New glucose-lowering drugs have raised the complexity of diabetes treatment in recent years. While metformin is still the first choice in monotherapy for most cases, various options exist for dual combination therapy. In addition, combinations of three different oral glucose-lowering drugs are increasingly used. Insulin therapy is typically initiated using once daily administration of a long-acting insulin. If basal insulin alone is no longer sufficient, treatment can be intensified by adding short-acting insulin at mealtime or by combining basal insulin with oral glucose-lowering drugs or a glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 analogue. The choice of the most appropriate glucose-lowering drug should take into account not only the glucose-lowering efficacy, but also the side effect profile of the respective agents; economic factors must be considered as well. Modern treatment of type 2 diabetes should aim for near-normal glucose control.
Keywords: Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors; Glucagon-like peptide 1 analogues; Metformin; Sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors; Sulfonylurea compounds.