Last update:

   01-Oct-2015
 

Arch Hellen Med, 32(5), September-October 2015, 535-545

REVIEW

Weekly antidiabetic treatment with GLP-1 agonists: Efficacy and safety

A.K. Papazafiropoulou, A. Melidonis
First Department of Internal Medicine and Diabetes Center, "Tzaneio" General Hospital of Pireus, Pireus, Greece

Targeting the incretin system with glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists has become an important therapeutic approach for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Recently, weekly administration of GLP-1 agonists has been shown to improve glycemic control while reducing body weight in patients with type 2 DM. With these agents the incidence of hypoglycemia is relatively low, because of their glucose-dependent mechanism of action. The main adverse events that have been observed with this treatment are nausea and vomiting. Currently, four weekly GLP-1 agonists are either available or currently being developed. This is a review of the efficacy and safety of weekly GLP-1 receptor agonists and their impact on the management of patients with type 2 DM.

Key words: Albiglutide, Dulaglutide, Exenatide, Semaglutide, Taspoglutide.


© Archives of Hellenic Medicine