[Important epidemiological features of the treatment of type 2 diabetes]

According to the various clinical practice guidelines, the recommendations for the treatment of type 2 diabetes are well-established, thus leading to homogenization of clinical practice and avoiding variability. However, it is well known that, depending on factors such as effectiveness, physiopathology, cost, adverse effects, preferences, and comorbidities, each patient will, in the long-term, receive different treatment of type 2 diabetes. The consensus document published last year and approved by the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes recommends distinct targets for each patient with type 2 diabetes and argues for the individualization of the management and treatment of this disease. In other words, the document advocates a patient-centered approach, in which the various therapeutic alternatives are related mainly to distinct physiopathological factors, adverse effects, and the patient's comorbidities, as well as the patient's preferences.