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Type 2 Diabetes Pharmacoepidemiology Update 2014: Safety Versus Efficacy

  • Diabetes Epidemiology (NM Maruthur, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The number of available options for type 2 diabetes has increased steadily over the last decade. These include the insulins, metformin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, incretin-based therapies, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. In this paper, the safety and efficacy of these agents are reviewed with a view on updated findings that have emerged over the last few years. Most drugs for type 2 diabetes effectively lower glycated hemoglobin. Their efficacy is in the range of approximate 0.8–1.5 % reduction in glycated hemoglobin for most agents. No drug for type 2 diabetes has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk in a clinical trial which represents a gap in the therapeutic armamentarium for type 2 diabetes. Recent evidence has linked the thiazolidinediones to bladder cancer and raised concerns about pancreatic cancer with incretins, which requires further confirmation. The rapidly emerging evidence in the field of pharmacoepidemiology of diabetes will continue to provide answers to important questions on safety and efficacy in 2015 and beyond.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

Sonal Singh has received compensation from Janssen Pharmaceuticals for attending a 1-day seminar on the safety of SGLT-2 inhibitors and has worked as a consulting expert in litigation against drug companies brought by private plaintiffs.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, E7144, 624 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Sonal Singh

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  1. Sonal Singh
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Correspondence to Sonal Singh.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Diabetes Epidemiology

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Singh, S. Type 2 Diabetes Pharmacoepidemiology Update 2014: Safety Versus Efficacy. Curr Diab Rep 14, 563 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-014-0563-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-014-0563-4

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