Combination Therapies in Type 2 Diabetes Management
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive metabolic disorder characterised by insulin resistance, declining β-cell function and chronic hyperglycaemia. With monotherapy often insufficient to maintain long-term glycaemic targets, combination therapies have emerged to address multiple pathophysiological defects concurrently. Strategies include adding rapid-acting insulins or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) to basal insulin to optimise fasting and postprandial glucose control while minimising weight gain and hypoglycaemia. Fixed-ratio combinations, in which basal insulin and a GLP-1 RA are co-formulated in a single daily injection, exemplify this approach, improving adherence and simplifying titration. Such regimens have demonstrated enhanced reductions in glycated haemoglobin and body weight, alongside favourable cardiovascular outcomes. Beyond insulins and incretin-based agents, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors may be co-prescribed to refine individualised plans. Globally, combination treatments are reshaping clinical algorithms, providing a balance between efficacy, safety and patient-centred care.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Combination Therapies in Type 2 Diabetes Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in combination therapies in type 2 diabetes management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Basal insulin: A long-acting insulin formulation that maintains background glucose control over 24 hours.
GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA): A drug mimicking the incretin hormone GLP-1 to stimulate insulin release and suppress glucagon.
Fixed-ratio combination: A co-formulated injectable therapy containing two agents at a set dose ratio for simplified administration.
Hypoglycaemia: A clinical state of abnormally low blood glucose, often defined as <3.9 mmol/L.
Postprandial glucose: Blood glucose concentration measured after a meal, reflecting prandial glycaemic control.
References
- The vascular function effects of adding exenatide or meal insulin to basal insulin therapy in early type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular Diabetology (2023).
- Real-world safety and effectiveness of iGlarLixi in people with type 2 diabetes who fast during Ramadan: The SoliRam observational study. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome Clinical Research & Reviews (2023).
- Evaluating the long-term cost-effectiveness of fixed-ratio combination insulin degludec/liraglutide (IDegLira) versus other treatment regimens in the chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome (2023).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.