Glucose lowering strategies and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes – teachings from the TOSCA.IT study

TOSCA.IT is an institutional, non-industry-supported, head-to-head study comparing long term cardiovascular effects, efficacy and safety of two antidiabetes drugs (pioglitazone vs sulphonylureas) used in combination with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study results show that in the absence of clinically evident cardiovascular disease both treatment strategies represent suitable alternatives; however, in consideration of the greater durability of the metabolic effects, the lower risk of hypoglycemia and the potential benefit on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the combination of metformin and pioglitazone may be considered as the preferential therapeutic option. In this review the study is critically evaluated against the background of the evidence accumulated over the last decade on the impact of different glucose lowering drugs on cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes.