Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in the management of type 2 diabetes: safety, tolerability, and efficacy

Abstract: Although glycemic control is an important and effective way to prevent and minimize the worsening of diabetes-related complications, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease which often proves difficult to manage. Most affected patients will eventually require therapy with multiple medications in order to reach appropriate glycemic targets. The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors constitute a relatively new class of oral medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, which has become widely incorporated into clinical practice. This review summarizes the available data on the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of these medications. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, pharmacotherapy, DPP-4 inhibitor, sitagliptin, vildagliptin, saxagliptin, alogliptin, linagliptin