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ACP Guidelines Say Metformin Is the Best Starter Drug for Type 2s
The latest clinical guidelines for treating type 2 diabetes from the American College of Physicians (ACP) indicate that when diet, exercise, and weight loss fail to control blood sugar levels in early type 2 patients, physicians should prescribe metformin as the first drug therapy.
The ACP recommends that metformin be prescribed initially as a stand-alone monotherapy. As the disease progresses and metformin's initial efficacy begins to fade, doctors can add a second drug.
To develop its recommendations, the ACP examined 44 years of data on the performance of all FDA-approved oral medications for type 2s, from 1966 through early 2010. The drug types reviewed included metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, thiazolidinediones, DPP-4 inhibitors, and GLP-1 receptor antagonists.
The ACP discovered that while most of the drugs have similar effects in reducing blood sugar levels, metformin is the most effective in doing so, whether used alone or in combination. The ACP also found that metformin helps reduce body weight and improve cholesterol counts.
The study reinforces what has become a common practice among healthcare professionals who deal with type 2 diabetes. Metformin, first developed in the 1970s, has become the preferred first medication prescribed for patients with early-stage type 2. It has also become a common therapy for prediabetes patients and people with metabolic syndrome who are attempting to stave off type 2 diabetes.
The ACP noted that there was insufficient evidence to discern any difference in the efficacy of type 2 drugs among adults based on age, sex, or ethnicity.
Categories: ACP, American College of Physicians, Blood Sugar Levels, Diabetes, Diabetes, DPP-4 Inhibitors, Early-Stage Type 2, FDA, GLP-1 Receptor Antagonists, Meglitinides, Metformin, Oral Medications, Sulfonylureas, Thiazolidinediones, Type 2 Diabetes, Type 2 Issues, Type 2 Patients
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Mar 1, 2012
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Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
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Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
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