AHRQ's comparative effectiveness research on oral medications for type 2 diabetes: a summary of the key findings.

In 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(AHRQ) published a systematic review on the comparative effectiveness of oral medications for type 2 diabetes. The review included studies on the benefits and risks of oral medications used for achieving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. AHRQ published an updated review in March 2011 that summarized the benefits and harms of medications (metformin,second-generation sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, meglitinides,dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists), as monotherapy and in combination, for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.