Open AccessPharmacologic adjunctive to insulin therapies in type 1 diabetes: The journey has just begun
Author(s) -
Spyridon N. Karras,
Theocharis Koufakis,
Pantelis Zebekakis,
Kalliopi Kotsa
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
world journal of diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-9358
DOI - 10.4239/wjd.v10.i4.234
Subject(s) - medicine , glycemic , hypoglycemia , diabetic ketoacidosis , type 1 diabetes , type 2 diabetes , context (archaeology) , insulin , intensive care medicine , diabetes mellitus , diabetes management , adjunctive treatment , endocrinology , paleontology , biology
Treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is currently based exclusively on insulin replacement therapy. However, there is a need for better glycemic control, lower hypoglycemia rates, more effective weight management, and further reduction of cardiovascular risk in people with T1D. In this context, agents from the pharmaceutical quiver of type 2 diabetes are being tested in clinical trials, as adjunctive to insulin therapies for T1D patients. Despite the limited amount of relevant evidence and the inter-class variability, it can be said that these agents have a role in optimizing metabolic control, assisting weight management and reducing glycemic variability in people with T1D. Specific safety issues, including the increased risk of hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as the effects of these treatments on major cardiovascular outcomes should be further assessed by future studies, before these therapeutic choices become widely available for T1D management.