A group of scientists from The GRADE Study Research Group compared four different drugs used for treating type 2 diabetes.
The results showed that insulin glargine and liraglutide were the best at maintaining the right blood sugar levels.
Importance of Blood Glucose Management
Maintaining the right blood sugar level is critical for people with type 2 diabetes. The four drugs tested were all used along with metformin, which is the primary drug for treating this condition.
About the Study
The team looked at four major FDA-approved diabetes drugs. These drugs were used together with metformin.
The study involved 5,047 people with type 2 diabetes from different racial and ethnic groups. All these people were already taking metformin. They were then divided into four groups.
Three groups took metformin along with a drug that increased insulin levels. These drugs were sitagliptin, liraglutide, or glimepiride.
The fourth group took metformin and insulin glargine U-100, which is a type of long-acting insulin.
Study Results
After tracking these people for an average of four years, the results were clear.
Those who took metformin along with liraglutide or insulin glargine had their blood sugar at the right level for the longest time. They did better than the ones who used sitagliptin or glimepiride.
Those who used liraglutide or insulin glargine had their blood sugar levels in the target range for about six more months than those who used sitagliptin. This drug was the least effective at maintaining the right blood sugar levels.
The study also found that the effects of treatment didn’t depend on age, sex, race, or ethnicity. None of the drug combinations was vastly superior to the others.
However, managing blood sugar levels was still a challenge. Almost three-quarters of all participants couldn’t maintain the right blood sugar level over four years.
This shows how hard it is to keep blood sugar at the right level in many people with type 2 diabetes.
What’s Next?
According to the researchers, the study shows which drugs work best over time. But they said there’s more work to do. They want to find better strategies for keeping blood sugar levels right in the long term.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk
The study also looked at the risk of getting heart disease related to diabetes. The researchers found that those who used liraglutide were least likely to get any heart disease compared to the other groups.
If you’re interested in diabetes, there are more studies you can read. These include studies on a cure for type 2 diabetes and how certain vegetables can protect against kidney damage in diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the sleep problem linked to vision loss in people with diabetes, and this drug may prevent kidney failure in people with diabetes.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that blueberries strongly benefit people with metabolic syndrome, and results showing Vitamin D may reduce dangerous complications in type 2 diabetes.
The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine and led by Dr. Henry Burch.
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