Question

Case studies on diabetes mellitus type 2

Answer 1

ABSTRACT: Primary care clinicians are often at the front line in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and they regularly face the challenge of making the best choices in an increasingly complex field. This article presents a series of hypothetical case studies that represent some of the more common therapeutic dilemmas that primary care clinicians face in their daily management of patients with T2DM.

 

Diabetes mellitus currently affects 6.4% or 285 million adults worldwide, and that number is expected to increase to 7.7% or 439 million by 2030.1 In the United States, the prevalence of diabetes in adults increased from 11.3% in 2010 to 12.3% in 2012.2 The current type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) epidemic is closely associated with a parallel obesity epidemic, with more than 85% of patients with diabetes being overweight or obese.3Furthermore, many glucose-lowering treatments only complicate weight management by causing patients to gain even more weight.4 The increase in the prevalence of diabetes, along with its comorbidities and complications, places a substantial burden on society and primary care providers. In the United States, diabetes now represents 1 in 10 visits to primary care physicians5 and was reported as the seventh leading cause of death during 2010, with some suggesting that the true figure may be even higher.2