GLUCOTROL is indicated as an adjunct to diet for the control of hyperglycemia
and its associated symptomatology in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (NIDDM; type II), formerly known as maturity-onset diabetes, after
an adequate trial of dietary therapy has proved unsatisfactory.
In initiating treatment for non-insulin-dependent diabetes, diet should be
emphasized as the primary form of treatment. Caloric restriction and weight
loss are essential in the obese diabetic patient. Proper dietary management
alone may be effective in controlling the blood glucose and symptoms of hyperglycemia.
The importance of regular physical activity should also be stressed, and cardiovascular
risk factors should be identified, and corrective measures taken where possible.
If this treatment program fails to reduce symptoms and/or blood glucose, the
use of an oral sulfonylurea or insulin should be considered. Use of GLUCOTROL
must be viewed by both the physician and patient as a treatment in addition
to diet, and not as a substitute for diet or as a convenient mechanism for
avoiding dietary restraint. Furthermore, loss of blood glucose control on diet alone also may be transient, thus requiring only short-term administration
of
GLUCOTROL.
During maintenance programs, GLUCOTROL should be discontinued if satisfactory
lowering of blood glucose is no longer achieved. Judgments should be based
on regular clinical and laboratory evaluations.
In considering the use of GLUCOTROL in asymptomatic patients, it should be
recognized that controlling blood glucose in non-insulin-dependent diabetes
has not been definitely established to be effective in preventing the long-term cardiovascular or neural complications
of diabetes.