시론 : 2018년 미국당뇨병학회 진료지침 속의 작지만 큰 변화

The management of type 2 diabetes mellitus should comprise healthy lifestyle modifications along with tailored pharmacologic treatment. Traditionally, the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s Diabetes Management Guidelines have not prioritized specific anti-diabetic drugs over others with regard to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality prevention. Recently, two novel anti-diabetic medications proved to be significantly protective against future CVD and mortality, regardless of the glycemic levels achieved in type 2 diabetic patients with pre-existing CVD. The 2018 ADA Guidelines recommend SGLT2 inhibitor and/or GLP-1 receptor agonist be used for type 2 diabetes patients with atherosclerotic CVD after metformin monotherapy failure. Considering the value of CVD protection in the management of diabetes mellitus, this minor guideline adjustment could have far-reaching implications.