The changing landscape of type 2 diabetes: the role of incretin-based therapies in managed care outcomes.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is growing in the United States and, for many patients, blood glucose continues to be poorly managed. Significantly, more than half of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have hemoglobin A1Cs greater than 7%. Several factors contribute to the failure to achieve treatment goals, including clinical inertia (the failure to initiate or advance therapy in a patient who is not at the evidence-based therapeutic goal) and failure to address all components of disease pathophysiology.