Diabetes medication

Drugs used in diabetes treat diabetes mellitus by decreasing the glucose level in the blood. With the exception of insulin, most GLP receptor agonists (liraglutide, exenatide, and others), and pramlintide, all are administered orally and are thus also called oral hypoglycemic agents or oral antihyperglycemic agents. There are different classes of hypoglycemic drugs, and their selection depends on the nature of diabetes, age, and situation of the person, as well as other factors.

This article is about treatment of diabetes mellitus. For treatment of diabetes insipidus, see Diabetes insipidus.

Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a disease caused by the lack of insulin. Insulin must be used in type 1, which must be injected.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a disease of insulin resistance by cells. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes. Treatments include agents that (1) increase the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas, (2) increase the sensitivity of target organs to insulin, (3) decrease the rate at which glucose is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and (4) increase the loss of glucose through urination.

Several groups of drugs, mostly given by mouth, are effective in type 2 diabetes, often in combination. The therapeutic combination in type 2 may include several insulin isoforms or oral antihyperglycemic agents. As of 2020, 23 unique antihyperglycemic drug combinations were approved by the FDA. The first triple combination of oral anti-diabetics was approved in 2019, consisting of metformin, saxagliptin, and dapagliflozin. Another triple combination approval for metformin, linagliptin, and empagliflozin followed in 2020.

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