Glycemic, Cardiorenal, and Weight Implications on Noninsulin Pharmacotherapy for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes

The incidence of diabetes is growing at an alarming rate globally. Most of these projected individuals will develop type 2 diabetes (T2DM), raising their risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. This mini-review examines current noninsulin and noninjectable pharmacotherapy focused in T2DM, highlighting the effect on glycemic control and importance of cardiovascular and renal outcomes.

We included population level data and searched the PubMed database for recent systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and original research articles.

There is a pharmacologic menu of noninsulin-based medications for the treatment of diabetes. Through varying mechanisms, all agents ultimately lead to glycemic improvement to varying degrees. Only a select number of agents are shown to improve important clinical cardiovascular and renal outcomes. Of note, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors have improved cardiovascular mortality and time to dialysis in people with diabetes. Likewise, incretin-based therapies have improved important cardiovascular and renal composite outcomes in those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As a result, agents with proven cardiovascular and renal benefits should be prioritized based on patient risk.

Despite the availability of new medications and technology, published clinical guidelines, and treatment algorithms, most people with diabetes remain above glycemic targets. We encourage clinicians to follow the guidelines and use appropriate medications to lower cardiovascular risk, delay progression of chronic kidney disease, reach glycemic targets, and manage weight.