Person-Centered, Outcomes-Driven Treatment: A New Paradigm for Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care

Primary care providers are well-positioned to help patients with type 2 diabetes achieve glycemic control while reducing their risks of serious complications such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. Recent outcomes trials of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and sodium– glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors have revealed that these agents offer cardiorenal benefits beyond their glucose-lowering effects. The American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes now recommend a person-centered approach to type 2 diabetes treatment through which a patient’s multimorbidities, preferences, characteristics, and barriers are considered alongside A1C in individualizing the diabetes management plan. Here, we review the evidence supporting this guidance and describe how to implement the new holistic approach. Research has demonstrated the potential for offering a continuum of benefit from primary through tertiary prevention of microvascular and macrovascular disease while also achieving glycemic targets. The new outcomes-based guidelines provide a roadmap for integrating this newfound knowledge into clinical practice.