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Combining insulin with metformin or an insulin secretagogue in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes: 12 month, randomised, double blind trial

Lund, Soren S. ; Tarnow, Lise ; Frandsen, Merete ; Nielsen, Bente B. ; Hansen, Birgitte V. ; Pedersen, Oluf ; Parving, Hans-Henrik and Vaag, Allan LU (2009) In BMJ (International Edition) 339.
Abstract
Objectives To study the effect of insulin treatment in combination with metformin or an insulin secretagogue, repaglinide, on glycaemic regulation in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Design Randomised, double blind, double dummy, parallel trial. Setting Secondary care in Denmark between 2003 and 2006. Participants Non-obese patients (BMI <= 27) with preserved beta cell function. Interventions After a four month run-in period with repaglinide plus metformin combination therapy, patients with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) concentration of 6.5% or more were randomised to repaglinide 6 mg or metformin 2000 mg. All patients also received biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (30% soluble insulin aspart and 70% intermediate acting insulin... (More)
Objectives To study the effect of insulin treatment in combination with metformin or an insulin secretagogue, repaglinide, on glycaemic regulation in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Design Randomised, double blind, double dummy, parallel trial. Setting Secondary care in Denmark between 2003 and 2006. Participants Non-obese patients (BMI <= 27) with preserved beta cell function. Interventions After a four month run-in period with repaglinide plus metformin combination therapy, patients with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) concentration of 6.5% or more were randomised to repaglinide 6 mg or metformin 2000 mg. All patients also received biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (30% soluble insulin aspart and 70% intermediate acting insulin aspart) 6 units once a day before dinner for 12 months. Insulin dose was adjusted aiming for a fasting plasma glucose concentration of 4.0-6.0 mmol/l. The target of HbA(1c) concentration was less than 6.5%. Treatment was intensified to two or three insulin injections a day if glycaemic targets were not reached. Main outcome measure HbA(1c) concentration. Results Of the 459 patients who were eligible, 102 were randomised, and 97 completed the trial. Patients had had type 2 diabetes for approximately 10 years. At the end of treatment, HbA(1c) concentration was reduced by a similar amount in the two treatment groups (insulin plus metformin: mean (standard deviation) HbA(1c) 8.15% (1.32) v 6.72% (0.66); insulin plus repaglinide: 8.07% (1.49) v 6.90% (0.68); P=0.177). Total daily insulin dose and risk of hypoglycaemia were also similar in the two treatment groups. Weight gain was less with metformin plus biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 than with repaglinide plus biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (difference in mean body weight between treatments -2.51 kg, 95% confidence interval -4.07 to -0.95). Conclusions In non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes and poor glycaemic regulation on oral hypoglycaemic agents, overall glycaemic regulation with insulin in combination with metformin was equivalent to that with insulin plus repaglinide. Weight gain seemed less with insulin plus metformin than with insulin plus repaglinide. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BMJ (International Edition)
volume
339
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000271833700002
  • scopus:71749101285
ISSN
0959-8146
DOI
10.1136/bmj.b4324
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
698d4c51-1123-4529-be47-bfa678ea25eb (old id 1519585)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:36:04
date last changed
2024-03-27 06:35:17
@article{698d4c51-1123-4529-be47-bfa678ea25eb,
  abstract     = {{Objectives To study the effect of insulin treatment in combination with metformin or an insulin secretagogue, repaglinide, on glycaemic regulation in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Design Randomised, double blind, double dummy, parallel trial. Setting Secondary care in Denmark between 2003 and 2006. Participants Non-obese patients (BMI &lt;= 27) with preserved beta cell function. Interventions After a four month run-in period with repaglinide plus metformin combination therapy, patients with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) concentration of 6.5% or more were randomised to repaglinide 6 mg or metformin 2000 mg. All patients also received biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (30% soluble insulin aspart and 70% intermediate acting insulin aspart) 6 units once a day before dinner for 12 months. Insulin dose was adjusted aiming for a fasting plasma glucose concentration of 4.0-6.0 mmol/l. The target of HbA(1c) concentration was less than 6.5%. Treatment was intensified to two or three insulin injections a day if glycaemic targets were not reached. Main outcome measure HbA(1c) concentration. Results Of the 459 patients who were eligible, 102 were randomised, and 97 completed the trial. Patients had had type 2 diabetes for approximately 10 years. At the end of treatment, HbA(1c) concentration was reduced by a similar amount in the two treatment groups (insulin plus metformin: mean (standard deviation) HbA(1c) 8.15% (1.32) v 6.72% (0.66); insulin plus repaglinide: 8.07% (1.49) v 6.90% (0.68); P=0.177). Total daily insulin dose and risk of hypoglycaemia were also similar in the two treatment groups. Weight gain was less with metformin plus biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 than with repaglinide plus biphasic insulin aspart 70/30 (difference in mean body weight between treatments -2.51 kg, 95% confidence interval -4.07 to -0.95). Conclusions In non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes and poor glycaemic regulation on oral hypoglycaemic agents, overall glycaemic regulation with insulin in combination with metformin was equivalent to that with insulin plus repaglinide. Weight gain seemed less with insulin plus metformin than with insulin plus repaglinide.}},
  author       = {{Lund, Soren S. and Tarnow, Lise and Frandsen, Merete and Nielsen, Bente B. and Hansen, Birgitte V. and Pedersen, Oluf and Parving, Hans-Henrik and Vaag, Allan}},
  issn         = {{0959-8146}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ (International Edition)}},
  title        = {{Combining insulin with metformin or an insulin secretagogue in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes: 12 month, randomised, double blind trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b4324}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmj.b4324}},
  volume       = {{339}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}