[Glitazones clinical data: an update].

The thiazolidinediones (or glitazones) were recently added to the oral treatments for type 2 diabetes. Several recent studies, either in in vitro models or in animal models, lead to a better understanding of their mechanism of action. Recent, long term, controlled clinical studies, permit to define better their place and their condition of use (including adverse event prevention), as a monotherapy, or in association with metformin or a sulfonylurea when these drugs failed to achieve an optimal glycemic control. The beneficial metabolic effects of glitazones, generate great hopes for the prevention of the progressive beta-pancreatic cell function decline observed in type 2 diabetics, and possibly to prevent and/or to delay type 2 diabetes in high at-risk subjects. This review describe and discuss the most recent studies and their results.