Final answer:
Sulfonylurea oral antidiabetic drugs stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin and are used to treat diabetes mellitus. However, they can cause hypoglycemia as a side effect. Pharmacogenetics is a field that studies the variation in responses to medications based on genetics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sulfonylurea oral antidiabetic drugs belong to the category of drugs used to treat diabetes mellitus. These drugs stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin, which helps lower blood glucose levels. Gliclazide is one such sulfonylurea drug. However, as in Arya's case, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a major side effect of these medications. The response to medications can vary from person to person due to differences in genetics, and this is where pharmacogenetics comes in to study these variations.