title: Pharmacological strategies for preventing type 2 diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.
abstract: Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly prevalent disease in the United States, and is associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications. Prediabetes, which is defined as impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), increases the risk of development of type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle improvements, including weight loss and increased physical activity are effective in reducing the conversion of IGT to type 2 diabetes by 58%. However, lifestyle interventions alone may be difficult to maintain. Oral pharmacological agents used to treat type 2 diabetes that improve insulin sensitivity, preserve beta cell function and delay carbohydrate metabolism have been shown to prevent the progression of IGT to type 2 diabetes. The risk reduction of diabetes using metformin, pioglitazone, acarbose, valsartan and orlistat in clinical studies has ranged from 14 to 72%. Therefore, persons with IGT tolerance may benefit from pharmacological therapy to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
authors: University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois, USA. desmith@uic.edu.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Smith-Marsh
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018149:Glucose Intolerance; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008019:Life Style; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents
keywords: Diabetes; Glucose intolerance; Insulin resistance; Prevention