Last week, the American Diabetes Association released its 2026 Standards of Care in Diabetes, providing updated, evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and managing diabetes and prediabetes across the United States. The Standards – used by more than six million individuals each year – integrate the latest research with input from leading subject matter experts to ensure recommendations reflect current best practices in diabetes care. 

Among those experts is Dave Dixon, Pharm.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science at the VCU School of Pharmacy. Dixon served as a subject matter expert for the Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management section, helping to shape updates focusing on preventing cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes.

“One major change is the updated recommendations on GLP-1–based therapies in light of new evidence demonstrating their benefits in cardiovascular disease prevention,” Dixon said. “The guidelines also reemphasize the importance of blood pressure control, along with consideration of achieving a systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg in those with high cardiovascular or kidney disease risk.”

Additionally, Dixon said the updated standards reflect a broader shift in diabetes care toward preventive therapies that reduce cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. 

“These guidelines reinforce the importance of comprehensive diabetes care that goes beyond glycemic control alone,” he said.

In addition to Dixon, John Bucheit, Pharm.D., associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, served as an external peer reviewer for the same section of the Standards.

“Our faculty’s contributions are actively setting the standard of care for diabetes patients in the U.S. and around the world,” said K.C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., M.S.H.A., dean of the School of Pharmacy. “Dr. Dixon is a leading expert in cardiovascular disease management, and we are proud to see him continuing to lead in a way that has the potential to improve the health of millions of Americans.”