Cardiovascular risks and benefits with oral drugs for Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus affects approximately 321 million people worldwide. It is estimated that about half of these patients will die from cardiovascular complications. In spite of these statistics, medications for diabetes are approved based not on outcomes, but on surrogate markers such as blood glucose or glycosylated hemoglobin. In recent years, however, the safety of diabetes medications has come under scrutiny, and more studies are being undertaken to determine the effect(s) of the medications on actual outcomes. In this review the authors review available study results for all of the currently approved classes of oral medications for Type 2 diabetes, and discuss the possible mechanisms for the findings. More studies are necessary for many of these classes, however, to make definitive recommendations regarding their cardiovascular effects.
Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy, Louisiana 71201, LA, USA.
Emily
E
Weidman-Evans
Steven M
SM
Metz
Jeffery D
JD
Evans
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017277:Drug Approval; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents