ADA updates 2026 cardiorenal guidance

The American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Standards of Care are drawing attention for how explicitly they tie diabetes treatment to cardiovascular and kidney risk management. The guidance itself was published in the ADA’s annual standards package in late 2025 and in abridged primary care form in 2026, while a July 8 Pharmacy Times explainer brought renewed focus to the cardiorenal sections for clinicians working in day-to-day practice. (diabetesjournals.org) Dave Dixon, a pharmacist and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, said in the Pharmacy Times interview that the 2026 standards include updates that matter for outpatient care teams trying to reduce cardiovascular and kidney complications in people with diabetes. (diabetesjournals.org) (pharmacytimes.com) ### What exactly changed in the ADA’s 2026 cardiorenal guidance? The ADA’s 2026 standards devote separate chapters to cardiovascular disease and risk management and to chronic kidney disease and risk management, underscoring that these complications are treated as core parts of diabetes care rather than side issues. The standards are updated annually by the ADA Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes. (diabetesjournals.org) The 2026 abridged standards were developed for primary care professionals and presented as a user-friendly version of the broader recommendations. That matters because much of the screening, prescribing and follow-up for diabetes happens outside specialty clinics. (pharmacytimes.com) ### Why are pharmacists and outpatient teams focusing on “cardiorenal risk reduction”? Pharmacy Times framed the 2026 update as a guide to “cardiorenal risk reduction,” with Dixon focusing on how clinicians can apply the standards in pharmacy practice. A related Pharmacy Times interview said the 2026 standards reflect a broader move toward integrated cardio-kidney-metabolic care. (diabetesjournals.org) Dixon said that model requires pharmacists to stop thinking in silos and to work across diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney risk management. In practice, that means medication selection, follow-up and monitoring are being discussed not only in terms of glucose control but also in terms of heart and kidney outcomes. (diabetesjournals.org) ### Where do the kidney recommendations fit into routine diabetes visits? Section 11 of the 2026 standards covers chronic kidney disease risk management and includes screening and monitoring guidance tied to kidney function and albuminuria. The ADA’s abridged material for primary care also reproduces a risk grid showing how monitoring frequency rises as chronic kidney disease becomes more advanced. (pharmacytimes.com) The ADA-KDIGO consensus report remains part of the framework cited in the kidney section, linking the standards to earlier joint guidance on diabetes management in chronic kidney disease. That gives clinicians a clearer pathway for when to screen, how often to monitor and when kidney disease should change treatment decisions. (pharmacytimes.com) ### What do the cardiovascular sections signal for diabetes care? Chapter 10 of the 2026 standards addresses cardiovascular disease and risk management as a dedicated area of care. The placement and scope of that chapter indicate that blood pressure, lipid management and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention remain central to diabetes treatment planning. (diabetesjournals.org) Pharmacy Times said Dixon’s review centered on “key cardiovascular and kidney risk management updates” and what they mean for pharmacy practice. In a separate interview, Dixon also pointed to a persistent gap between guideline recommendations and real-world prescribing of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists. (diabetesjournals.org) ### Where can clinicians read the source material? The ADA’s 2026 abridged standards collection is available through its journal platform, alongside the full standards chapters on cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. Pharmacy Times has also published Dixon’s commentary and related interviews from ADA 2026 for clinicians looking for practice-focused discussion of the changes. (diabetesjournals.org) The 2026 standards remain the ADA’s current annual guidance until the next update cycle, with the Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes responsible for future revisions and publication in Diabetes Care. (diabetesjournals.org 1) (diabetesjournals.org 2) (pharmacytimes.com)