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Systematic Reviews to Ascertain the Safety of Diabetes Medications

  • Pharmacologic Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes (A Vella, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Clinicians and patients with type 2 diabetes enjoy an expanding list of medications to improve glycemic control. With this expansion has come a flurry of concerns about the safety of these antihyperglycemic agents, concerns that affect judgments about the risk/benefit balance of therapy. Some of these safety signals have been identified through the synthesis of existing research evidence. Thus, it has become important for clinicians and clinical policymakers to understand the strengths and limitations of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in determining the safety of diabetes medications. In this paper, we highlight key safety concerns with diabetes medications and discuss the role evidence synthesis plays in each, with special attention to its strengths and limitations.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was supported by CCaTS Grant Number TL1 TR000137 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Conflict of Interest

Michael R. Gionfriddo declares that he has no conflict of interest. Oscar L. Morey-Vargas declares that he has no conflict of interest. Juan P. Brito declares that he has no conflict of interest. Aaron L. Leppin declares that he has no conflict of interest. M. Hassan Murad declares that he has no conflict of interest. Victor M. Montori declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA

    Michael R. Gionfriddo, Oscar L. Morey-Vargas, Juan P. Brito, Aaron L. Leppin, M. Hassan Murad & Victor M. Montori

  2. Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA

    Michael R. Gionfriddo

  3. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Oscar L. Morey-Vargas, Juan P. Brito & Victor M. Montori

  4. Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA

    M. Hassan Murad

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  1. Michael R. Gionfriddo
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Correspondence to Victor M. Montori.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pharmacologic Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

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Gionfriddo, M.R., Morey-Vargas, O.L., Brito, J.P. et al. Systematic Reviews to Ascertain the Safety of Diabetes Medications. Curr Diab Rep 14, 478 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-014-0478-0

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