A new study from the University of North Carolina has found which medications work best at lowering blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes.
These findings can help doctors and patients choose the right treatment when metformin, the most common diabetes drug, is no longer enough.
Type 2 diabetes happens when the body can’t use insulin properly or doesn’t make enough of it. This causes blood sugar to rise, which can damage the heart, kidneys, nerves, and other organs if not controlled. Metformin is usually the first drug used to help lower blood sugar, but sometimes more medication is needed.
In this study, about 5,000 people with type 2 diabetes were split into four groups. Each group took metformin plus one of these four drugs: glimepiride, sitagliptin, insulin glargine, or liraglutide.
Glimepiride helps the pancreas make more insulin. Sitagliptin helps the body release more insulin and reduce sugar made in the liver. Insulin glargine is a daily insulin injection. Liraglutide is another injection that acts like a natural hormone to control blood sugar.
The researchers found that liraglutide and insulin glargine were the best at keeping blood sugar in the target range. This was measured using A1C tests, which show average blood sugar levels over 2 to 3 months. The goal for most people with diabetes is to keep A1C below 7%.
Both liraglutide and insulin glargine were better than glimepiride and sitagliptin at hitting this target. Sitagliptin was the least effective. The difference was especially clear in people who started with very high blood sugar levels. This suggests that liraglutide and insulin work better for people who need stronger blood sugar control.
The study also looked at weight changes. People taking liraglutide or sitagliptin lost more weight than those taking glimepiride. Those on insulin glargine kept their weight about the same. Weight control is important because extra weight can make diabetes harder to manage.
But liraglutide did have more side effects. Some people felt sick, had stomach pain, or diarrhea. Still, liraglutide may help prevent heart attacks and strokes, which are common in people with diabetes.
Glimepiride was linked to a slightly higher risk of very low blood sugar, which can be dangerous. Symptoms of low blood sugar include dizziness, confusion, or even fainting if not treated quickly.
These results are helpful for making treatment decisions. If metformin doesn’t work well enough, adding liraglutide or insulin glargine might be a better choice than the other two drugs, especially for people with high blood sugar or heart disease risk.
Doctors can also choose based on a person’s weight goals or how well they handle side effects. This study shows how important it is to choose the right combination of medications to keep diabetes under control and avoid serious problems.
In summary, while metformin is still the main treatment, liraglutide and insulin glargine appear to be the most effective next steps. They help lower blood sugar better and may reduce other health risks too.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and to people with diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
For more health information, please see recent studies that low calorie diets may help reverse diabetes, and 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes.
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