Following the LEADER - why this and other recent trials signal a major paradigm shift in the management of type 2 diabetes

Abstract

The field of type 2 diabetes is undergoing a major transformation. Recent cardiovascular outcomes trials of glucose-lowering agents - including EMPA-REG, IRIS and LEADER, have all demonstrated convincing cardiovascular benefits within a relatively short period of time - all likely driven via non-glycemic effects of compounds under study. The implications of these studies (with primary focus on the LEADER trial) - and how their result may be paradigm shifting for type 2 diabetes management, are discussed in this article.