A new study in the United States, has found that that frequent meetings between type 2 diabetes patients and doctors are linked to treatment targets for blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure being reached more quickly.
The research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, assessed the medical records of 26,496 individuals with type 2 diabetes who had experienced high levels of either haemoglobin A1C, blood pressure or LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) between 2000 and 2009. The amount of time it took for the high levels of each to come down to the patients’ treatment goals were checked, as well as the average amount of patient/doctor visits.
The team, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, claim that, despite GPs checking patients haemoglobin A1C levels about every three months, there are no guidelines on how often patients should visit their doctor, and that some patients might be better off going to their doctor as often as each fortnight.
The study indicates that having appropriate opportunities to discuss diabetes with your doctor or a consultant can significantly improve blood glucose and cholesterol control. Diabetes patients will take note as, particularly in the important time of soon after diagnosis, patients have reported that time with the doctor has often been lacking.

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