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Liraglutide enhances GLP-1 response in type 2 diabetes
In people with type 2 diabetes, liraglutide induces an enhanced endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 response to an oral glucose tolerance test, recent data indicate.
Ravi Retnakaran, MD, MSc, FRCPC, of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, Mount Sinai Hospital and associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto, and colleagues evaluated data from the LIBRA trial on 51 people with type 2 diabetes randomly assigned to liraglutide (Novo Nordisk; n = 26; median diabetes duration, 3 years) or placebo (n = 25; median diabetes duration, 1.5 years) to determine the effect of chronic liraglutide treatment on the endogenous GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide response to an oral glucose challenge.
Participants were assessed using an OGTT at baseline and at 12, 24, 36 and 48 weeks.
Both groups had similar responses to glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and no significant differences were found for area under the curve (AUC) GLP-1 at any visit.
However, the GLP-1 response to OGTT was enhanced in the liraglutide group as demonstrated by a twofold higher AUC GLP-1 at 12 weeks (P < .001), 24 weeks (P < .001), 36 weeks (P = .03) and 48 weeks (P = .03) compared with the placebo group.
“This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that chronic liraglutide therapy induces a previously unrecognized robust and durable enhancement of the endogenous GLP-1 response in patients who are early in the course of [type 2 diabetes],” Retnakaran told Endocrine Today. “The effect of chronic liraglutide therapy on L-cell physiology and endogenous GLP-1 responsivity potentially may hold relevance to the long-term implications of this antidiabetic therapy in patients. This novel findings highlights the need for further research to elucidate the impact of chronic exposure to GLP-1 agonists on L-cell physiology.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Ravi Retnakaran, MD, MSc, FRCPC, can be reached at ravi.retnakaran@sinaihealthsystem.ca.
Disclosure: Retnakaran reports financial ties with Novo Nordisk. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.