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

Mary Elizabeth Cox1, Jennifer Rowell1, Leonor Corsino1, Jennifer B Green1,21Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USAAbstract: 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, linaglipti