Table 2.

Features of the different agents in the sulfonylurea drug class

Features of the agents	Agents in the sulfonylurea drug classa
	Tolbutamide	Chlorpropamide	Glibenclamide (glyburide)	Glipizide (regular)	Gliclazide (regular)	Glimepiride	Glipizide GITS	Gliclazide MR
Generation	First	First	Second	Second	Second	Third	Third	Third
Duration of action category	Short	Long	Long	Intermediate	Intermediate	Long	Long	Long
Duration of action (h)	Short	≥ 24	16–24	12–24	10–24	24	> 24	> 24
Time to peak plasma level (h)	3–4	2–4	2–4	1–3	4–6	2–3	6–12	6–7
Excretion	100% renal	80–90% renal	50% renal	80% renal	80% renal	60% renal	80% renal, 10% faecal	< 60–70% renal, 10–20% faecal
Active metabolites	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
Use in patients with renal dysfunction	Avoid	Decrease dose by 50% if GFR 50–70 mL/min/1.73 m2 Avoid if GFR < 50 mL/min/1.73 m2	Avoid	No dose adjustment needed	No dose adjustment needed	Start at low dose	No dose adjustment needed	No dose adjustment needed

GITS Gastrointestinal therapeutic system, GFR golemerular filtration rate

^aReferences: [10, 25]