Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors improve arterial stiffness, blood pressure, lipid profile and inflammation parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Current therapeutic strategies targeting insulin resistance have not shown evidence of reducing cardiovascular risk in diabetes patients, prompting the search for alternative therapies. Blaslov and Duvnjak investigated the effects of incretin-based treatments, such as GLP-1 agonists and SPP-4 inhibitors on vascular biomarkers. They found that this treatment significantly reduced all vascular biomarkers (augmentation index, pulse wave velocity central blood pressure) in less than 6 weeks. Combining incretin and metformin therapy resulted in reductions in waist circumference, triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol. Using incretin-based treatment improved vascular function reducing cardiovascular risk in diabetics.