[Current treatment with oral antidiabetic agents]

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes often begins with insulin resistance.
• Normal-weight patients may present with primary insulin secretion disorders.
• Effective management requires tailored therapeutic strategies based on patient characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline differentiated therapeutic approaches for type 2 diabetes.
• To discuss the role of various oral antidiabetic agents.
• To highlight strategies for managing insulin resistance and secretion deficiency.

Main Methods:

• Review of current pharmacological treatments for type 2 diabetes.
• Categorization of therapies based on patient weight and disease presentation.
• Analysis of drug classes including glinides, biguanides, sulfonylureas, acarbose, and glitazones.

Main Results:

• Glinides offer flexible, meal-oriented insulin stimulation.
• Biguanides (metformin) are effective for overweight patients, alone or combined.
• Acarbose and glitazones can delay diabetes progression and reduce cardiovascular events.

Conclusions:

• Treatment for type 2 diabetes must be individualized.
• Insulin sensitizers and specific oral agents address insulin resistance.
• Progressive disease may necessitate insulin substitution alongside oral agents.