Chlorpropamide is a drug in the sulfonylurea class used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is a long-acting 1st generation sulfonylurea. It has more side effects than other sulfonylureas and its use is no longer recommended. Like other sulfonylureas, chlorpropamide acts to increase the secretion of insulin, so it is only effective in patients who have some pancreatic beta cell function. It can cause relatively long episodes of hypoglycemia; this is one reason why shorter-acting sulfonylureas such as gliclazide or tolbutamide are used instead. The risk of hypoglycemia makes this drug a poor choice for the elderly and patients with mild to moderate hepatic and renal impairment. Chlorpropamide is also used in partial central diabetes insipidus. Chlorpropamide and other sulfonylureas encourage weight gain, so they are generally not favored for use in very obese patients.
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