ANTIDIABETIC AGENT

Antidiabetic agents include insulin and the oral hypoglycemic agents. These are substance that helps a person with diabetes control their level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Its aim is to:

• achieve normoglycemia and relieve diabetes symptoms (such as thirst, polyuria, weight loss, ketoacidosis).
• to prevent the development of or slow the progression of long term complications of the disease in the long term. Choice of antidiabetic agent depends on the type of diabetes.

Type I diabetes is where the body does not produce any insulin, so insulin is the only treatment choice. Injected insulin acts similar to endogenous insulin to lower blood glucose levels.

Type 2 Diabetes is first treated with oral antidiabetic medicines. These medicines, either makes the pancreas produce more insulin, helps decrease insulin requirements by the body or reduces gluconeogenesis by the liver. If normoglycemia is not achieved with oral medicines then insulin can be added to the therapy.

TYPES OF ANTIDIABETIC AGENTS

• alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
• amylin analogs
• antidiabetic combinations
• dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors
• incretin mimetics
• insulin
• meglitinides
• non-sulfonylureas
• SGLT-2 inhibitors
• sulfonylureas
• thiazolidinediones