Which drug is a representative biguanide?

Which drug is a representative biguanide?

• A. Metformin
• B. Sitagliptin
• C. Acarbose
• D. Canagliflozin

Answer: (A)

Biguanides are a class of oral antidiabetic drugs that mainly lower hepatic glucose production and improve the body's insulin sensitivity. Metformin is the representative biguanide because it primarily inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and enhances peripheral glucose uptake, leading to lower fasting glucose and HbA1c without typically causing hypoglycemia when used alone. This makes metformin the classic example people learn for this class and why it’s chosen as the representative. The other drugs belong to different classes: sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor that increases incretin hormones to boost insulin secretion and suppress glucagon; acarbose inhibits intestinal alpha-glucosidases to delay carbohydrate absorption; canagliflozin is an SGLT2 inhibitor that increases urinary glucose excretion. Thus, metformin fits the biguanide category, while the others do not.

Biguanides are a class of oral antidiabetic drugs that mainly lower hepatic glucose production and improve the body's insulin sensitivity. Metformin is the representative biguanide because it primarily inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and enhances peripheral glucose uptake, leading to lower fasting glucose and HbA1c without typically causing hypoglycemia when used alone. This makes metformin the classic example people learn for this class and why it’s chosen as the representative.

The other drugs belong to different classes: sitagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor that increases incretin hormones to boost insulin secretion and suppress glucagon; acarbose inhibits intestinal alpha-glucosidases to delay carbohydrate absorption; canagliflozin is an SGLT2 inhibitor that increases urinary glucose excretion. Thus, metformin fits the biguanide category, while the others do not.