Diabetes guidelines unpacked: the changes that change practice

Diabetes care evolves at a relentless pace, and each year the major international guideline committees release updates that reshape how we diagnose, treat, and support people living with diabetes. Yet for most busy clinicians, keeping up with these changes can feel overwhelming. The sheer volume of new evidence spanning GLP-1 therapies and dual agonists, cardiovascular and renal protection, technology integration, risk-factor optimisation, and person-centred management makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish what is truly practice-changing from what is simply “interesting.”

This Journal Club session brings the annual guideline review to life. Rather than presenting a dry document summary, we translate the latest recommendations into real-world clinical decision-making, focusing on what matters most within the South African healthcare context. We will unpack the priority shifts and rationale behind key updates, while highlighting areas where guidelines converge, diverge, or leave space for clinician judgement.

A special focus will be placed on how evolving guidelines can strengthen multidisciplinary teamwork, helping to clarify roles across general practice, specialist nursing, pharmacy, dietetics, and allied healthcare disciplines.

By the end of this session, participants should feel more confident navigating the new landscape, identifying true guideline “game changers”, and applying key updates ethically, pragmatically, and in alignment with patient values and real-world clinical realities.

This is not about memorising a document. It is about reimagining how evidence-based guidelines can elevate everyday practice and improve outcomes for thousands of South Africans living with diabetes.