Abstract
Incretin-based therapies exploit the insulinotropic actions of the gut hormones gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) for the treatment of diabetes and include GLP-1 receptor agonists and inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), the enzyme that inactivates the incretin hormones in the body. Both drug classes improve metabolic control in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with GLP-1 receptor agonists also lowering body weight. Pharmacotherapy using DPP-4 inhibitors has few side effects and is weight neutral. Animal studies support their use in prediabetes; however, human data are scarce. GLP-1 receptor agonist effects are also apparent in non-diabetic obese individuals. Therefore, incretin-based therapies, if safe, may be effective in preventing progression of prediabetes; and GLP-1 receptor agonists may have potential for use in the treatment of obesity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 145-152 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 1043-2760 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2013 |
