Hypoglycemic agent

Hypoglycemic agent

A Hypoglycemic agent or antihyperglycemic agent is a pharmaceutical drug used in the treatment of Diabetes mellitus to lower high blood glucose levels.

Pronunciation

Hy-po-gly-ce-mic agent: /ˌhaɪpoʊˌɡlaɪˈsiːmɪk ˈeɪdʒənt/

Etymology

The term "Hypoglycemic agent" is derived from the Greek words "hypo" meaning under, "glykys" meaning sweet and "haima" meaning blood.

Types of Hypoglycemic agents

There are several types of hypoglycemic agents, including:

Insulin: A hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood.
Sulfonylureas: A class of oral hypoglycemic agents that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin.
Biguanides: A class of drugs, including metformin, that decrease the amount of glucose produced by the liver.
Thiazolidinediones: A class of drugs that make the body's cells more sensitive to insulin.
DPP-4 inhibitors: A class of drugs that block the action of DPP-4, an enzyme that destroys the hormone incretin.
SGLT2 inhibitors: A class of drugs that prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose into the blood.

Related terms

Hyperglycemia: A condition characterized by an excess of glucose in the bloodstream, often associated with diabetes mellitus.
Glycemic index: A measure of the blood glucose-raising potential of the carbohydrate content of a food.
Glycemic load: A measure that takes into account the amount of carbohydrate in a portion of food together with how quickly it raises blood glucose levels.
Glycosylated hemoglobin: A form of hemoglobin that is chemically linked to a sugar.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Hypoglycemic agent
Wikipedia's article - Hypoglycemic agent

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