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Unit 17K, 2 King Street, Deakin ACT 2600 / PO Box 324, Curtin ACT 2605
Tel: (02) 6232 5480 Fax: (02) 6232 5484
Media Release
September 18, 2009
NEW TYPE 2 DIABETES TREATMENT GUIDELINES SUGGEST:
INDIVIDUALISING TARGETS FROM THE GENERAL RANGE FOR BLOOD PRESSURE,
BLOOD GLUCOSE AND CHOLESTEROL CAN PREVENT DETERIORATION AND OPTIMISE
HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Rural and remote health practitioners around Australia are being updated about new treatment
and management guidelines for patients who have developed chronic kidney disease and
diabetic retinopathy which can prevent deterioration and optimise health.
The guidelines suggest that by knowing the general targets in care as described in the new type 2
diabetes guidelines addressing diabetes complications, individualised targets for blood glucose,
blood pressure and cholesterol can then be customised - in consultation with a particular person
who has diabetes.
Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Health Education Foundation, Don Perlgut, says the
Foundation’s upcoming program on the specific guidelines related to patients with chronic kidney
disease and diabetic retinopathy is vital for rural practitioners as it will help them to not only
optimise treatment outcomes for existing type 2 diabetes patients, but also assist in preventing the
onset of the disease in others.
He says: “The value in communicating this sort of information which assists in preventing and
managing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes has been reiterated by the Federal
Government’s announcement of a National Preventative Health Strategy which specifically
recommended greater emphasis on addressing the incidence of chronic diseases.”
Diabetes expert and Medical Head of Endocrinology Research Laboratories at the Royal Prince
Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Associate Professor Stephen Twigg, says the upcoming program on
two evidence-based clinical guidelines relating specifically to Diabetic Retinopathy and Chronic
Kidney Disease will be of particular importance to rural health practitioners because evidence
shows that death rates from diabetes as the underlying cause of death do increase with
increasing rurality¹.
”Lifestyle still remains the key determinant in helping prevent the development of type 2 diabetes,
however in patients who already have diabetic retinopathy and chronic kidney disease these new
guidelines will assist in individualising appropriate targets from the general range and monitoring
those targets which, with the added benefit of medication, can empower people with diabetes to
better manage their condition,” he says.
Twigg explains that blood glucose is most closely linked to diabetic retinopathy and both blood
glucose and blood pressure control are important targets in managing diabetic retinopathy and
chronic kidney disease.
All people with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy at any point in time but
vision loss or blindness is preventable through early detection and timely treatment. In Australia,
diabetes is the most common cause of blindness in people under the age of 60².
A.C.N. 072 405 139 A.B.N 68 072 405 139
Unit 17K, 2 King Street, Deakin ACT 2600 / PO Box 324, Curtin ACT 2605
Tel: (02) 6232 5480 Fax: (02) 6232 5484
-2-
“However, with adequate diabetes care, only a small fraction of people with diabetes will develop
such an advanced complication,” he adds.
Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure in the developed world and accounts for 35-
40% of new cases each year³. Development of the condition is slow, but rigorous monitoring of
risk factors and blood glucose levels assists in lessening the potential renal affects of diabetes.
The new type 2 diabetes treatment and management guidelines match recommended patient
treatment with the latest evidence and research and have been endorsed by the National Health
and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and funded by the Australian Government Department
of Health and Ageing.
A
series of four programs on the new Guidelines is being satellite broadcast and web-cast by the
Rural Health Education Foundation, providing
an educational
package for all rural and remote
health practitioners which includes key practice points and goals for patient treatment.
The series continues to air between September and November 2009 with each program covering
specific sections of the guidelines.
Each broadcast includes live panel discussions with leading clinicians in the area of diabetes as
well as
filmed case studies
which showcase innovative approaches to best practice prevention,
diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes.
The second program will focus on the two guidelines involving diabetic retinopathy and chronic
kidney disease and will be broadcast to rural health professionals on September 22.
Future programs will include guidelines focusing on case detection and diagnosis; primary
prevention; and diabetes in relation to Indigenous Australians.
Released for the Rural Health Education Foundation by Kardan Consulting
For further media information please contact:
Karen Bristow on (02) 9967 3245 and 0414 320 146 or karen@kardan.com.au
Diabetes Expert Associate Professor Stephen Twigg is available for interviews; and
CEO of the Rural Health Education Foundation, Don Perlgut is available for interviews in
relation to the work of the Foundation.
1. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Diabetes: Australian Facts 2002
ABOUT THE RURAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Rural Health Education Foundation is the premier body for the continuing education of rural and remote
health practitioners around Australia.
A not-for-profit independent organisation, the Foundation provides quality broadcast television programs
through part funding from the Australian Department of Health and Ageing and the voluntary participation of
Australia’s leading medical experts.
Professionals can access these programs via satellite television, the internet as web-cast, web-streamed or
podcast resources, on DVD and other television broadcast services. Go to www.rhef.com.au
A.C.N. 072 405 139 A.B.N 68 072 405 139
Unit 17K, 2 King Street, Deakin ACT 2600 / PO Box 324, Curtin ACT 2605
Tel: (02) 6232 5480 Fax: (02) 6232 5484
DIABETES FACT SHEET
(Source: Diabetes Australia)
WHAT IS DIABETES
Diabetes is a chronic disease. This means that it lasts for a long time, often for someone's whole
life.
For our bodies to work properly we need to convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. A
hormone called insulin is essential for the conversion of glucose into energy. In people with
diabetes, insulin is no longer produced or not produced in sufficient amounts by the body.
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with diabetes. While
it usually affects older adults, more and more younger people, even children, are getting type 2
diabetes.
In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes some insulin but it is not produced in the amount your
body needs and it does not work effectively.
Type 2 diabetes results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although there
is a strong genetic predisposition, the risk is greatly increased when associated with lifestyle
factors such as high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity, poor diet
and the classic ‘apple shape’ body where extra weight is carried around the waist.
While there is currently no cure for type 2 diabetes, the disease can be managed through lifestyle
modifications and medication.
CAUSE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
While there is no single cause of type 2 diabetes, there are well-established risk factors. Some of
these can be changed and some cannot. You are at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes if you:
have a family history of diabetes
are older (over 55 years of age ) - the risk increases as we age
are over 45 years of age and are overweight
are over 45 years of age and have high blood pressure
are over 35 years of age and are from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
background
are over 35 years of age and are from Pacific Island, Indian subcontient or
Chinese cultural background
are a women who has given birth to a child over 4.5 kgs (9 lbs), or had
gestational diabetes when pregnant, or had a condition known as Polycystic
Ovarian Syndrome.
SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
A.C.N. 072 405 139 A.B.N 68 072 405 139
Unit 17K, 2 King Street, Deakin ACT 2600 / PO Box 324, Curtin ACT 2605
Tel: (02) 6232 5480 Fax: (02) 6232 5484
In type 2 diabetes, many people have no symptoms at all, while other signs are dismissed as a
part of ‘getting older’. By the time type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the complications of diabetes may
already be present. Symptoms include:
Being excessively thirsty
Passing more urine
Feeling tired and lethargic
Always feeling hungry
Having cuts that heal slowly
Itching, skin infections
Blurred vision
Gradually putting on weight
Mood swings
Headaches
Feeling dizzy
Leg cramps
PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES
It is estimated that up to 60% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented. People at risk of type 2
diabetes can delay and even prevent this disease by following a healthy lifestyle. This includes:
Maintaining a healthy weight
Regular physical activity
Making healthy food choices
Managing blood pressure
Managing cholesterol levels
Not smoking.
Released for the Rural Health Education Foundation by Kardan Consulting
For further media information please contact:
Karen Bristow on (02) 9967 3245 or 0414 320 146
STATISTICS ON DIABETES
275 Australians develop diabetes every day.
Diabetes is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease.
About 890,000 Australians are currently diagnosed with diabetes. For every person
diagnosed, it is estimated that there is another who is not yet diagnosed; a total of
about 1.7 million people.
The total number of Australians with diabetes and pre-diabetes is estimated at 3.2
million.
As the sixth leading cause of death in Australia, it is critical we take action.
Up to 60% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
NEWS 
