Evolving to Personalized Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is an expensive public health problem threatening society at many levels. Despite many advances in classification of diabetes, we're still in early stages of developing an etio-pathologic ontology of diabetes. Recognizing the various biologic and social determinants of disease outcomes, precision medicine applies to medical interventions as well as psychosocial measures, nutrition, and exercise that may also affect individuals differently. Using this highly personalized approach, one hopes to achieve cost-effective care. The striking evolution in generating "Big Data," Biomarker Fingerprints, and the Internet of Things will force all clinicians to be familiar with the terminology and understand the clinical relevance.