Researchers from The GRADE Study Research Group have completed an important study that looks at how well different medications work when combined with metformin, the most common first treatment for type 2 diabetes.
This study was led by Dr. Henry Burch and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The goal of the research was to find out which of four approved diabetes medications could best help people manage their blood sugar levels when added to metformin. The four medications tested were sitagliptin, liraglutide, glimepiride, and insulin glargine U-100.
The study included 5,047 people from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. All participants were already using metformin to treat their diabetes. They were randomly placed into one of four groups, with each group receiving one of the additional medications.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of four years. They found that adding either liraglutide or insulin glargine to metformin helped people maintain healthy blood sugar levels longer than the other medications.
In fact, these two options helped control blood sugar for about six months longer than sitagliptin, which was the least effective.
One of the strengths of this study is that it included people of different ages, genders, races, and ethnic backgrounds. The results showed that the effectiveness of the medications was similar across all these groups, which means the findings can be useful for many different people with type 2 diabetes.
However, the study also pointed out a big challenge: nearly 75% of all participants could not keep their blood sugar levels in the target range for the full four years. This shows how hard it can be to manage type 2 diabetes over time and why we need to keep searching for better treatments.
The researchers also looked at how the medications affected heart health. They found that the group taking liraglutide had the lowest risk of developing heart problems. This means that liraglutide might offer extra benefits beyond just controlling blood sugar.
This large and diverse study gives us helpful information about which medication combinations are the most effective when used with metformin. It also shows that controlling diabetes long-term remains a difficult task, even with good treatment options.
More research is still needed, but this study is an important step toward better care for people with type 2 diabetes. Finding the right medication for each person can help improve their health and quality of life.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that flaxseed oil is more beneficial than fish oil to people with diabetes, and green tea could help reduce death risk in diabetes.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that blueberries strongly benefit people with metabolic syndrome, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
