The NID-2 Study Validates Steno-2 and Optimal Medical Therapy (OMT) for Type 2 Diabetes

American College of Cardiology guidelines for heart artery disease make OMT first the standard of care for that condition. There are 15 studies that prove OMT alone is as good as OMT plus a stent.

“Observational studies have observed that patients with stable CHD most often report no or mild angina. The risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is relatively low among patients with CHD and stable chest pain. Risk factor modification with medical and lifestyle therapy is the primary recommendation for such patients. Coronary revascularization is considered if optimal medical therapy (OMT) is not effective”

In young people, the risk of heart attack is increased seven-fold in patients with prediabetes. A large number of patients hospitalized with heart attack (25%) have known diabetes. The NID-2 study confirms the findings of the Steno-2 study. Optimal medical therapy for diabetes that addresses blood pressure, high cholesterol, sugar, smoking, and aspirin therapy using a protocol dramatically reduces heart attack and death.

The proof is in. OMT for heart artery disease and diabetes is now the standard of care. These conditions are related. Here is the rub. In the United States, OMT is not being taught in our academic institutions. It is not available to patients. Most medical providers cannot tell you the percentage of patients in their practice with heart artery disease or diabetes who have achieved OMT. That is the most powerful quality measure in these patients. They cannot identify the patients who have not achieved it to close those gaps. Given the proof and guidelines mentioned above, that seems like a serious medicolegal liability.

The next step is to develop the teams, systems, analytics, and protocols to consistently deliver the OMT product. Big data will allow the organizations delivering OMT to show reductions in cost, deaths, and major cardiovascular events compared with organizations who are not producing OMT. Let’s get started.