The current volume fulfills these requirements admirably, offering the busy clinician in daily contact with patients with T2DM a highly factual and scientifically up-to-date resource with very practical information. It will answer many, if not all, questions and problems that the diabetologist is faced with on a regular basis and is therefore both informative and readily accessible to the busy doctor.

Dr Vishal Gupta has been working in this area for many years and, together with many of his colleagues, is ideally placed to have written and put together this text which I imagine will be essential reading for trainee and practicing diabetologists. It starts with a case-based approach, proceeds to discuss management, and summarizes the extensive and widespread studies in each area. The chapters deal with the many uncertainties facing the physician. This is the ideal guide to this common, menacing but ultimately treatable problem.

I have known Dr Vishal Gupta for more than two decades. He worked in my unit at the Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Hospital. Vishal is an extraordinary human being and an extremely talented physician. He is good in sports as well and has played cricket professionally, a combination of academics and sports, which is extremely difficult to find in a student! He proceeded to the United Kingdom to pursue his endocrinological interests and returned with a MRCP from The Royal College of Physicians, the most coveted diploma for a physician.

The book itself is undoubtedly an updated oasis of knowledge that will enthrall the reader. In particular, the targets for blood pressure explain that it should be <130/80 mm Hg, in left ventricular hypertrophy and proteinuria, and in diabetes with kidney disease, but due care is exerted to keep it not lower than 120/60 mm Hg in coronary artery disease. It also addresses the issue of diastolic heart failure and arguable benefit of sacubitril valsartan in this situation. It emphasizes the importance of risk factor control, which can reduce the absolute risk of developing cardiovascular complications by 20%, as opposed to exercise which reduces the risk by 12%. The association between diabetes and coronary artery disease is well explained. Sudden cardiac death is associated with more than three asymptomatic healed plaque ruptures.

I am sure the reader will enjoy this book as it is an invaluable contribution to medical knowledge. I hope we will see an updated version in the future as our databases of medical knowledge advance.

The book features details on aspects of diabetes (immunity, risk of infection, rheumatic diseases, risk of developing cancer, misgivings in current understanding of renal testing) not discussed enough by healthcare practitioners. The book also provides an updated understating and evaluation of an asymptomatic patient with diabetes with possible future risk of coronary artery disease and subclinical diastolic heart failure. Newer concepts of “time in range,” optimal renin−angiotensin system blockade, updates in renal and cardiovascular management with appropriate use of modern antidiabetes therapies, and risks and advantages of oral antidiabetes therapies along with clinical use of various nutritional programs along with their metabolic benefits are some of the highlights of the book.

I congratulate the authors and editors of the book who have brought various aspects of diabetes together in this detailed book.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder with significant vascular consequences. The major causes of morbidity and mortality are often due to microvascular and macrovascular complications. The link between insulin resistance and T2DM is well recognized and forms the basis of much of its treatment. Management of T2DM is complex, and only a small number of patients achieve good glycemic control with appropriate reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, including lipid management and blood pressure control. Self-management by patients is universally recognized to be key to good diabetes control and in the last few years it has seen an increasing number of home-testing devices.

In this book, Dr Vishal Gupta describes very well the pathophysiology of T2DM, including its association with liver disease and certain kinds of cancer. The expanding number of oral hypoglycemic medications, often involving different mechanisms of action, can be challenging for clinicians. Dr Gupta provides easily understandable treatment guidance for hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and blood pressure management, along with advice on managing more difficult clinical scenarios, like steroid therapy in diabetes. The book will be particularly useful to people in India as it deals with locally relevant issues like Indian diets and the modifications required.

Beyond Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is well written and aims to meet the information needs of a range of health professionals. I am delighted to commend the book.

The average life expectancy of Indians has increased by nearly 20 years in the last 5 decades. In addition, the number of diabetics has increased from 1−2% of the adult population (1975) to 12−15% (2018). We are looking at a figure of 7−8 crore diabetic patients in India. With diabetics living longer, morbidity due to diabetes mellitus has increased. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in diabetics. Diabetes mellitus remains the major cause of end-stage renal disease.

Over the years, there have been advances in the management of diabetes. New oral antidiabetics, insulins, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor analogs have been added to our therapeutic armamentarium. However, till now there had been no major breakthrough in prevention of diabetic complications.

The last 5 years have seen a sea of changes in recommendations for management of diabetes. The approach to management has changed from focus on preventing symptoms and control of hyperglycemia to prevention of end-organ damage. This would reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality of diabetes mellitus. The therapy of each patient has to be individualized depending on age, duration of diabetes, underlying complications, and comorbidities and life expectancy.

Three decades of experience with DCCT and UKPDS have taught us the importance of understanding Metabolic Memory and Legacy Effect. One needs to go aggressive right at the diagnosis of disease and onset of treatment while the patient is still healthy, has years of productive life, and is free of complications. The ACCORD study confirmed the futility of going aggressive later in life, when the patient has already developed underlying comorbidities.

For the first time in 2015, Empagliflozin resulted in reduction in mortality and 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in the EMPA-REG trial. Thereafter, there have been a series of cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) with Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin, Liraglutide, Dulaglutide, and Semaglutide, which have added to the success story. These drugs have shown decreased hospitalization for heart failure. Simultaneously, they have retarded (or even reversed) the decline in glomerular filtration rate. The Cardiologists and Nephrologists are probably more excited and aggressive than Diabetologists when it comes to using these agents!

Beyond Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is an excellent educational and resource tool for physicians to improve patient care. The authors have put in a lot of effort (and references) to explain the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, the development of macro- and microvascular complications, and the therapeutic options available today.

The book addresses the divide between hyperglycemia and diabetes, newer glycemic concepts of “time in range”, molecular mechanisms behind insulin resistance, and an elegant outline of antidiabetes therapies designed to improve the pathophysiology of diabetes. Furthermore, it discusses biomarkers beyond low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that may help improve cardiovascular outcomes and the huge unmet need despite valiant efforts to reduce LDL-C, modern therapeutic options to reduce LDL, elegant therapeutic approaches to address hypertension with and without diabetic kidney disease, optimal renin−angiotensin system blockade, and evaluation of patients with asymptomatic heart failure and coronary artery disease. It discusses the controversies of optimal renal assessment with difficulties in risk categorization, various rheumatic and immune dysfunctions with special reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer association with diabetes and optimal screening methods, relationship of various diets with glycemic and metabolic control, diabetes in young, diabetes management in special situations such as kidney disease, liver disease and Ramadan, and finally risk factor management in diabetes with special reference to exercise and modern-day antidiabetic therapeutics.

Professor Bipin Sethi who has helped provide invaluable suggestions that led to the refined editing of chapters.

Professor Altaf Patel who reinforced the quality of the chapters and always encouraged me to be my best version.

Dr Vaishali Teli who bears with me and takes the pressure off me allowing me to focus on my book.

Dr Reina Punj who tries her best to always be as helpful.

My staff at VG-ADVANTAGE (Sachin—trainer, Gayatri—medical liaison) who have helped me realize my dreams.

Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers who have toiled hard to realize the project. I cannot thank them enough.