Incretins and amylin in pediatric diabetes: new tools for management of diabetes in youth

Novel blood glucose lowering therapies for managing type 1 diabetes in paediatric patients

INTRODUCTION

Therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D) is mainly restricted to insulin treatment. The management of paediatric patients with T1D should tackle not only glucose control, but also insulin resistance, beta-cell preservation, quality of life and cardiovascular disease risk factors, which are increasingly recognized to occur in adolescents with T1D.

AREAS COVERED

This review examines the recently published literature from PubMed on non-insulin agents for the management of T1D in paediatric patients.

EXPERT OPINION

Few paediatric patients with T1D are achieving their metabolic targets. Current data support the need for new strategies and the consideration of additional therapies that not only may help patients, their families and their physicians to meet HbA1c targets, but also may preserve residual islet mass and good quality of life and prevent microvascular and macrovascular complications, thereby, reducing hypoglycaemic episodes. Non-insulin adjunctive therapies may improve not only glucose control, but also insulin sensitivity, in addition to preserving beta-cell function in T1D patients. Thus, more studies are required to define the potential role of these therapies in the management of paediatric patients.

Insulin resistance, role of metformin and other non-insulin therapies in pediatric type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in youth is a challenging chronic medical condition. Its management should address not only the glycemic control but also insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease risk factors which are increasingly recognized to be present in youth with TID. Current knowledge on the mechanisms of insulin resistance in T1DM is reviewed. The use of adjunctive therapies that are beneficial to achieve adequate glycemic control while mitigating the effects of insulin resistance are discussed with a focus on metformin therapy and an overview of other new pharmacologic agents.