DPP4i and GLP1Ra as effective as insulin for in-hospital management of diabetes: Study

Colombia: Inpatient management of type 2 diabetes patients in the general ward with GLP1Ra and DPP4i is equally safe and effective compared to insulin management, according to a recent review. The study was published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice on August 02, 2022. 

Insulin alone is recommended currently for in-hospital management of diabetes, but growing evidence suggests that new oral or injectable agents may be as safe and effective. María Juliana Soto-Chávez, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá, Colombia, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new oral and injectable antidiabetic drugs versus the usual insulin management, for the management of patients hospitalized in the general ward with type 2 diabetes mellitus. They synthesized and critically evaluate the evidence available in randomized and nonrandomized studies. 

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with evidence from randomized (RCT) and non-randomized (NRS) studies in online databases up to February 10, 2022. It included studies that included hospitalized type 2 diabetes patients, comparing dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4i), sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1Ra) with insulin alone for glycemic control and safety outcomes. A total of 7 RCTs and 3 NRTs were included.