What are biguanides?

What are biguanides?

• A. Biguanides (e.g., metformin) primarily decrease hepatic glucose production
• B. Biguanides stimulate insulin secretion
• C. Biguanides increase intestinal glucose absorption
• D. Biguanides are potassium-sparing diuretics

Answer: (A)

Biguanides are an oral antidiabetic drug class with metformin as the typical example. Their main action is to lower blood glucose by reducing hepatic glucose production. They inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis and, by activating pathways like AMPK, improve insulin sensitivity in the liver and peripheral tissues. This is why they are effective in lowering fasting glucose and hepatic glucose output without increasing insulin secretion. They do not stimulate insulin release, do not increase intestinal glucose absorption (in fact, absorption isn’t their primary effect), and they are not potassium-sparing diuretics. So describing them as primarily decreasing hepatic glucose production best fits their action.

Biguanides are an oral antidiabetic drug class with metformin as the typical example. Their main action is to lower blood glucose by reducing hepatic glucose production. They inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis and, by activating pathways like AMPK, improve insulin sensitivity in the liver and peripheral tissues. This is why they are effective in lowering fasting glucose and hepatic glucose output without increasing insulin secretion. They do not stimulate insulin release, do not increase intestinal glucose absorption (in fact, absorption isn’t their primary effect), and they are not potassium-sparing diuretics. So describing them as primarily decreasing hepatic glucose production best fits their action.