Validity of the Good Practice Guidelines: The example of type 2 diabetes.

Aims: To assess the methodological quality of the systematic reviews of the literature for Good Practice Guidelines (GPGs) for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: The GPGs on treatment of T2D from May 2012 onwards were searched on PubMed, the Guidelines International Network, the National Guidelines Clearing House and the Infobanque des guides de pratique clinique. Quality of the GPGs was assessed by means of grading of levels of evidence, strength of recommendations, statements pertaining to systematic reviews, description of their methods, search for Randomized Controlled Trials meta-analyses, and citations from three meta-analyses which contested the strategy of intensive glycemic control and metformin as first-line treatment.