New research published this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine indicates that palliative care could play an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers in California, analysed the symptom burden and survival times of over 13,000 diabetic adults aged 30-75. The results indicated high prevalences of pain and discomfort, with 42% of participants reporting acute pain and 40% reporting chronic pain.

Psychosocial symptoms were also common amongst those surveyed, with a quarter reporting experiencing either fatigue, depression or insomnia. Interestingly, younger individuals (aged under 60) were more likely to report psychosocial symptoms, whilst those over 60 were more likely to experience painful symptoms.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that over 25 million people have diabetes in the US alone. The global prevalence of the disease is thought to be over 285 million and rising. With palliative care being incorporated more and more often into the management of non-cancer diseases including heart disease and kidney failure, this study highlights an important issue – could palliative care be used to alleviate painful symptoms amongst diabetic patients, and is there a place for palliative medicine in standard diabetes care?