How can we avoid the danger of hypoglycemia, one of the most serious complications of therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus? The role of DPP-4 inhibitors

Abstract

Optimal or near-optimal compensation of diabetes mellitus is almost inevitably fraught with the risk of hypoglycemia. In patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2), especially in those of old-age groups, the development of hypoglycemia increases the risk of CV death, cardiac rhythm disturbances, dementia, and depressive states. Whether absolutely all diabetic patients should be treated so as to ensure blood glucose levels close the physiological values thus far remains a matter of controversy. The results of large-scale clinical studies carried out in the recent years suggest the necessity to revise the existing algorithms for the treatment of patients with DM2. Highly efficacious agents for the purpose should be chosen with reference to both their glucose-normalizing activity and "the safety profile" (i.e. reduced risk of hypoglycemia). A panel of experts for the Russian Association of Endocrinologists (RAE) developed and published «Consensus Algorithm on the initiation and intensification of therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus». Its main provisions emphasize the necessity of treating diabetics on an individual basis and establish target levels of glycemia for each patient. Special attention should be given to the patients belonging to high risk groups, i.e. those with manifest macrovascular pathology, unable to recognize hypoglycemia, and having serious concomitant diseases. The following first line preparations are recommended to enhance the safety of DM2 therapy: metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and agonists of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. The results of both national and international clinical studies of vildaglyptin give reason to recommend this DPP-4 inhibitor for a wider application to the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.