OBJECTIVES: Drug treatment tries to improve quality of life, extend life expectancy and diminish disease. Compliance with treatment is a key factor for successful treatment of chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus. Modified-release (MR) gliclazide has a more attractive pharmacological profile compared to conventional-release (CR) gliclazide for the patient. The aim of this study was to review the trials that compared the effects of MR gliclazide with the CR gliclazide from compliance point of view. METHODS: Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Google scholar were studied for a period of 6 months. The obtained data was compared on the effect from the treatment, compliance of the patients and quality of life improved. RESULTS:  : A total of 14 trials (n=1,044) were included. The gliclazide MR and CR formulations are proven equally safe and efficacious (100%). Mean plasma glucose levels are significantly reduced over a 24-hour period in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with gliclazide MR once daily, in both fasting and postprandial states. Despite their pharmaceutically different release profiles, gliclazide MR and CR are therapeutically equivalent (79%). There are no many evidences on the benefits of MR gliclazide over CR glipizide mainly because of the small sample size of the trials and lack of long-term morbidity and mortality data (14%). The results on comparison of MR to CR gliclazide concerning compliance is limited. However data indicate that reducing the daily administration frequency of oral antihyperglycemic agents improves compliance with treatment and consequently metabolic control and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: MR gliclazide leads to better compliance for patients in working age. Optimization of treatment through a reduction in the frequency of antihyperglycemic administration could be a valuable weapon in the battle to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes.