Therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus [Die therapie des typ-2-diabetes-mellitus]

Treatment of obesity with dietary changes and increased physical activity is the basis of type 2 diabetes therapy. If a lack of insulin already exists or weight reduction fails, an additional therapy with metformin and/or insulin is indicated. Other indications for this therapy are dyslipidemia or hypertension as part of metabolic syndrome. In adults, further antidiabetic medication with different mechanisms of action (thiazolidinediones, sulphoureas, α-glucosidase inhibitors) are often employed. Newly established therapy concepts take the molecular causes of obesity and type-2-diabetes more into consideration. © 2007 Springer Medizin Verlag.