DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors

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My translation work taught me about 2 oral antidiabetics last week. Link in bio. #translator #medicalscience #pharma #clinicaltrials #science #selfemployed #freelancer #dowhatyoulove #keeplearning

A post shared by Brooke A. Cochran (@bcochranhuman) on May 27, 2019 at 5:46am PDT

Last week, I translated about the upsides and downsides of using DPP-4 inhibitors (gliptins) and SGLT2 inhibitors (gliflozins) in T2D treatment. This was interesting to me because I do not have personal or indirect experience with diabetes, and, consequently, my understanding of its treatment is limited. In fact, before becoming a medical science translator, I thought insulin was the only way to treat it. Over the last five years, my research has enlightened me on the topic of oral antidiabetic agents.

​As is the case with most drugs, physicians have to choose what drugs and drug classes to prescribe based on the patient’s profile. If the patient has certain pre-existing conditions, a treatment may aggravate it. Patient age and biological markers come into play, too.

So, according to my research and the documents I translated, gliptins and glifozins have certain advantages over sulfonamides in T2D treatment. Each class functions via different mechanisms of action, thus offering different advantages and disadvantages (impact on weight, durability, use in elderly/fragile patients, etc.). However, they do come with risks that practitioners must be aware of and anticipate when the treatment is introduced.
 
With French medical science research covering a vast array of medicines, including these, I know my translation work will always keep me on my toes.

For more info, read these articles from reliable resources:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-medication/dpp-4-inhibitors.html
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/sglt2-inhibitors-a-new-class-of-diabetes-medications/