A new use for an old drug provides dual glucose and LDL-lowering therapy in the modern setting of T2D management: colesevelam HCL.

摘要

As glycemic and lipid treatment goals in type 2 diabetes have become more stringent, a requirement for early combination therapy is needed in many patients. Although this is self-evident in severely hyperglycemic patients, its importance is less well appreciated in those with milder degrees of hyperglycemia, particularly in which concern exists that additional therapy may aggravate hypo glycemia or weight gain. Similarly, a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) target of <=70 mg/dL often requires >= 50% reduction in LDLC levels, an effect that may not always be achieved with maximum doses of statin monotherapy or in those with statin intolerance. Thus, add-on treatment with secondary LDLC-lowering agents is frequently required in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is in this context that the recent introduction of the bile sequestrant colesevelam as an antihyperglycemic agent with LDLlowering properties needs to be viewed.