Which statement about DPP-4 inhibitors is true?

Which statement about DPP-4 inhibitors is true?

• A. They end in -liptin
• B. They increase hepatic glucose production
• C. They decrease insulin secretion
• D. They reverse beta cell function

Answer: (A)

DPP-4 inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme that rapidly degrades incretin hormones like GLP-1 and GIP. By keeping incretin levels higher, these drugs enhance insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner and suppress glucagon, which lowers blood glucose and reduces hepatic glucose production indirectly. A clear clue to this class is the -liptin suffix in their names, such as sitagliptin or linagliptin. The other statements don’t fit: they do not increase hepatic glucose production; they actually promote insulin secretion (in a glucose-dependent way) rather than decrease it; and they do not reverse beta-cell function—if anything, they may help preserve it over time.

DPP-4 inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme that rapidly degrades incretin hormones like GLP-1 and GIP. By keeping incretin levels higher, these drugs enhance insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner and suppress glucagon, which lowers blood glucose and reduces hepatic glucose production indirectly. A clear clue to this class is the -liptin suffix in their names, such as sitagliptin or linagliptin. The other statements don’t fit: they do not increase hepatic glucose production; they actually promote insulin secretion (in a glucose-dependent way) rather than decrease it; and they do not reverse beta-cell function—if anything, they may help preserve it over time.