Managing diabetes from first diagnosis: choosing well-tolerated therapies with durability.

Abstract

PURPOSE: A review of the pathophysiologic features of early type 2 diabetes mellitus, the benefits of early glycemic control, the concerns of patients that may influence treatment adherence, and how the use of newer treatment options are addressed. CONCLUSION: Given the multifactorial nature of diabetes pathophysiology, early combination therapy incorporating agents with different mechanisms of action is advocated. Medication side effects and risks influence patients' treatment choices. These concerns include hypoglycemia, weight gain, and fears of treatment failure. With the increasing complexity of therapy regimens for diabetes, the role of diabetes educators includes recommending therapy, counseling about adverse effects, monitoring for contraindications, identifying therapeutic duplication, as well as discussion of new agents to optimize patient outcomes. A case study is used to describe the process of choosing well-tolerated therapies at first diagnosis.