Oral Antidiabetic Drugs

For people with Type 2 diabetes, the first line of treatment is nutritional therapy coupled with exercise. If diet and exercise don’t control blood glucose levels adequately, a physician may prescribe oral antidiabetic drugs. These drugs, which are effective only when the pancreas continues to secrete at least some insulin, aren’t effective for patients with Type 1 diabetes.Sulfonylureas, which have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes since the mid-1950s, enhance the action of insulin. Second-generation sulfonylureas were approved for use in the United States in 1984, and one third-generation sulfonylurea was introduced in 1995. Other oral antidiabetic drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes include metformin and acarbose, which lower blood glucose levels without stimulating the secretion of insulin. The oral antidiabetic drug, troglitazone, promotes the body’s sensitivity to insulin.