Urgent action required on diabetes, 'the greatest epidemic'

One of the world's leading experts on diabetes has slammed Australia's use of "60-year-old drugs" as first-line treatments for the disease impacting around two million people.

Speaking at a parliamentary dinner in Canberra last night, marking the 60th anniversary of Diabetes Australia, Monash University's Professor Paul Zimmet AO, lamented national treatment guidelines that, "...direct that doctors should choose metformin as first-line therapy along with sulphonyureas – both drugs developed 60 years ago!"