An update aimed at cardiologists on managing type 2 diabetes in 2026 reinforces a shift in approach that has been building for years: choosing drug treatment based also on its cardiovascular and kidney benefit, not just its ability to lower glucose.
This means that, even in people whose glycemic control is already acceptable, adding or keeping certain drugs (such as SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists) may be recommended for their protective effect on the heart and kidneys — two of the organs most affected long-term by diabetes.
The review also stresses adjusting the treatment strategy to each person's clinical phenotype: prioritizing cardiorenal protection isn't the same for someone with a history of cardiovascular disease as for someone without one, hence the importance of an individualized assessment by the medical team.