New Technologies, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Prevention

Davida Kruger, NP: Let’s talk about anything that you can think of on unmet needs, or future directions in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. What does it look like? One of the things I would throw out there is that we can no longer think of diabetes as a glucose disease. It’s a cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular disease must be treated aggressively with all of the wonderful things you’ve brought to the table today. And your thoughts?

Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP: That’s the staple to everything is getting ahead of a potential big problem. When we see someone who is a type 2 diabetic, it’s like thinking about that young woman I was telling you about who had gestational diabetes, for example. If we can get ahead of their type 2 diabetes and we can comprehensively work on their nutrition, their lifestyle, get them on the right national guidelines recommended medications, we can completely change and alter their heart health trajectory. That means avoiding strokes, avoiding heart attacks, avoiding amputations, and other terrible things that just can wreck a family. Trust me I know. Getting in front of this is not rocket science either but it definitely takes a comprehensive team, and it takes a team that understands all the nuances behind adherence and compliance and will sit and teach and take the time with the patient so that they understand why it is that they’re taking and they’re doing what it is that they’re doing. It’s more meaningful and likely they will be continuing the therapy more than 6 months or a year after you started them on it.

Davida Kruger, NP: That’s like the patient who says to me, “Well, my blood pressure is good can I stop taking my blood pressure medication?” No, you can’t. To remind people that just by having diabetes they have lost 7 years on their lives and if we can prevent them from going on and having an MI [myocardial infarction] or a stroke, which will further decrease their life expectancy. That really is all our jobs to work together as a team to prevent that.

Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP: That’s right.

Davida Kruger, NP: Thank you for all of your wisdom. I’ve learned so much from you today, Margo.

Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP: Likewise.

Davida Kruger, NP: Yes. Great. I want to thank our audience for watching HCPLive® Peers and Perspectives. If you enjoyed the content, please subscribe for our new e-newsletter to receive upcoming Peers and Perspectives and other great content right in your inbox. I actually get that and I love it when I see it in there. Take some time to enjoy it. Thank you again for joining us.

Margo B. Minissian, PhD, ACNP: Thank you so much for having me and thank you audience for your attention.

Transcript edited for clarity.