Researchers from The GRADE Study Research Group have completed an important study to find out how well different medications work when added to metformin, the usual first treatment for type 2 diabetes. Dr. Henry Burch led the study, and it was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The researchers compared four different medicines, all approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to see which ones worked best with metformin to control blood sugar levels.
The study included 5,047 people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone was already taking metformin to help manage their diabetes. Participants were randomly divided into four groups, with each group getting one of the following medications in addition to their metformin: sitagliptin, liraglutide, glimepiride, or insulin glargine U-100.
Over about four years, the researchers checked how well each combination controlled blood sugar. They found that people who took either liraglutide or insulin glargine with metformin were able to keep their blood sugar levels within the target range for the longest time.
On average, these two treatments kept blood sugar controlled for about six months longer than sitagliptin, which was the least effective of the four medications.
One important part of this study was that it included a wide mix of people—different ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. The good news is that the results were consistent across all these different groups. This means the findings can likely help many different people with type 2 diabetes.
However, the study also showed how difficult it is to manage diabetes over the long term. Even with the best treatments, nearly 75% of participants could not keep their blood sugar within the target range after four years. This shows that managing type 2 diabetes is very challenging and that there is a need for even better treatment options in the future.
The researchers also looked at heart health because people with diabetes are at a higher risk for heart problems. They found that people who took liraglutide had the lowest risk of developing heart-related issues. This means that liraglutide not only helped with blood sugar but also helped protect the heart, making it a very good option for some patients.
This large and important study gives doctors and patients helpful information about which medications to choose after metformin if blood sugar levels are still too high. It shows that liraglutide and insulin glargine are strong choices for helping people keep their blood sugar under control for longer. It also highlights the extra heart health benefits of liraglutide.
Still, because so many people struggled to keep their diabetes under control over time, more research is needed to find even better ways to manage the disease. This study is a big step forward, but the search for better treatments continues, aiming to improve life for everyone living with type 2 diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
