‘Diabetic’ word ban for US doctors
Diabetes healthcare professionals in America are being urged not to use the word “diabetic” by a leading national body.
The new guidelines have been issued in the 2016 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes which was published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
The recently revised document stated: “In alignment with the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) position that diabetes does not define people, the word ‘diabetic’ will no longer be used when referring to individuals with diabetes in the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes.
“The ADA will continue to use the term ‘diabetic’ as an adjective for complications related to diabetes (e.g., diabetic retinopathy).
Diagnostic tests
According to the introduction of the 2016 edition, the new journal is designed to “promote better patient care by serving the expanded needs of all health professionals committed to the care of patients with diabetes”.
In addition to condemning the use of “diabetic” as a noun, the 2016 revisions also emphasised the equal importance of different forms of diagnostic testing.
It said: “The order and discussion of diagnostic tests (fasting plasma glucose, 2-h plasma glucose after a 75g oral glucose tolerance test, and [HbA1c] criteria) were revised to make it clear that no one test is preferred over another for diagnosis.”
The ADA also advised that all adults should be tested for type 2 diabetes at the age of 45, regardless of body mass index (BMI). This is to “clarify the relationship between age, BMI, and risk for type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.”
The document also identifies that there is a greater risk of mental health disorders which are associated with diabetes:
The guidelines said: “Severe mental disorder that includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression is increased 1.7-fold in people with diabetes.
“The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is two-three times higher in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder than in the general population.
“A meta-analysis showed a significantly increased risk of depression […] and, in turn, depression was associated with a significantly increased risk of diabetes.”
To address these issues, the document urges clinicians not to neglect the psychological side of diabetes, even if they do not feel qualified to treat it.