“May all be happy, may all be healed, may all be at peace and may no one ever suffer."
Metformin is a biguanide antihyperglycemic agent, which improves glucose tolerance in patients with type 2 diabetes, lowering both basal and postprandial plasma glucose. Its pharmacological mechanisms of action are different from other classes of oral antihyperglycemic agents. Metformin decreases hepatic glucose production, decreases intestinal absorption of glucose, and improves insulin sensitivity by increasing peripheral glucose uptake and utilization. Unlike sulfonylurea, metformin does not produce hypoglycemia in either patient with type 2 diabetes or normal subjects and does not cause hyperinsulinemia.
Glipizide is a sulfonylurea which appears to lower blood glucose by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas, an effect dependent upon functioning beta cells in the pancreatic islets. Extrapancreatic effects may play a part in the mechanism of action of oral sulfonylurea hypoglycemic drugs.