CDE Exam Prep – Medications
Questions and answers Updated
2026
SulfonylureasB-
BAnswerLowerBbgBbyBcausingBtheBpancreasBtoBreleaseBmoreBinsulinBA1cBdecreaseBwithBmon
otherapy:B1-2%
BiguanidesB-
BAnswerReduceBhowBmuchBglucoseBtheBliverBproduces;BincreaseBperipheralBinsulinBsensitivity.
BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B1-2%
ThiazolidinedionesB-
BAnswerImproveBtheBwayBinsulinBworksBinBtheBbodyBbyBallowingBmoreBglucoseBtoBenterBmu
scles,Bfat,BandBtheBliver;BaboutB12-
16BweeksBforBmaximumBeffect.BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-1.4%
Alpha-glucosidaseBinhibitorsB-
BAnswerLowerBbgBbyBdelayingBtheBbreakdownBofBcarbohydratesBandBreducingBglucoseBabsorp
tionBinBtheBsmallBintestine.BTheyBalsoBblockBcertainBenzymesBinBorderBtoBslowBdownBtheBdig
estionBofBsomeBstarches;BtreatBlowsBwithBmilkBorBglucoseBtabs;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonothe
rapy:B0.5-0.8%
MeglitinideB-
BAnswershortBactingBinsulinBsecretagogues;BstimulateBinsulinBreleaseBfromBpancreasBA1cBdecr
easeBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-1.5%
DPP-4BinhibitorsB-
BAnswerHelpBtheBpancreasBtoBreleaseBmoreBinsulinBafterBmeals.BTheyBalsoBlowerBtheBamoun
tBofBglucoseBreleasedBbyBtheBliver.BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-0.8%
SGLT2BinhibitorsB-
BAnswerWorkBonBtheBkidneysBtoBremoveBextraBsugarBfromBtheBbody;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmo
notherapy:B0.8-1%
BileBacidBsequestrantB-BAnswerLowerBcholesterolBandBbgBlevelsBinBptsBwhoBhaveBdiabetes
, GLP-1BanalogsB-
BAnswerincreaseBinsulinBsecretion,BreduceBglucoseBreleaseBfromBliverBafterBmeals,BdelayBfood
BemptyingBfromBstomachBandBpromoteBsatiety
DopamineBagonistB-
BAnswerlowersBtheBamountBofBglucoseBreleasedBbyBtheBliver;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherap
y:B0.1-0.4%
MetforminBclass,BaffectBonBwt,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerBiguanide;BwtBneutral
Glimepiride,BGlyburide,BGlipizideBclass,BaffectBonBwtB-BAnswerSulfonylureas;BwtBgain
Pioglitazone,BRosiglitozoneBclass,BaffectBonBwtB-BAnswerThiazolidinedionesB(TZDs);BwtBgain
Acarbose,BMiglitolBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerAlpha-glucosidaseBinhibitors;BwtBneutral
Repaglinide,BNateglinideBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerMeglitinide;BwtBneutral
Sitagliptin,BSaxagliptin,BLinagliptin,BAlogliptinBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerDPP-
4BInhibitors;BwtBneutral
Canagliflozin,BDapagliflozin,BEmpagliflozinBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-
BAnswerSGLT2BInhibitors;BwtBloss
ColesevelamBclassB-BAnswerBileBacidBsequestrant
Exenatide,BLiraglutide,BAlbiglutide,BDulaglutide,Bclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerGLP-
1BanalogsB,BwtBloss
BromocriptineBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerDopamineBagonist;BwtBneutral
RapidBactingBinsulinB-
BAnswerInsulinBglulisineB(Apidra),BInsulinBlisproB(Humalog),BInsulinBaspartB(Novolog),BTechnosp
hereBinsulinBinhalationBsystemB(Afrezza)
Questions and answers Updated
2026
SulfonylureasB-
BAnswerLowerBbgBbyBcausingBtheBpancreasBtoBreleaseBmoreBinsulinBA1cBdecreaseBwithBmon
otherapy:B1-2%
BiguanidesB-
BAnswerReduceBhowBmuchBglucoseBtheBliverBproduces;BincreaseBperipheralBinsulinBsensitivity.
BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B1-2%
ThiazolidinedionesB-
BAnswerImproveBtheBwayBinsulinBworksBinBtheBbodyBbyBallowingBmoreBglucoseBtoBenterBmu
scles,Bfat,BandBtheBliver;BaboutB12-
16BweeksBforBmaximumBeffect.BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-1.4%
Alpha-glucosidaseBinhibitorsB-
BAnswerLowerBbgBbyBdelayingBtheBbreakdownBofBcarbohydratesBandBreducingBglucoseBabsorp
tionBinBtheBsmallBintestine.BTheyBalsoBblockBcertainBenzymesBinBorderBtoBslowBdownBtheBdig
estionBofBsomeBstarches;BtreatBlowsBwithBmilkBorBglucoseBtabs;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonothe
rapy:B0.5-0.8%
MeglitinideB-
BAnswershortBactingBinsulinBsecretagogues;BstimulateBinsulinBreleaseBfromBpancreasBA1cBdecr
easeBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-1.5%
DPP-4BinhibitorsB-
BAnswerHelpBtheBpancreasBtoBreleaseBmoreBinsulinBafterBmeals.BTheyBalsoBlowerBtheBamoun
tBofBglucoseBreleasedBbyBtheBliver.BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherapy:B0.5-0.8%
SGLT2BinhibitorsB-
BAnswerWorkBonBtheBkidneysBtoBremoveBextraBsugarBfromBtheBbody;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmo
notherapy:B0.8-1%
BileBacidBsequestrantB-BAnswerLowerBcholesterolBandBbgBlevelsBinBptsBwhoBhaveBdiabetes
, GLP-1BanalogsB-
BAnswerincreaseBinsulinBsecretion,BreduceBglucoseBreleaseBfromBliverBafterBmeals,BdelayBfood
BemptyingBfromBstomachBandBpromoteBsatiety
DopamineBagonistB-
BAnswerlowersBtheBamountBofBglucoseBreleasedBbyBtheBliver;BA1cBdecreaseBwithBmonotherap
y:B0.1-0.4%
MetforminBclass,BaffectBonBwt,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerBiguanide;BwtBneutral
Glimepiride,BGlyburide,BGlipizideBclass,BaffectBonBwtB-BAnswerSulfonylureas;BwtBgain
Pioglitazone,BRosiglitozoneBclass,BaffectBonBwtB-BAnswerThiazolidinedionesB(TZDs);BwtBgain
Acarbose,BMiglitolBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerAlpha-glucosidaseBinhibitors;BwtBneutral
Repaglinide,BNateglinideBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerMeglitinide;BwtBneutral
Sitagliptin,BSaxagliptin,BLinagliptin,BAlogliptinBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerDPP-
4BInhibitors;BwtBneutral
Canagliflozin,BDapagliflozin,BEmpagliflozinBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-
BAnswerSGLT2BInhibitors;BwtBloss
ColesevelamBclassB-BAnswerBileBacidBsequestrant
Exenatide,BLiraglutide,BAlbiglutide,BDulaglutide,Bclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerGLP-
1BanalogsB,BwtBloss
BromocriptineBclass,BaffectBonBweightB-BAnswerDopamineBagonist;BwtBneutral
RapidBactingBinsulinB-
BAnswerInsulinBglulisineB(Apidra),BInsulinBlisproB(Humalog),BInsulinBaspartB(Novolog),BTechnosp
hereBinsulinBinhalationBsystemB(Afrezza)
