Approach to: Type 2 diabetes management

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic and insidious disease that is on the rise worldwide. Diabetes pharmacotherapy is complex and varied, and recent studies of novel antihyperglycemic drugs have raised important considerations for the management of T2DM. This review provides an overview for the diagnosis of T2DM, glycemic targets for individuals with a T2DM diagnosis, and outlines a general approach to the management of T2DM, with an emphasis on how to select the appropriate pharmacotherapy using a fictional case as an example. Hypoglycemia, a complication of pharmacotherapy, macrovascular and microvascular disease resulting from T2DM, and other forms of diabetes mellitus are also briefly reviewed.