On the Verge of Precision Medicine in Diabetes.

The epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant global public health challenge and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite the recent proliferation of pharmacological agents for the treatment of T2D, current therapies simply treat the symptom, i.e. hyperglycemia, and do not directly address the underlying disease process or modify the disease course. This article summarizes how genomic discovery has contributed to unraveling the heterogeneity in T2D, reviews relevant discoveries in the pharmacogenetics of five commonly prescribed glucose-lowering agents, presents evidence supporting how pharmacogenetics can be leveraged to advance precision medicine, and calls attention to important research gaps to its implementation to guide treatment choices.