Only few studies have shown the efficacy and safety of glucose-control strategies using the quadruple drug combination. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of the quadruple combination therapy with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
From March 2014 to December 2018, data of patients with T2DM, who were treated with quadruple hypoglycemic medications for over 12 months in 11 hospitals in South Korea, were reviewed retrospectively. We compared glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels before and 12 months after quadruple treatment with OHAs. The safety, maintenance rate, and therapeutic patterns after failure of the quadruple therapy were also evaluated.
In total, 357 patients were enrolled for quadruple OHA therapy, and the baseline HbA1c level was 9.0%±1.3% (74.9±14.1 mmol/mol). After 12 months, 270 patients (75.6%) adhered to the quadruple therapy and HbA1c was significantly reduced from 8.9%±1.2% to 7.8%±1.3% (mean change, −1.1%±1.2%;
This study shows the therapeutic efficacy of the quadruple OHA regimen T2DM and demonstrates that it can be an option for the management of T2DM patients who cannot use insulin or reject injectable therapy.
Citations
We compared the efficacies of vildagliptin (50 mg twice daily) relative to pioglitazone (15 mg once daily) as an add-on treatment to metformin for reducing glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes.
The present study was a multicenter, randomized, active-controlled investigation comparing the effects of vildagliptin and pioglitazone in Korean patients receiving a stable dose of metformin but exhibiting inadequate glycemic control. Each patient underwent a 16-week treatment period with either vildagliptin or pioglitazone as an add-on treatment to metformin.
The mean changes in HbA1c levels from baseline were –0.94% in the vildagliptin group and –0.6% in the pioglitazone group and the difference between the treatments was below the non-inferiority margin of 0.3%. The mean changes in postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) levels were –60.2 mg/dL in the vildagliptin group and –38.2 mg/dL in the pioglitazone group and these values significantly differed (
As an add-on to metformin, the efficacy of vildagliptin for the improvement of glycemic control is not inferior to that of pioglitazone in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, add-on treatment with vildagliptin had beneficial effects on PPG levels, lipid profiles, and body weight compared to pioglitazone.
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Inflammation plays a role in the response to metabolic stress in type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of rosiglitazone on inflammation of skeletal muscle have not been fully examined in type 2 diabetes.
We investigated the effects of the insulin-sensitizing anti-diabetic agent, rosiglitazone, on the progression of skeletal muscle inflammation in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) type 2 diabetic rats. We examined the expression of serologic markers (serum glucose, insulin and free fatty acid) and inflammatory cytokines (tumor-necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-1β and IL-6) in OLETF rats from early to advanced diabetic stage (from 28 to 40 weeks of age).
Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were significantly decreased in rosiglitazone-treated OLETF rats compared to untreated OLETF rats. Rosiglitazone treatment significantly decreased the concentrations of serum inflammatory cytokines from 28 to 40 weeks of age. The mRNA expression of various cytokines in skeletal muscle was reduced in rosiglitazone-treated OLETF rats compared with untreated OLETF rats. Furthermore, rosiglitazone treatment resulted in the downregulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and NF-κB expression in the skeletal muscle of OLETF rats.
These results suggest that rosiglitazone may improve insulin sensitivity with its anti-inflammatory effects on skeletal muscle.
Citations