title: Diabetes: glycaemic control in type 2 (drug treatments).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus is a progressive disorder of glucose metabolism. It is estimated that about 285 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 years had diabetes worldwide in 2010, or 5% of the adult population. Type 2 diabetes may occur with obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia (the metabolic syndrome), which are powerful predictors of cardiovascular disease. Without adequate blood-glucose-lowering treatment, blood glucose levels may rise progressively over time in people with type 2 diabetes. Microvascular and macrovascular complications may develop.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of blood-glucose-lowering medications in adults with type 2 diabetes? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to February 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 194 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), combination treatment (single, double, and triple), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues, insulins (including conventional [human] and analogue, different regimens, different length of action), meglitinides, metformin, sulphonylureas, and thiazolidinediones.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kees J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gorter
authors.forename: Floris Alexander
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: van de Laar
authors.forename: Paul G H
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Sebastian T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Houweling
authors.forename: Guy E H M
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rutten
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D008687:Metformin