Obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and related cardiovascular diseases are metabolically caused chronic non-communicable diseases that are reaching pandemic proportions due to their prevalence and incidence and constitute a major health and economic burden on a global scale. The almost identical pathophysiological basis of the mentioned disorders enables a similar therapeutic approach, and drugs with an effect on the incretin system are considered a life-saving weapon in their treatment. Representatives of the group of drugs with an effect on the incretin system are GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-IV enzyme inhibitors. They are a unique group of drugs among currently available antidiabetics because, in addition to regulating glycemia, they have a protective effect on beta cells of the pancreas by stimulating their proliferation, they have a very good safety profile with rare side effects and a low risk of hypoglycemia, and they lead to weight loss or have a neutral effect in this sense. An additional advantage of this group of drugs is their potential cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and nephroprotective effect, which can reduce the incidence of comorbidities in obese people and those suffering from type 2 diabetes. The most common side effects of incretin drugs are gastrointestinal, which are more pronounced at the beginning of treatment and decrease within several days or weeks. A worrisome side effect recorded during clinical trials and in clinical practice is acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, but further studies did not prove a causal connection between incretin drugs and the mentioned condition. When considering the safety and harmfulness of these drugs, one should take into account their short life on the market, during which all their advantages and disadvantages could not come to the fore.