Comparative Effects of Glucose-Lowering Drugs on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Whether the various glucose-lowering drugs used for type 2 diabetes differ in their effects on cardiovascular (CV)-related or all-cause mortality is unclear. In a network meta-analysis of 301 randomized trials (duration, ≥24 weeks; 120,000 patients), researchers evaluated the safety and efficacy of nine glucose-lowering drug classes (i.e., metformin, sulfonylureas, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors [gliptins], thiazolidinediones [glitazones], sodium-glucose-linked cotransporter-2 [SGLT-2] inhibitors, basal insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1]–receptor agonists, meglitinides, and α-glucosidase inhibitors). Drugs were given as monotherapy, dual therapy (added to metformin), or triple therapy (added to metformin and sulfonylurea).

No signif…