[Blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. Basic requirements for reducing vascular complications].

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high risk for the development of micro- and macrovascular complications. It is necessary to aim at an early, multifactorial intervention at different levels of metabolic syndrome. Epidemiological data have consistently shown that postprandial hyperglycaemia has strong proatherogenic effects, increasing overall cardiovascular risk. These findings indicate that intensive blood glucose control with the aim of maintaining near normal preprandial (<110 mg/dl) and postprandial levels (<140 mg/dl) is required to minimise the incidence of complications. Antidiabetic therapy should be selected individually by integrating therapeutic goals and the patient's possibilities for self-management. The fact that national recommendations for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes are not fully implemented in clinical practice emphasizes the importance of further activities to improve the quality of care.