Changing the Treatment Paradigm for Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract
Based on the results of the U.K. Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), “… treatment of type 2 diabetes [should] include aggressive efforts to lower blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. …” This was the recommendation the American Diabetes Association promulgated based on the results of the UKPDS when published (1). The suggestion was soon adopted by official guidelines in every region of the world (2). They are generally consistent in recommending an A1C goal of <7.0%. However, the results of the UKPDS remained inconclusive with respect to cardiovascular (CV) complications because of a risk reduction that was only close to statistical significance (−16%, P = 0.052). In support of the UKPDS results, however, a recent meta-analysis of randomized trials in type 2 diabetes (3) calculated a 19% reduction in the incidence of any type of macrovascular event associated with improved long-term glycemic control. Moreover, a strong association between glycemic control and micro- and macrovascular disease has been highlighted in type 1 diabetic patients (4,5)