New possibilities of drug prophylaxis in diabetes mellitus

I.V. Misnikova

M.F. Vladimirsky Moscow Regional Research and Clinical Institute (MONIKI), Moscow

Preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) development is a priority for health services in most countries. Pre-diabetes greatly increases the risk of developing diabetes, as well as the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. Along with lifestyle changes, DM2 drug prophylaxis significantly reduces its risk in people with pre-diabetes. Currently, leading national and international guidelines recommend metformin as the first-line drug for the DM2 prophylaxis for high-risk patients. To improve the metformin tolerance in patients with pre-diabetes for DM2 prevention, metformin of prolonged action can be used. A single dosage per day and a lower risk of adverse effects from the gastrointestinal tract contributes to the adherence to the long-term medication DM2 prophylaxis with metformin. Based on the metformin action mechanism and the evidence base on its effects  in various patient populations with DM2 and pre-diabetes, it can be concluded that the potential benefit of using metformin in patients with overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome, and pre-diabetes is not limited to hypoglycemic effect. It helps to restore metabolic breakdowns at various levels.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes, diagnosis, prophylaxis, pre-diabetes, metformin of prolonged action.

For citation: Misnikova I.V. New possibilities of drug prophylaxis in diabetes mellitus. RMJ. 2019;8(I):17–20.