Diabetes assessment and management in clinical practice

Everyone, including patients concerned about their risk of developing dementia, should be educated about lifestyle choices to help prevent diabetes and the importance of screening.  Diabetes, if present, should be treated as appropriate.  Diabetes increases the risk of dementia, as well as heart disease and a range of other diseases.

The RACGP Red Book briefly outlines the guidelines for screening for type 2 diabetes in primary care practice.  Patients should be screened at least every 3 years from the age of 40, and those with other risk factors or conditions may require more regular and/or earlier checks.

The Diabetes Australia website provides links to best-practice guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes for health professionals.

The Department of Health and Ageing’s Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Program provides resources for assessing diabetes risk and referring patients to lifestyle modification programs.