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Guiding Principles for the Care of People With or at Risk for Diabetes

Guiding Principles cover that shows a man consulting with a doctor

These Guiding Principles aim to identify and synthesize areas of general agreement among existing guidelines to help guide primary care providers and health care teams to deliver quality care to adults with or at risk for diabetes.

Updated in August 2018, the current version reflects new and changing evidence that has evolved over the last several years, including

  • Emphasis on the importance of diabetes self-management education and support, and of providing patient-centered care using shared decision-making and individualized care.
  • Development of a new Principle 6: Address Overweight and Obesity in the Management of Diabetes.

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Download a PDF version of our Guiding Principles (PDF, 1.56 MB)

Supporting Organizations

The following organizations support the use of the Guiding Principles for the Care of People With or at Risk for Diabetes:

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Academy of Physician Assistants
  • American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
  • American Association of Nurse Practitioners
  • American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists
  • American Diabetes Association
  • American Geriatrics Society
  • American Heart Association
  • American Optometric Association
  • American Osteopathic Association
  • American Podiatric Medical Association
  • American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
  • Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
  • Endocrine Society
  • National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians and AANHPI Diabetes Coalition
  • National Human Genome Research Institute
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
  • Obesity Medicine Association
  • Texas Diabetes Council
  • The Obesity Society

Writing Group Members

A core writing and review team helped research, write, and refine content drafts. Their dedication and assistance were invaluable.

  • Farhad Zangeneh, MD, FACP, FACE, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
  • John Boltri, MD, FAAFP, American Academy of Family Physicians
  • Apostolos Dallas, MD, FACP, American College of Physicians*
  • Erika Gebel Berg, PhD, American Diabetes Association
  • Carol Mangione, MD, MSPH, FACP, American Geriatrics Society
  • Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, American Heart Association
  • Howard Baum, MD, Endocrine Society
  • Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, FTOS, The Obesity Society

*Representation does not constitute organizational endorsement

Guiding Principles does not represent an effort to create new guidelines; no guidelines were developed specifically for the original or this updated resource.

Last Reviewed August 2018
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The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) was retired in 2019 after more than 20 years of collaborative partnership between the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), plus a network of more than 200 individuals and organizations. NDEP was successful in coalescing the diabetes community at the national level and raising awareness about diabetes prevention and management. Going forward, NIDDK will continue to advance science-based information and resources on diabetes.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.