IN BRIEF The paradigms for oral pharmacological therapy in type 2 diabetes are shifting as we attain new insights into the optimal metabolic control in our patients. Each drug category has unique advantages and disadvantages, and their proper use necessitates a full understanding of their mechanisms of action, glycemic and nonglycemic effects, and prescribing indications. This article reviews published clinical trial data and places them into the context of contemporary, rational therapeutic strategies for this increasingly common condition.

No abstract