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Glite Dictionary
sulfonylurea

sulfonylurea

7.4
A medicine that lowers blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
  • noun
  • /ˌsʌl.fə.nɪlˈjʊə.ri.ə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sulfonilurea
  • The sulfonylureas work by making by forcing your pancreas to produce more insulin.

Examples

  • For many clinicians, the next step after metformin will be to add a sulfonylurea such as gliclazide.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Doctors often prescribe a sulfonylurea to help manage blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

  • As many as 10% of patients with severe sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia die.

    Academic text (2012)

  • NICE states that DPP-4s can be considered as an alternative to a sulfonylurea if there is significant risk of hypoglycaemia or its consequences.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The advent of newer agents provides alternatives to sulfonylureas, and they are therefore worth considering in some patients.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The most promising leads turned out to be a C5 sulfonamide (compound 24), a C5 sulfonylurea (compound 25), and a C5 sultam (compound 26).

    Blog text (19)

  • For many patients with type 2 diabetes, a sulfonylurea is an effective medication for lowering blood sugar levels.

  • The doctor recommended switching to a sulfonylurea after the patient's current treatment proved insufficient.

Synonyms

antidiabetic
vssulfonylurea
  • Specialized
4.1

A medicine that lowers blood sugar to treat diabetes

is mainly used for type 2 diabetes rather than all diabetes
hypoglycemic agent
vssulfonylurea
  • Specialized
5.4

Medicine that lowers blood sugar to treat diabetes

is mainly prescribed for type 2 diabetes rather than for other glucose lowering uses
antidiabetic drug
vssulfonylurea
  • Specialized
3.1

Medicine that lowers blood sugar to treat diabetes

is mainly used to treat type 2 diabetes rather than to prevent it

Surface Forms

sulfonylurea singular
sulfonylureas plural

Morphology

sulfonylurea = sulfonyl + urea (semi-transparent) = sulfonyl + urea

The word is a straightforward combination of the chemical morphemes 'sulfonyl' and 'urea', which is clear to those with chemistry knowledge but not to average learners.

Etymology

Sulfonylurea comes from two parts: sulfonyl, which is related to 'sulfur', and urea, a simple chemical often found in 'urine'. So, think of sulfonylurea as a medicine made of a sulfur-like part and a urea-like part, which helps you remember it is a group of drugs that lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.