New therapies in diabetes – thiazolidinediones

Abstract

The availability of new classes of oral agents for diabetes opens new prospects and promises in management of diabetes. The current rapid pace of development of new pharmaceutical agents in this field contrasts sharply with the recent past when insulin and first and second generation sulphonylureas were the only drugs available. A decade ago, management of diabetes was characterised by a high degree of frustration among the healthcare providers and their patients. Type 2 diabetes was not well understood and its main pathophysiological events were not thoroughly defined as they are today. Primary or secondary failure of sulphonylureas medications relegated many patients to therapy with insulin. In many instances high doses of insulin were required which resulted in weight gain that in itself created a further need for more insulin. This vicious cycle created a perception that attainment of glycaemic control in many patients was a difficult if not impossible task. This review will focus on the current management of diabetes with special focus on the class of thiazolidinediones (TZD). It will also illustrate the applications of this new class of drugs in conjunction with other diabetes medications in common clinical scenarios in diabetes.

• antidiabetic medications
• diabetes
• thiazolidinediones