Georgina Sposetti
Instituto de Investigaciones Clinicas, Buenos Aires
Argentina.
Title: SGLT2 inhibitors, a new approach in diabetes treatments. Where does it fit?
Biography
Biography: Georgina Sposetti
Abstract
Despite the extensive knowledge we have nowadays about Type 2 diabetes and its treatment, with more than 11 types of medications and more than 30 possible drug combinations available, approximately two-thirds of all T2D patients do not achieve the treatment goals. This may be explained by the fact that T2D is a complex disease with multiple physiopathological effects, including insulin resistance, insulin deficiency, hepatic gluconeogenesis increase and beta cell failure, among others. Today, getting the best drug combination and a good compliance for each patient is a great challenge, and physicians must be aware of all the drugs available and their potentials interactions. Thus, the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors as a new family of oral antidiabetic drugs offer a new therapeutic approach in the treatment and control of T2D. Throughout history, glycosuria has been a sign of a poor metabolic control; nevertheless, glycosuria is becoming a new mechanism of treatment. The key difference of this new type of therapy that inhibits SGLT2 is that it is acting independently of insulin, so it gives us an opportunity to use it at many different stages during the natural history of the disease. Efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors includes not only reduction of HbA1c, fasting and postprandial blood glucose level but also a slight body weight and systolic blood pressure decrease. However we must carefully decide when will this type of drug can be helpful our patients. The most common adverse events reported with these drugs are genital mycotic and urinary tract infections.