Whether thiazolidinediones will prove more effective than conventional antidiabetic agents inreducing the decline in bata cell function in patients with established type 2 diabetes remains to be determined,although preliminary data in patients who respond to the drugs have been encouraging. Also of considerable interest are the clinical implications of the aforementioned effects of thiazolidinediones on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These effects,allied to direct anti-atherogenic actions reported in animal studies,are presently being studied in clinical trials with cardiovascular endpoints.