Incretin-based treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular complications

Cardiovascular complications are main cause of increased mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Decrease of overall cardiovascular risk and subsequently cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetes patients is therefore an important treatment aim. To this end, intensive intervention of classical risk factors such as dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, smoking along with lifestyle intervention is necessary. Good diabetes control optimally with the use of antidiabetic medication and smoking with positive effect on cardiovascular complication is of high importance as well. Incretin-based therapy includes an approach based on an increase of endogenous GLP-1 concentrations by inhibition of its breakdown by dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4 inhibitors or gliptins) or he use of GLP-1 receptor agonists that owing to modified structure have much longer half-life than endogenous GLP-1 and act the use through stimulation of GLP-1 receptor. The aim of this paper is to summarize the use of these two groups of antidiabetic drugs - gliptins and GLP-1 receptor agonists - in patients with type 2 diabetes focusing on the their cardiovascular effects and their influence on cardiovascular complications.