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PCCS ADA/EASD position statement

15 October 2026

Beyond glucose: Putting cardiovascular protection at the heart of diabetes care: a Primary Care Cardiovascular Society statement.

The Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) warmly welcomes the publication of the 2026 ADA/EASD consensus report on the management of type 2 diabetes.

President Beverley Bostock said: “The NICE 2026 Guidelines for Type 2 diabetes management stressed the importance of moving beyond glucose control to a more holistic, person-centred approach, prioritising cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health.  We are delighted to see this focus reinforced in the new ADA EASD report, with its recommendation for the earlier use of evidence-based, organ-protective therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 based therapies.  This represents an important opportunity to improve long-term outcomes.”

Professor Derek Connolly, Preventive Cardiologist in Birmingham and PCCS Council Member gave his perspective, saying: “This new guidance fits well with the Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework published by the UK government in July 2026.  Most patients with diabetes will die of a cardiovascular event and we believe that we can prevent this with better treatments including SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 based therapies.  These should be used in many more patients as they save lives.”

Dr Chris Arden, GP and fellow PCCS Council Member agreed saying: “This represents an important and welcome evolution in the management of type 2 diabetes. The emphasis on holistic, person-centred care, early cardiovascular and renal protection, weight management, and the identification of associated long-term conditions reflects the reality of contemporary primary care, recognising that diabetes rarely exists in isolation. The priority should be translating the evidence into deliverable NHS practice: aligning guidance, simplifying pathways, and ensuring equitable access to effective treatments and lifestyle interventions. Primary care should be recognised as central to delivering this transformation, with resources and system-wide support needed to make it a reality.

For primary care, the message is clear: treat the whole person, protect the heart and kidneys, and act early to prevent complications.

The PCCS looks forward to supporting healthcare professionals in translating these evidence-based recommendations into everyday clinical practice.

 

Davies, M. J et al, (2026). Management of type 2 diabetes, 2026. A consensus report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetologia, 10.1007/s00125-026-06855-7. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-026-06855-7

NICE (2026) Type 2 diabetes in adults: management https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28

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