Treatment of type 2 diabetes: inadequate assessment of oral antidiabetic combinations.
(1) Metformin and glibenclamide are the only oral antidiabetics with a proven impact on the complications of type 2 diabetes. (2) Treatment with one of these drugs often fails to achieve the recommended target in HbA1c level (below 7%). (3) Only one randomised trial has assessed the preventive efficacy of a combination of oral antidiabetics when hyperglycaemia persists despite treatment with a glucose-lowering sulphonylurea. The trial showed that combining metformin and a glucose-lowering sulphonylurea is associated with a higher mortality than therapy with a sulphonylurea alone. (4) Despite this result, most clinical guidelines recommend the metformin + glucose-lowering sulphonylurea combination when oral antidiabetic monotherapy fails. (5) In the absence of convincing data supporting any particular strategy, all options should be discussed with patients including continuing with oral antidiabetic monotherapy, or starting insulin.
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005905:Glyburide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D005905:Glyburide; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008687:Metformin