TY - JOUR T1 - Advances in therapy for type 2 diabetes: GLP–1 receptor agonists and DPP–4 inhibitors JF - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine JO - Cleve Clin J Med SP - S28 LP - S38 DO - 10.3949/ccjm.76.s5.05 VL - 76 IS - 12 suppl 5 AU - Laurence Kennedy AU - Jaime A. Davidson Y1 - 2009/12/01 UR - http://www.ccjm.org/content/76/12_suppl_5/S28.abstract N2 - Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is intrinsically connected to overweight and obesity. It is a complex metabolic disorder that predisposes patients to, and is associated with, cardiovascular disease. In addition to the triumvirate of core defects associated with T2DM (involvement of the pancreatic beta cell, the muscle, and the liver), other mechanisms including hyperglucagonemia, accelerated gastric emptying, and incretin deficiency/resistance are also involved. This has led to the development of incretin-based therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide–1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase–4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. These newer therapies have beneficial effects on glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, weight, and pancreatic beta-cell function. ER -