Hypoglycemic Drugs and Advanced Glycation Endproducts

Recent data showed that 9.1% of adults worldwide have diabetes, and 318 million adults have a high risk of developing diabetes in the future. Diabetes and its complications have serious impact on human health. In the early stages of diabetes, excessive advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) accumulate in the body and bind to its receptor RAGE, which impairs glucose regulation. In the later stages of diabetes, increased blood glucose can accelerate the production of more AGEs. AGEs play a pivotal role in the development of diabetes and its complications. In recent years, AGEs have become one of the research hotspots. The search for potential drug targets that can block or reduce the accumulation of AGEs has attracted increasing attention. This review summarizes the role of AGEs and the effects of various hypoglycemic agents on AGEs from the perspective of mechanisms, in order to provide reference for the further search for targeted drugs against AGEs.