[The oral antidiabetics (author's transl)].

Oral antidiabetics are given for preference to adult diabetics who do not need insulin. Biguanides are particularly indicated for adipose diabetics, sulphonamides for those of normal weight. Phenformin must not be used in the presence of renal insufficiency and severe liver diseases because of the high risk of lactacidosis. Oral antidiabetics should not to be given during pregnancy. With oral treatment of diabetics under the age of 30, proteinuria, peripheral vascular diseases and disturbances of fat metabolism occure more frequently while retinopathies, coronary diseases, peripheral neuropathies or infections of the urinary tract cannot be influenced orally, nor by insulin nor by a combination of the two. The i. v. lipid tolerance test is always pathological even in apparently well-adjusted orally treated diabetics. On the other hand it is normal even in less well adjusted insulin therapy. More epidemiological investigations should be carried out in order to be able to assess clearly the longterm effects of oral antidiabetics.