Antiatherogenic effects of thiazolidinediones?

Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is directed at relieving symptoms of hyperglycemia and reducing the incidence of diabetes-associated pathologies. Complications of atherosclerosis, including myocardial infarction and stroke, are the most common causes of death in diabetic patients. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) represent a relatively recent addition to the arsenal of pharmaceutical options for diabetes treatment. These agents are potent insulin sensitizers and significantly improve glycemic control in the majority of diabetic patients.1 Troglitazone, the first TZD to be marketed, has been replaced in clinical practice by the more potent TZDs, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. There are now upwards of a million diabetic patients taking these agents in the United States, and the rising incidence of obesity and type 2 DM predicts an ever-growing patient population of patients who will be candidates for treatment with insulin sensitizers.