Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with metformin combining liraglutide or metformin combining insulin glargine

YAO Lu; TIAN Guo-xiang; WU Yun-tao; XIA Chang-quan; WANG Xiao-bing; ZHANG Wei

doi:10.3969/j.1674-4055.2015.01.31

Abstract：Objective To observe the curative effect and safety of metformin combining liraglutide or metformin combining insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who were treated with only metformin and plasma glucose was not controlled well. Methods The patients [n=40, male 28, female 12, aged from 34 to 70 and average age=(51.5±7.3)], treated with only metformin over 3 m and plasma glucose was not controlled well (HbA1c>7%), were chosen from Feb. 2012 to May 2013, and divided randomly into liraglutide group and insulin glargine group (each n=20) on the base of continuous treatment of metformin (≥1500 mg/d). After 12 w, the changes of glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 hour postprandial blood glucose (2hPBG), blood fat and body mass index (BMI) and occurrence of adverse reactions including hypoglycemia were compared between 2 groups before and after treatment. Results Compared with those before treatment, BMI [(28.32 ±0.35) kg/m2 vs. (26.75±1.10) kg/m2], FPG [(10.23±2.14) mmol/L vs. (7.06±1.09) mmol/L], 2hPBG [(14.68± 4.43) mmol/L vs. (9.35±1.84) mmol/L] and LDL-C [(2.76±0.97) mmol/L vs. (2.05±0.97) mmol/L, all P<0.05] decreased, and HbAlc decreased [(8.84±1.15)%vs. (7.34±0.66)%, P<0.01] in liraglutide group after treatment. Compared with those before treatment, FPG [(9.78±1.06) mmol/L vs. (6.72±1.58) mmol/L, all P<0.05] and HbAlc [(8.34±0.48)%vs. (7.44±0.28)%, P<0.01] decreased in insulin glargine group after treatment. After treatment, LDL-C decreased in liraglutide group compared with that in insulin glargine group (P<0.05). There was no case with hypoglycemia in 2 groups, and there were 3 cases with mild gastrointestinal reaction in liraglutide group. Conclusion Metformin combining liraglutide or insulin glargine, especially combining liraglutide, is effective and safe in patients with T2DM who were treated with only metformin and plasma glucose was not controlled well.