March 2007 Vol 7 Isuue 1 FINAL without suicide .indd


Problem Solving in Diabetes
Authors: Lee Kennedy, Iskandar Idris, Anastasios Gazis

Reviewer: *Masoud Y Al-Maskari

 SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL
APRIL 2007 VOL 7, NO. 1
SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY©

A U T H O R S

Dr. Lee Kennedy, James Cook University, Queensland, 
Australia; Dr. Iskandar Idris, Sherwood Forest Hos-
pitals, Sutton-in-Ashfield, UK; and Anastasios Gazis,
Queen’s Medical Centre University Hospital, Notting-
ham, UK.

B A C K G R O U N D  T O  T H E  B O O K

Diabetes mellitus is considered an epidemic chronic 
disease, which may be prevented and/or controlled by 
intensive and effective available therapies, as well as 
better understanding of its pathophysiology. This book
comes as an addition to the many publications avail-
able in the literature on understanding how to manage 
a complicated disease in a simple manner with support 
of evidence-based medical literature.

O V E R V I E W  O F  C O N T E N T

The book has 237 pages. It consists of preface, content,
abbreviations and index with 8 sections as follows:
1. Prevention and diagnosis: Ways of diagnosing and 

preventing certain types of diabetes. 

2. Acute diabetes: Types and means of management 
of acute complications of diabetes. 

3. Managing diabetes: Means, methods and types 
of therapy available to mange difficult and various

types of diabetes. 

4. Reproductive complications: How to mange fer-
tility and reproductive problems in diabetes. 

5. Cardiovascular risk factors in diabetes: How to 
manage various habits, diseases associated with 
and/or risks factor for diabetes. 

6. Microvascular complications: How to manage 
chronic microvascular complications of diabetes.

7. Macrovascular and other complications: How to 
manage chronic macrovascular complications of 
diabetes. 

8. Diabetes in special groups of patients: How to 
manage diabetes associated with certain diseases. 

 TH E  R E A D E R SH I P  MO ST  SUI TE D  F O R  TH I S
B O O K
I recommend this book as a day-to-day reference guide 
for all professionals who are involved in providing care 
to diabetic patients. It will be valuable also to medical 
students during rotations in endocrinology.

 A PPR O PR I ATE N E S S  O F  TH E  C O N TE N T  TO
TA R GE T  R E A D E R SH I P
The contents are presented in a simple, short and easy
to read manner with brief literature references. This
seems to be appropriate to the readership and easy to 
follow.

B O O K  R E V I E W

السكري داء مشاكل حل

جازيس اناستاسيوس ادريس، اسكندر كندي، �املؤلفون: لي
املسكري مراجعة: مسعود

ISBN  1 90439261x
Price ₤35 Sterling

Available at www.clinicalpublishing.co.uk

*Department of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Sultanate of Oman

Email: mmaskari@squ.edu.om



L E E  K E N N E D Y,  I S K A N D A R  I D R I S ,  A N A S TA S I O S  G A Z I S

66

C OMPR E H E N SI V E N E S S  O F  TH E  C O N TE N T
This book covers most aspects of diabetic manage-
ment in a simple and brief manner. Some other aspects 
of diabetic management are omitted or little covered 
such as: the psychological and psychiatric aspects of 
diabetes; diabetes and education; diabetes and self-
management and finally diabetes and diets.

O R G A N I SATI O N  O F  TH E  C O N TE N T
Each section of the book follows the title starting with 
a real case description with some stimulating ques-
tions followed by answers supported by recent lit-
erature with references for further reading. The first
case in each section is presented in an evidence-based 
manner, but unfortunately the rest of cases do not fol-
low the same style.

G E N E R A L  C O M M E N T S

Q UA L I T Y  O F  C O N TE N T
This book contains up-to-date, rich and valuable lit-
erature about diabetes mellitus. The presentation of
the literature made this book simple to read despite 
the complexity of this debilitating and complicated 
chronic disease. In the era of internet and fast paced 
work, a book of this quality is a valuable companion to 
diabetic health providers.

Q UA L I T Y  O F  I L LUSTR ATI O N S
This book contains many good quality, coloured and
easy to read illustrations, tables, figures and dia-
grammes. The inclusion of diabetic photographs would
have been a strong asset to the book.

S U G G E S T I O N S  A N D 
C O R R E C T I O N S

SU G GE STI O N S
The authors manage to cover most aspects of diabetes
mellitus in a good quality text and illustrations with 
few exceptions.  The following are suggestions for im-
provement for future editons:
1. Presentation of all of the cases in an evidence-

based manner would make the book more attrac-
tive and useful.

2. Inclusion of some diabetic photographs would be 
most valuable.

3. Addition of sections about diets, education and 
psychological aspects of diabetes would increase 
the quality of the book.

C O R R E C TI O N S
The following mistake should be corrected or amend-
ed:
Page 18: under prevention and diagnosis “screen-
ing and impaired glucose tolerance”; impaired fast-
ing glucose (IFG): Fasting plasma glucose not ≥6.1 
mmol/l, but<7.0mmol/l  to fasting plasma glucose not 
≥ 5.6mmol/l but <7.0mmol/l.