(WebMD) Most type 2 diabetes drugs are equally effective for lowering blood sugar, but the generic drug metformin has fewer side effects than several newer, pricier medications, a government report finds.
Metformin users are less likely to gain weight than type 2 diabetes patients who take Avandia, Actos, or other newer medications, researchers concluded, and they are more likely to show improvements in so-called "bad" cholesterol. The report was issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University's Evidence-based Practices Center reviewed 216 previously published studies in their effort to compare the effectiveness, risks, and costs of older and newer diabetes pills. The study, which was made public today, will appear in the Sept. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
All diabetes medications help to lower blood sugar, but they work in different ways. Metformin and drugs in the class known as sulfonylureas, such as Glipizide or Glyburide, are among the least-expensive oral diabetes medications because generic versions are now available.
The newer oral medications Avandia (by GlaxoSmithKline) and Actos (by Takeda Pharmaceuticals), both in the drug class thiazolidinedione (TDZ, are now among the most widely prescribed diabetes drugs.
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Metformin users are less likely to gain weight than type 2 diabetes patients who take Avandia, Actos, or other newer medications, researchers concluded, and they are more likely to show improvements in so-called "bad" cholesterol. The report was issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University's Evidence-based Practices Center reviewed 216 previously published studies in their effort to compare the effectiveness, risks, and costs of older and newer diabetes pills. The study, which was made public today, will appear in the Sept. 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
All diabetes medications help to lower blood sugar, but they work in different ways. Metformin and drugs in the class known as sulfonylureas, such as Glipizide or Glyburide, are among the least-expensive oral diabetes medications because generic versions are now available.
The newer oral medications Avandia (by GlaxoSmithKline) and Actos (by Takeda Pharmaceuticals), both in the drug class thiazolidinedione (TDZ, are now among the most widely prescribed diabetes drugs.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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