Agentes antihiperglucemiantes utilizados para la diabetes tipo 2
Revisado por pares por Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGPÚltima actualización por Dr Laurence KnottLast updated 22 Mar 2022
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Profesionales Médicos
Professional Reference articles are designed for health professionals to use. They are written by UK doctors and based on research evidence, UK and European Guidelines. You may find the Type 2 diabetes treatment article more useful, or one of our other artículos de salud.
En este artículo:
Vea también el separado Management of Type 2 Diabetes article.
Oral hypoglycaemic agents are the group of drugs that may be taken singly or in combination to lower the blood glucose in type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be due to increased peripheral resistance to insulin or to reduced secretion of insulin. They should be used together with changes in diet and lifestyle to achieve good glycaemic control and it is customary to monitor such changes for three months before considering medication. Oral hypoglycaemic agents are not usually used in type 1 diabetes but metformin may be of use in combination with insulin for overweight people with type 1 diabetes.1
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Blood glucose-lowering therapy2
HbA1c measurement
In adults with type 2 diabetes, measure HbA1c levels at:
3- to 6-monthly intervals (tailored to individual needs), until the HbA1c is stable on unchanging therapy
Intervalos de 6 meses una vez que el nivel de HbA1c y la terapia para reducir la glucosa en sangre estén estables.
Si el monitoreo de HbA1c es inválido debido a un recambio eritrocitario alterado o un tipo de hemoglobina anormal, estime las tendencias en el control de la glucosa en sangre utilizando uno de los siguientes:
Quality-controlled plasma glucose profiles.
Estimación total de hemoglobina glucosilada (si hay hemoglobinas anormales).
Estimación de fructosamina.
HbA1c targets
For adults with type 2 diabetes managed either by lifestyle and diet, or by lifestyle and diet combined with a single drug not associated with hypoglycaemia, support the person to aim for an HbA1c level of 48 mmol/mol (6.5%). For adults on a drug associated with hypoglycaemia, support the person to aim for an HbA1c level of 53 mmol/mol (7.0%).
In adults with type 2 diabetes, if HbA1c levels are not adequately controlled by a single drug and rise to 58 mmol/mol (7.5%) or higher: reinforce advice about diet, lifestyle and adherence to drug treatment, support the person to aim for an HbA1c level of 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) and intensify drug treatment.
Considere relajar el nivel objetivo de HbA1c caso por caso, con especial consideración para las personas que son mayores o frágiles, para adultos con diabetes tipo 2:
Who are unlikely to achieve longer-term risk-reduction benefits - for example, people with a reduced life expectancy.
For whom tight blood glucose control poses a high risk of the consequences of hypoglycaemia - for example:
People who are at risk of falling.
People who have impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia.
People who drive or operate machinery as part of their job.
For whom intensive management would not necessarily be appropriate - for example, people with significant comorbidities.
Si los adultos con diabetes tipo 2 logran un nivel de HbA1c que es inferior a su objetivo y no están experimentando hipoglucemia, anímelos a mantenerlo. Tenga en cuenta que hay otras posibles razones para un nivel bajo de HbA1c, por ejemplo, el deterioro de la función renal o la pérdida repentina de peso.
Terapia de rescate en cualquier fase del tratamiento
If an adult with type 2 diabetes is symptomatically hyperglycaemic, consider insulin or a sulfonylurea and review treatment when blood glucose control has been achieved.
First-line drug treatment
Offer standard-release metformin as the initial drug treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes. Gradually increase the dose over several weeks to minimise the risk of gastrointestinal side-effects. If an adult with type 2 diabetes experiences gastrointestinal side-effects with standard-release metformin, consider a trial of modified-release metformin.
In adults with type 2 diabetes, review the dose of metformin if the eGFR is below 45 ml/minute/1.73 m2. Stop metformin if the eGFR is below 30 ml/minute/1.73 m2. Prescribe metformin with caution for those at risk of a sudden deterioration in kidney function and those at risk of eGFR falling below 45 ml/minute/1.73 m2.
In adults with type 2 diabetes, if metformin is contra-indicated or not tolerated, assess the cardiovascular risk using a recognised risk scoring system such as QRISK®3.
Basado en la evaluación del riesgo cardiovascular para la persona con diabetes tipo 2:
If they have chronic heart failure or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, offer an SGLT2 inhibitor with proven cardiovascular benefit in addition to metformin. If they are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, consider an SGLT2 inhibitor with proven cardiovascular benefit in addition to metformin.When starting an adult with type 2 diabetes on dual therapy with metformin and an SGLT2 inhibitor as first-line therapy, introduce the drugs sequentially, starting with metformin and checking tolerability. Start the SGLT2 inhibitor as soon as metformin tolerability is confirmed.
For first-line drug treatment in adults with type 2 diabetes, if metformin is contra-indicated or not tolerated and if they do not have chronic heart failure, or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or are at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease, consider:
A DPP‑4 inhibitor; o
Pioglitazone; o
A sulfonylurea; o
An SGLT2 inhibitor for people who meet the criteria in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE's) technology appraisal guidance on canagliflozin, dapagliflozin and empagliflozin as monotherapies or ertugliflozin as monotherapy or with metformin for treating type 2 diabetes.3
Before starting an SGLT2 inhibitor, check whether the person may be at increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) - for example if:
Han tenido un episodio previo de CAD.
Están enfermos con una enfermedad intercurrente.
Están siguiendo una dieta muy baja en carbohidratos o cetogénica.
Intervención adicional
Introduce los medicamentos utilizados en la terapia combinada de manera gradual, verificando la tolerabilidad y efectividad de cada medicamento.
For adults with type 2 diabetes, if monotherapy has not continued to control HbA1c to below the person's individually agreed threshold for further intervention, consider adding:
A DPP‑4 inhibitor; o
Pioglitazone; o
A sulfonylurea; o
Un inhibidor de SGLT2 para personas que cumplen con los criterios en la guía de evaluación tecnológica de NICE sobre canagliflozina en terapia combinada, ertugliflozina como monoterapia o con metformina, o dapagliflozina o empagliflozina en terapia combinada.3
Para adultos con diabetes tipo 2, si la terapia dual con metformina y otro medicamento oral no ha logrado mantener el control de la HbA1c por debajo del umbral acordado individualmente para una intervención adicional, considere cualquiera de las siguientes opciones:
Terapia triple añadiendo un inhibidor de DPP‑4, pioglitazona o una sulfonilurea o un inhibidor de SGLT2 para personas que cumplen con los criterios en la guía de evaluación tecnológica de NICE sobre canagliflozina en terapia combinada, dapagliflozina en terapia triple, empagliflozina en terapia combinada, o ertugliflozina con metformina y un inhibidor de la dipeptidil peptidasa-4;3 o
Iniciando tratamiento basado en insulina (ver la sección sobre tratamientos basados en insulina).
See the separate article on regímenes de insulina for further information.
If triple therapy with metformin and two other oral drugs is not effective, is not tolerated or is contra-indicated, consider triple therapy by switching one drug for a GLP‑1 mimetic for adults with type 2 diabetes who:
Have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 kg/m2 or higher (adjust accordingly for people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups) y specific psychological or other medical problems associated with obesity; o
Tener un IMC inferior a 35 kg/m2; y:
For whom insulin therapy would have significant occupational implications; o
La pérdida de peso beneficiaría otras comorbilidades significativas relacionadas con la obesidad.
Only continue GLP‑1 mimetic therapy if the adult with type 2 diabetes has had a beneficial metabolic response (a reduction of at least 11 mmol/mol [1.0%] in HbA1c and weight loss of at least 3% of initial body weight in sixmonths).
For adults with type 2 diabetes, only offer combination therapy with a GLP‑1 mimetic and insulin along with specialist care advice and ongoing support from a consultant-led multidisciplinary team.
Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitors (alogliptin, linagliptin, saxagliptin, sitagliptin and vildagliptin)
Lecturas adicionales y referencias
- Diabetes UK
- Guidelines; Comparison table: pharmacological management of type 2 diabetes in adults - ADA/EASD, NICE and SIGN, 2021
- Diabetes tipo 1 en adultos: diagnóstico y manejo; Directrices NICE (agosto 2015 - última actualización agosto 2022)
- Diabetes tipo 2 en adultos: manejo; Guía NICE (diciembre 2015 - última actualización junio 2022)
- Canagliflozina, dapagliflozina y empagliflozina como monoterapias para el tratamiento de la diabetes tipo 2; Guía de evaluación tecnológica de NICE, mayo de 2016
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Historial del artículo
La información en esta página está escrita y revisada por pares por clínicos calificados.
Next review due: 21 Mar 2027
22 Mar 2022 | Última versión

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