[Glimepiride--an oral antidiabetic agent].
Glimepiride is the oral antidiabetic, second-generation sulfonylurea. It is structurally similar to glyburide. Glimepiride exhibited more potent glucose-lowering effects than glyburide and longer duration of hypoglycemic effect. Glimepiride is useful in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus. Glimepiride is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Glimepiride reduces glucose levels blood by stimulating insulin release from functional pancreatic beta cells in response to glucose. Glimepiride in daily dose 1 to 8 mg is causing a dose-related decrease blood glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin fasting state and postprandially. If the maximum dose of glimepiride fails to lower blood glucose sufficiently, metformine or insuline may be added to glimepiride monotherapy. Glimepiride is very safe drug and adverse effects causing by glimepiride are very rare. The risk of hypoglycemia after use of glimepiride is very small, therefore is the therapy with glimepiride is more preferable than the therapy with glibenclamide.