Fundamental principles for diabetes mellitus management

Park Jung Hwan
Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Seoul Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine

The number of people suffering from diabetes mellitus is increasing in Korea, as well as worldwide. According to the 2018 fact sheet on diabetes published by the Korean Diabetes Association, one in seven Korean adults over the age of 30 are estimated to have diabetes mellitus. The primary goals of the management of diabetes mellitus are to prevent or delay the appearance of complications, decrease mortality, and maintain a good quality of life. To achieve these goals, strict blood glucose control and the correction of any associated cardiovascular disease risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and smoking are critical. Self-management is another essential strategy for diabetes mellitus management. In addition, education is the cornerstone of good self-management for sufferers of diabetes mellitus. Without appropriate diabetes self-management, the desired therapy targets are difficult, or even impossible to achieve. In addition, all patients should be assessed for diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy annually.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Treatment, Self-management