Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

For a patient with primary hypertension and newly diagnosed diabetes, what is the best treatment plan?

1. Order another random blood sugar test in 2 weeks

2. Initiate a prescription of metformin (Glucophage) 500 mg PO BID

3. Order a 3-hour glucose tolerance test

4. Order a HgbA1c level

The correct answer is: Initiate a prescription of metformin (Glucophage) 500 mg PO BID

Initiating a prescription of metformin (Glucophage) is the best treatment plan for a patient with primary hypertension and newly diagnosed diabetes. Metformin is widely recommended as a first-line medication for the management of type 2 diabetes due to its effectiveness in lowering blood glucose levels, improving insulin sensitivity, and having a favorable safety profile. In this patient's case, the presence of both hypertension and diabetes indicates a need for comprehensive disease management. Metformin not only addresses the immediate need to control blood sugar levels but may also have cardiovascular benefits, which is crucial given the patient's hypertensive status. Ordering another random blood sugar test, conducting a glucose tolerance test, or measuring HgbA1c levels are all considerations for diagnosis or monitoring glucose control. However, they do not provide the immediate intervention required for managing the patient's newly diagnosed diabetes. Thus, while they can contribute to ongoing assessments or additional diagnostic clarity, they do not fulfill the urgent requirement for treatment initiation, which is why they are not the optimal choice in this scenario.