These two popular diabetes drugs outperformed others in new study

This study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers enrolled 5,047 people with type 2 diabetes who were already taking metformin.

Nearly two-thirds of the participants were identified as white, one-fifth black, and nearly one-fifth Hispanic or Latino.

This “multicultural patient base … helps us better understand how we can serve different groups in our community,” Shapiro said.

Researchers randomly assigned participants to receive one of four drugs along with metformin.

Sitagliptin, liraglutide, and glimepiride work by increasing insulin levels. Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin.

Researchers followed participants for an average of five years.

During this period, participants taking liraglutide or insulin glargine were able to achieve and maintain blood glucose levels within recommended ranges compared to participants taking sitagliptin or glimepiride.

Glargine was most effective in helping people maintain target blood sugar levels. Sitagliptin was the least effective.

Researchers found that the drug’s effects on blood sugar levels did not differ based on age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

However, people who started the study with higher blood sugar levels had “progressively worse metabolic outcomes” with sitagliptin compared to other treatments, the researchers said in the paper.

The results were published online on September 21st. New England Journal of Medicine As two papers, one is blood sugar result and about another cardiovascular outcomes.

The study also examined the effect of the drug on the risk of developing diabetes-related cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that people taking liraglutide had an overall lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those taking any of the other drugs.

Researchers also looked at the drug’s side effects and found that:

• Severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) was rare but occurred more frequently in people taking glimepiride. It is necessary to have “monitoring and management” by
• Gastrointestinal side effects were more common in those taking liraglutide compared to those taking other medications.

Additionally, those taking liraglutide or sitagliptin lost more weight (7.7 and 4.4 pounds, respectively) than those taking glargine or glimepiride (less than 2 pounds).

One limitation of this study was that it did not include a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes called SGLT2 inhibitors, which had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration at the time the study began.

Additionally, the researchers noted in their paper that participants’ medications were adjusted frequently during the trial, “which may not reflect the slow rate of medication adjustments in clinical settings.”

Still, the results of this study may help doctors and patients determine the best medication treatment for type 2 diabetes.

“For a long time we had the ‘gold standard’ of metformin and insulin,” Shapiro said. “Now we are moving forward to better understand how current medicines can help patients.”

In addition to prescription drugs, people can also help control blood sugar By eating well, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

“Diabetes is more than just a ‘sugar problem,’ we need to change the way we look at health,” Shapiro said. That’s why “a multifaceted approach is needed: healthy eating, moderate-intensity exercise, good sleep habits, and mental health support.”

Additionally, he believes the community can benefit from the service. community health worker — in Spanish promoter Also promoter — People who can help guide patients to good health.

“Drugs are an important part of the conversation, but we can’t forget that we live complicated lives,” he said.