title: [Oral antidiabetic drugs. How to begin and combine without cardiovascular risk].
abstract: Diabetes is recognized to be a major cardiovascular risk factor, and cardiocerebrovascular disease is the main cause of death of diabetic patients. Over the past decade, randomized controlled trials in type 2 diabetes have failed to demonstrate a clear association between glycemic control and a reduction in cardiovascular events and mortality, and have actually suggested that reducing glycemia to near normal levels may be harmful in some patients, increasing overall mortality. A meta-analysis showed that one of the most promising drugs for the treatment of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetics, namely rosiglitazone, increases the incidence of ischemic cardiovascular events, and this led to the drug's suspension in Europe and drastically restricted it's use in the US. Consequently, over the recent years, any new drug for the treatment of hyperglycemia is obliged to present pre-clinical studies that prove it's cardiovascular safety, besides its efficacy, in order to receive approval by the regulatory authorities. Hence, the issue of how to treat type 2 diabetes in a cardiovascular safe manner is a current and very relevant concern.
authors.affiliation: Médico Diabetologista da APDP, Lisbon, Portugal. ruisduarte@mail.telepac.pt
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents