The Importance of Postprandial Hyperglycemia Position Statement of the Danube Mco Experts.

Both the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes are increasing worldwide and over 60% of people with T2DM develop cardiovascular disease. There are many data supporting the view that glycaemic control plays a role in reducing cardiovascular complications. The relationship between hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular disease is complex with evidence suggesting that an acute increase of glycaemia, particularly after a meal, may have a direct detrimental effect on cardiovascular disease. Although control of fasting hyperglycaemia is necessary, it is usually insufficient to obtain optimal glycaemic control. A growing body of evidence suggests that reducing post meal plasma glucose excursions is as important, or perhaps more important for achieving HbA1c goals. New classes of therapies for managing post meal plasma glucose in people with diabetes (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors) have shown significant benefits in reducing post meal plasma glucose excursions andlowering HbA1c. The individual properties of the various GLP-1 receptor agonists might enable incretin-based treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus to be tailored to the needs of each patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]