The American College of Physicians released clinical guidance March 6 altering the recommended blood sugar target for Type 2 diabetes patients, a move that has caused a stir among some physicians who believe the change is inconsistent with widely accepted guidelines proposed by other healthcare organizations, Reuters reports.
ACP reviewed six sets of guidelines from other organizations before determining physicians should recommend their Type 2 diabetes patients aim for glycosylated hemoglobin, or HbA1C, levels between 7 and 8 percent, rather than the traditional 6.5 to 7 percent, according to the report.
The guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, include four recommendations for clinicians treating Type 2 diabetes patients, including having patients set personal health goals conducive to their lifestyle, and treating patients to minimize low blood sugar symptoms and avoid targeting A1C levels for patients with a life expectancy of less than 10 years.
Ajay Rao, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, told Reuters the ACP's recommended 7 to 8 percent range for A1C levels "is inconsistent with guidelines from most national and international organizations," including the most recent 2018 guidance outlined by the American Diabetes Association.
"[The new guidance] by a large organization such as ACP sends a mixed message to our patients, and potentially sends us backward in the fight against small vessel complications in Type 2 diabetes," he added.