Sulfonylurea K ATP Blockade in Type II Diabetes and Preconditioning in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

In 1942, Janbon et al¹ found that sulfonamide derivatives used to treat typhoid fever caused hypoglycemia, which led to the development of a new treatment for NIDDM. Diabetes is a significant problem worldwide. For example, six million people in the United States have NIDDM (85% of all diabetics) and are eligible for treatment with these drugs. The National Disease and Therapeutic Index estimates that 54% of physician visits by these patients included a prescription for oral hypoglycemic agents and that in 1994 there were 2.5 million patient-years of treatment, accounting for $500 million in sales in the United States alone. Recent insight into the cardiovascular effects of these drugs raises important questions about potentially harmful or fatal effects.