Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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SIDE EFFECTS INDUCED BY HYPOGLYCAEMIC SULFONYLUREAS TO DIABETIC PATIENTS – A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

LUMINIȚA CONFEDERAT1, ROXANA ȘTEFAN2, FLORENTINA LUPAŞCU1, SANDRA CONSTANTIN1, IUSTINA AVRAM1, ADRIAN DOLOCA3, LENUȚA PROFIRE1*

1.Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences I, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universității Street, 700115, Iaşi, România
2.”Providența” Medical Centre – Iași, 10 Ștefan cel Mare Avenue, Iași, România
3.Department of Preventive Medicine and Interdisciplinarity, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universității Street, 700115, Iaşi, România

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Sulfonylureas were the first oral hypoglycaemic drugs introduced in therapy and for over 50 years, they represent the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The most concerning side effects which limit their use are the risk of hypoglycaemia and weight gain. The aim of this study was to analyse the correlation between the side effects induced by the oral hypoglycaemic sulfonylureas and some factors such as drug characteristics, patient’s profile and drug interactions. In this study there were enrolled 200 patients treated with sulfonylureas which were monitored for 2 years in terms of side effects. The results showed that 46.5% of the patients have presented one or more side effects; the most frequently reported were weight gain (25.5%), hypoglycaemia (14.5%) and digestive disorders (6.5%). It has been found that the characteristics of drug, the patient’s profile and the risk of drug interactions are important factors that contribute to the expression of the reported side effects.