Precision diabetes: a realistic outlook on a promising approach

Excerpt

Precision medicine, the tailoring of healthcare based on an individual’s genetics, lifestyle and environment, is not a new concept. Throughout the history of medicine, clinicians have called on available resources to determine the optimum treatment for patients. A common example is the selection of specific blood types for blood transfusions on the basis of the recipient’s blood group, a procedure that became routine following the discovery of human blood groups by Karl Landsteiner in 1901 [1]. Glasses are another example: lenses have been tailored to an individual’s visual ability since circa 1284 [2]. By adopting a precision medicine approach, healthcare is made more effective, safer and more cost-efficient. …