New Guidelines Recommend Statins at 40 for Diabetics

New Canadian guidelines recommend all patients with diabetes should start taking statins when they turn 40 and blood pressure drugs when they turn 55, even if they have no other risk factors at the time.

The recommendations of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA; Toronto, ON, USA) were developed by an expert committee of 120 leading health professionals across Canada who identified, evaluated, and synthesized the latest scientific evidence, and then translated actionable recommendations for people living with diabetes and their healthcare team. Among the recommendations is that screening for type 2 diabetes should be performed every three years for all Canadians over 40 years of age, or earlier and more frequently in those with risk factors.

The guidelines also recommend that those over 30 who have had diabetes for at least 15 years should also start on statins, and suggest use of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in those ages 55 and up. The CDA also recommends that the vast majority of people living with diabetes should be targeting an A1C of 7%. Additional recommendations include specific strategies for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in children and Aboriginal peoples, and new approaches for the delivery of integrated care and effective self-management of the disease.

“Each person’s experience with diabetes can be different and the best way to manage the disease involves addressing their unique needs and tailoring a treatment plan to best meet those needs,” said Jan Hux, MD, Chief Scientific Advisor for the CDA. “The new Guidelines allow healthcare professionals to determine the best early management and treatment path to help reduce the potential for serious complications down the road.”

“In Canada, only 13% of patients with type 2 diabetes achieves all three targets in glucose, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol control,” said chair of the guideline committee Alice Cheng, MD, of St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto, Canada). “Clearly, there's still a care gap, and we needed to find ways to address it. That's where these guidelines come in.”

The new Guidelines encourage people living with diabetes to know their heart health ABCDES: A - A1C Under the new recommendations, people with an A1C level of 6.5% or greater will be diagnosed with diabetes and those with an A1C level of 6.0%-6.4% will be diagnosed with prediabetes. B - Blood pressure optimally controlled. C- Cholesterol in target range. D - Drugs - heart-protecting medications for the right patients. E - Exercise and other lifestyle measures. S - Stop Smoking

Related Links:
Canadian Diabetes Association