The first treatment for type 2 diabetes is self-care education. Patients can bring the disease under control through a good diet, weight control and physical activity. Medication should be the last resort, said Amir Kamran Nikou Sokhan, head of the Iranian Diabetes Society (IDS). Diabetes prevalence rate is 11.3% in the country. In developed countries, more than $10,000 is spent for the treatment of each diabetic patient a year. The figure is $636 in Iran, IRNA quoted him as saying.
