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Abstract
Changes in diabetes management can therefore have a major impact on federal and state expenditures, and government policies can substantially influence the care that patients with diabetes receive. Since 90 percent of patients with diabetes have non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM), the implications for them of the DCCT results are a key concern. [...]improvements in glycemic control could potentially reduce the substantial burden of blindness, end-stage renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease in patients with NIDDM. [...]the results of the DCCT provide health care professionals with strong reasons to encourage patients with NIDDM, as well as those at risk for the disease, to adopt healthy dietary and exercise routines. [...]more compelling evidence is obtained to support the use of intensive therapy in NIDDM, patients in whom diet and exercise programs fail should be treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs or currently recommended protocols for insulin therapy.