This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Sitagliptin, insulin combination preserved beta-cell function in LADA
Patients diagnosed with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults demonstrated beta-cell preservation when administered sitagliptin and insulin compared with insulin alone, according to data.
“Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is a form of type 1 diabetes that comprises about 6% to 10% of patients initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. LADA is a good model for investigation of the effects of DPP-IV inhibition on beta-cell function in autoimmune diabetes,” researchers wrote. “LADA patients treated with the DPP-IV inhibitor sitagliptin had maintained beta-cell function, additional to any benefits from insulin alone.”
The study was carried out at the Second Xiangya Hospital in China and included 30 patients who were recently diagnosed with LADA. They were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to insulin therapy with sitagliptin (Januvia, Merck) 100 mg daily (group A, n=15) or insulin alone (group B, n=15) for 12 months.
The researchers collected fasting and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose samples at baseline and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of treatment. No differences were observed between groups at baseline.
At 12 months, data indicated that there were no significant differences in glucose and HbA1c levels between the two groups. Moreover, fasting C-peptide, 2-hour postprandial C-peptide and changes to C-peptide levels were not observed among patients assigned to group A (P>.05) compared with baseline.
Patients in group B displayed significantly decreased fasting C-peptide, 2-hour postprandial C-peptide and C-peptide vs. baseline (P<.05), according to data.
In addition, 2-hour C-peptide levels appeared higher among patients in group A compared with patients in group B at 12 months (P<.05), researchers wrote.
The combination therapy was well tolerated, and the incidence for adverse events was low, according to researchers.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.