By Stephen Lau and editing by Stacey Sexton

Monday Jan 09, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Researchers from the University of Chicago said that middle-aged patients recently diagnosed with diabetes do not need to get a rush medication.  Delaying medication for one year likely cuts only 2 days’ life expectancy.

The study, which appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, indicated that patients and caregivers have time to adapt, at least up to one year, to focus on diabetes self-management and lifestyle modification.  "Among middle-aged adults with diabetes, the harm caused by a one-year delay in managing blood pressure may be small," the authors noted.

However, as the delay gets longer, the damage may become greater.  A ten-year delay may cut five months’ life expectancy.

"Health care providers may wish to focus on diabetes management alone in the first year after diagnosis to help patients establish effective self-management and lifestyle modification. However, after the first year, it is clear that achieving and maintaining tight blood pressure control among American middle-aged adults with diabetes has the potential to generate substantial population-level health benefits."

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the National Institutes of Health recommend that diabetes patients begin taking medication immediately and maintain lower blood pressure—below 130/80 mmHg.  More than 66 percent of patients never reach this goal.

"We ask patients with diabetes to do a billion things," lead author Neda Laiteerapong, MD said. "We ask them to test their blood sugars, to count carbohydrates and to spend 30 minutes a day doing exercise, including cardio and weight training. Most, if not all, of this is new to them. They need time to adapt. It's important to do this right, but our results say it's not that important to do it so fast."

Before rushing to a doctor, many patients may prefer to control blood pressure by changing their lifestyle, i.e. having a balanced diet and getting regular exercise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with diabetes should avoid consuming fatty meats, fried foods and dairy products made from whole milk.