Type 2 diabetes accounts for nearly 90% of the approximately 537 million cases of
diabetes worldwide. The number affected is increasing rapidly with alarming trends
in children and young adults (up to age 40 years). Early detection and proactive management
are crucial for prevention and mitigation of microvascular and macrovascular complications
and mortality burden. Access to novel therapies improves person-centred outcomes beyond
glycaemic control. Precision medicine, including multiomics and pharmacogenomics,
hold promise to enhance understanding of disease heterogeneity, leading to targeted
therapies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected certain groups, such as older
people (ie, >65 years), minority ethnic populations, and people with specific chronic
conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and some respiratory
diseases. There is now evidence of not only direct but also indirect adverse effects
of COVID-19 in people with diabetes. Recurrent lockdowns and public health measures
throughout the pandemic have restricted access to routine diabetes care, limiting
new diagnoses, and affecting self-management, routine follow-ups, and access to medications,
as well as affecting lifestyle behaviours and emotional wellbeing globally.