American Diabetes Association Publishes Standards of Medical Care for 2022

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has released its annual revised edition of the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes.

Key updates of particular interest to primary care clinicians include:

• Guidance on consideration of comorbidities when selecting first-line treatment
• Initiation of screening for prediabetes/diabetes at age 35 years
• Enhanced recommendations on selection and use of technology including devices and telehealth

Other significant changes include more detailed guidance on management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis when they are comorbid with diabetes; cognitive impairment and diabetes; and updates on COVID-19 and diabetes based on the evolving science.

The Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes provide for all practitioners who care for persons with diabetes: the most recent evidence-based recommendations for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of youth and adults with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; strategies to help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes and associated comorbidities and related complications; and, therapeutic approaches that mitigate cardiovascular (CV) and renal risk and improve overall health outcomes.

"We recognize that health care providers around the world look to our Standards of Care for the latest in how new research can impact care and are excited to provide this valuable resource," said Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief scientific and medical officer at the ADA in an ADA statement.

"The evidence for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications is constantly evolving and it is crucial we do our best to keep medical professionals informed on best practices and medical advances in the field of diabetes."

The Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes are updated annually by the ADA and are now annotated in real-time with updates to the online “living Standards of Care” when new evidence or regulatory changes merit immediate inclusion.

ADA’s Professional Practice Committee, charged with the annual and ongoing revisions to the SOC, is a multidisciplinary group comprised of 16 US experts in diabetes care and includes physicians, diabetes education specialists, dieticians, leaders in endocrinology, public health, CV risk management, weight management, and use of technology in diabetes management, according to the ADA. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the ADA notes, the American College of Cardiology reviewed, critiqued, and provided endorsement for the section, Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management.

"In the same way that successful diabetes care requires a multidisciplinary approach, the Professional Practice Committee harnesses the experiences of various specialized providers from a multitude of settings to produce clinical practice recommendations that are intended for all types of health care professionals," said Boris Draznin, MD, PhD, Chair of the Professional Practice Committee.

Each year the ADA publishes condensed guidelines for primary care providers, known as the Abridged Standards of Care, and offers a Standards of Care app and Standards of Care pocket chart.

Reference: American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022. Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SINT