Diabetic Range

Diabetes Facts

  • Patients with diabetes have a 3–fold greater chance of hospitalisation than those without diabetes
  • It has been reported that over 40% of hospitalised patients have diabetes – over 20% of these are undiagnosed at the time of admission
  • Over 20% of diabetic elderly patients are malnourished, with an additional 39% considered at risk of malnutrition. In both groups this is unrelated to BMI
  • Diabetes is common in hospitalised patients.
  • Diabetic patients are often at risk of malnutrition and can benefit from nutrition support

Poor glycaemic control includes hypoglycaemia as well as hyperglycaemia and leads to poorer health outcomes:

Hyperglycaemia is common in diabetes but can also occur in other conditions (e.g. critical illness, sepsis, surgical patients) up to 80% of critically ill patients experience hyperglycemeia
  • Hospitalised patients with hypoglycaemia have more than double the risk of mortality
  • Glycaemic variability is associated with higher mortality in critically ill patients
  • Hyperglycaemia in orthopaedic trauma patients significantly increases the risk of perioperative infections
  • Acute medical patients with hyperglycaemia, have longer length of stay, more frequent 28-day readmissions, and higher mortality rates
  • Hyperglycaemia is associated with higher mortality in patients with penetrating traumatic injuries

Recommended features of diabetes specific formulas:

  1. Low glycaemic index carbohydrate sources, and/or reduced carbohydrate content
  2. Increased MUFA content in relation to total energy content, fat quality more important than the quantity
  3. Increased protein to carbohydrate ratio
  4. Fibre enriched