The expansion of the pilot treatment of the diabetic foot, important reimbursement decisions and rapid drug development make the past year one of the most groundbreaking in diabetology. However, Prof. Leszek Czupryniak stresses that without systemic changes, the potential of these therapies will not be fully realized.
Medical Rationale
Prof. Czupryniak: A breakthrough year in the treatment of diabetes and obesity - time for systemic changes
Published Jan. 19, 2026 07:09
Treatment of the diabetic foot - a qualitative change
"From the point of view of the organization of health care, it seems to be a Copernican coup." - says Prof. Czupryniak about the expansion of the pilot treatment of diabetic foot syndrome. The program, which combines internal medicine and surgical procedures in a single visit, significantly reduces amputations and, according to the expert, should become a standard benefit rather than a pilot exception.
Reimbursement and modern drugs in diabetes
An important step was to simplify reimbursement for SGLT2 inhibitors and lower the glycated hemoglobin threshold to 7 percent."We have a happy moment where recommendations meet reimbursement," the professor stresses. At the same time, therapies based on GLP-1 analogs are developing, with their efficacy and safety changing everyday clinical practice.
Obesity as a chronic disease
"We know that obesity is a severe chronic disease that requires chronic treatment," Professor Czupryniak points out. Drugs such as semaglutide and thiothrombotide significantly improve patients' quality of life, but the lack of reimbursement and treatment pathways means that obesity remains an "orphan disease" in the health care system.
