Oral Therapies for type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes is an important health problem not only in the USA but all over the world. It is responsible for numerous complications, such as blindness, amputation, and kidney disease. Various studies have demonstrated the importance of glycemic control to avoid developing these chronic complications(Lancet 352:837-53, 1998). More recently, the concept of glycemic memory has been implicated to highlight the need for better glycemic control since the diagnosis (N Engl J Med 358:2545-59, 2008). In recent years, several new drugs have become available for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Not only are these therapies new but they also act by new mechanisms, thus targeting several defects involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes. In addition to newer therapeutics, older drugs such as metformin are still available and used to achieve glycemic control. Furthermore, several additional drugs are in development, some of which will likely be available in the future. In this chapter, we will discuss the mechanisms of action, doses, side effects, efficacy, indications, and contraindications of the available oral drugs for type 2 diabetes. Injection drugs and insulin will be discussed elsewhere in this book.