GLP 1 receptor agonist and insulin combo improves blood sugar, body weight in type 2 diabetes
Bosnia and Herzegovina: In type 2 diabetes patients treated with premix insulin, switching to IDegLira (a fixed combination of GLP 1 receptor agonist and insulin) improved metabolic control, says a recent study.
The study, published in Medical Archives, showed that switching patients from a complex insulin regimen to IDegLira resulted in a significant improvement in postprandial glucose, fasting glucose, body mass index, and HbA1c in comparison to increases in insulin dose. The results were attained with a significantly lower daily insulin dose.
Previous studies have shown IDegLira( fixed combination of GLP 1 receptor agonist and insulin) to be effective in improving glucoregulation in patients previously treated with oral therapy as well as individual components, GLP-1 receptor agonist or basal insulin. Amela Dizdarevic Bostandzic Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. and colleagues, therefore, aimed to investigate the parameters of metabolic control in patients treated with IDegLira who were previously treated with premix insulin in several daily doses and to compare them with patients whose premix insulin dose was increased.
The study included 100 patients who were previously treated with two or three daily doses of premix insulin. Half of the patients were switched to IdegLira( group I), and the half (group II) had their insulin dose increased according to the clinical assessment of the physician. Measurement of 2h postprandial glucose, fasting glucose, HbA1c, BMI, and insulin dose were done at baseline and at follow-up after 6 months.
Based on the study, the researchers reported the following findings:
- Patients treated with IDegLira compared to patients whose insulin dose was increased achieved significantly lower fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, HbA1c, and BMI with a significantly lower insulin dose.
- Comparison of the same parameters within the groups of patients at the beginning and after 6 months showed that patients who were switched from insulin premix to IDegLira achieved significantly lower fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose, HbA1c, BMI with significantly lower insulin dose within the fixed combination.
- Patients with gradually increased insulin dose achieved a significant reduction in fasting glucose and postprandial glucose, but with a significantly higher insulin dose.
- There was also a slight increase in BMI that was not statistically significant.
"Findings suggest that switching patients from a complex insulin regimen to a fixed combination degludec/liraglutide results in significant improvement in postprandial glycemia, fasting glycemia, HbA1c, and decreased BMI," the researchers wrote. "The results were achieved with a significantly lower daily dose of insulin."
Reference:
Bostandzic, Amela Dizdarevic, et al. "IDegLira Improves Metabolic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Previously Treated With Premix Insulin." Medical Archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), vol. 76, no. 2, 2022, pp. 96-100.
