Incretins in type 2 diabetes mellitus: cardiovascular and anti-atherogenic effects beyond glucose lowering.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most outspreading disease of the western world and it provides cardiovascular disease. During the past decade new drug categories were added to the already existing ones. Perhaps, the most outstanding, as promising, too, are glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) analogues, which pinpointed at the incretin hormone system, targeting mainly at the postprandial hyperglycemia.It seemed that these novel drugs have beneficial effects on ischemic heart, heart failure,blood pressure, even on lipids and body weight in type 2 diabetics, considering them not only as another glucose lowering agent. A lot of recent studies investigate the potential relationship between GLP-1 and its possible cardioprotective and anti-atherogenic effects in type 2 diabetes and the present review discusses these effects of GLP-1.