No particular medicine to treat type 2 diabetes surpasses others regarding the reduction of heart disease, stroke (stroke) or premature death, finds a new research review.
The analysis of hundreds of clinical trials did not find evidence that any medicine for particular diabetes or combination of medicines exceeds others.
The researchers said the results support the current recommendations to prove first with the oldest and most cheaper drug, metformin (glumetza, glycophage), in most patients with type 2 diabetes.
"There are very few things that experts agree, but this is one of them," said Dr. Kevin Pants, a diabetes specialist at the Cleveland Clinic and member of the Endocrine Society (Endocrine Society).
"Metformin, if there are no contraindications or intolerability, should be the frontline agent to treat patients with type 2 diabetes," he said.
Metformin can cause stomach and diarrhea discomfort, so that some patients cannot take it daily, explained Pants, who did not participate in the study.And people with renal disease in general should not take it, he said.
More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, the majority of type 2, according to the Centers for the Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC) of the United States.
The disease, which is often linked to obesity, makes blood sugar levels chronically high.Over time, that can lead to complications, such as heart disease, stroke, renal failure and nervous damage, warn CDC.
There are many kinds of medications that reduce blood sugar levels.
What was not clear was if any of these medications worked better than others to avoid diabetes complications and extend people's lives.