Pharmacological Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: An Overview of New Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, which leads to irreversible damage to the vascular endothelium and causes many complications. Type 2 diabetes accounts for the vast majority of cases and is characterized by a deficit of insulin action on tissues. In recent years, several new oral drugs have emerged to treat the disease, including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors (flozins) that prevent glucose reabsorption in the kidneys. In this review, we analyzed seven different SGLT2 inhibitors, including several novel ones, based on 38 selected papers. Flozins display high efficacy in reducing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body weight, and systolic blood pressure. Therefore, flozins should be considered one of first-line treatment options in type 2 diabetes not only for patients with heart failure or kidney disease, but also for overweight and hypertensive patients.

J Endocrinol Metab. 2024;14(3):89-102
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem942