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DrRob Andrews will tell the Diabetes UK’s Annual Professional Conferencein Glasgow that lack of training, too few dieticians and governmenttargets are largely to blame.
International and UK guidelinessay that weight-management and exercise advice should be given beforemedication is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes.
But astudy to be presented by Dr Andrews has found that a third ofnewly-diagnosed patients are being given pills within the first monthof the condition being diagnosed.
He says: “If you don’t givepatients the chance to understand their disease, and don’t let them tryand control it with diet and exercise, evidence shows that for all thetime they have diabetes, they don’t focus on diet and exercise.
“We know that during diagnosis is the time when people may actually take action on those things.”
Aspokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “Prescribed medicationis vital to enable many people with diabetes to manage their conditionon a day-to-day basis and to reduce their risk of developingcomplications such as heart attack and stroke.”
Copyright Press Association 2009
