Journal of General Practice Nursing (GPN) | September 2025

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Gliclazide in the management of type 2 diabetes: a practical guide

Gliclazide in the management of type 2 diabetes: a practical guide

Pages: 50 - 56

Article topics: Beta cell function, Gliclazide, Hypoglycaemia, Sulfonylurea, Type 2 diabetes

Despite the distinct advantages of new antidiabetic agents, gliclazide retains specific roles in contemporary type 2 diabetes management when prescribed judiciously. This article looks at a narrative review of current evidence examining gliclazide’s pharmacology, efficacy, safety profile, and targeted clinical applications. The main findings were that gliclazide demonstrates robust glucose-lowering efficacy (haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) reduction 11–16mmol/mol) in patients with residual beta-cell function (Simpson et al, 2013). Hypoglycaemia risk remains significant. Contemporary evidence also suggests that gliclazide does not accelerate beta-cell exhaustion (Khunti et al, 2013; Kalra et al, 2018). Specific scenarios where gliclazide is useful include short-term rescue therapy for steroid-induced hyperglycaemia, rapid glycaemic control when front-loading is appropriate, and when contraindications preclude sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Renal function monitoring is essential due to prolonged action in impairment (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2022; British National Formulary [BNF], 2024). The author concludes that gliclazide maintains validity in targeted scenarios when prescribed with individualised assessment. General practice nurses (GPNs) should ensure comprehensive hypoglycaemia education and regular patient monitoring.

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