated Type 2 Diabetes and Oral Health for
People with Diabetes.
“Both these guidelines cover important but
often neglected areas of diabetes care,” said Dr Colaguiri.
The IDF Oral Health for People with Diabetes
Guideline recommends a focus on clinical care
for people with diabetes, integrating not only
diabetes but oral health professionals. Poor oral
health can negatively impact the lives of people
living with diabetes and they need to be educated
on how to not only manage their diabetes but
their oral health. The guideline joins a list of IDF
Clinical Guidelines addressing core needs in
diabetes.
The IDF Guidelines on Self-Monitoring of
Blood Glucose (SMBG) in Non-Insulin Treated
Type 2 Diabetes provides recommendations for
people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals.
Type 2 diabetes is responsible for 85-95%
of all diabetes and this guideline recommends
that SMBG should be considered an ongoing part
of diabetes self-management education. Another
of its key recommendations is that SMBG
Protocols (intensity and frequency) should be
individualised to address each individual’s
specific educational/behavioural/clinical requirements
(to identify/prevent/manage acute hyperand
hypoglycaemia) and provide requirements
for data on glycaemic patterns and to monitor
impact of therapeutic decision-making.
“These guidelines are just a first step. In addition, IDF coordinates workshops worldwide to
ensure that care for all people with diabetes is
improved regardless of income level or geography,”
said Dr Colagiuri. “The mission of IDF is to
promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure
worldwide. By producing global diabetes guidelines,
we are working diligently to fulfil that
mission and to improve the lives of people with
diabetes.”
● Download the IDF Guidelines at this URL:
www.idf.org/clinical-practice-guidelines 
Date
of upload: 26th Jan 2010
