title: An open label comparative study of glimepiride versus repaglinide in type 2 diabetes mellitus Muslim subjects during the month of Ramadan.
abstract: This study was conducted to compare the treatment efficacy between a prandial glucose regulator, repaglinide and a new sulphonylurea, glimepiride in Muslim Type 2 diabetic patients who practice Ramadan fasting. Forty-one patients, previously treated with a sulphonylurea or metformin, were divided to receive either repaglinide (n=20, preprandially three-times daily) or glimepiride (n=21, preprandially once daily) 3 months before the month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, patients modified their eating pattern to two meals daily, and the triple doses of repaglinide were redistributed to two preprandial doses. Four point blood glucose monitoring were performed weekly during the month of Ramadan and the subsequent month. Measurements of the 4-point blood glucose were significantly lower in the glimepiride group compared to the repaglinide group both during and after Ramadan. The glycaemic excursion was better in the morning for the repaglinide group and better in the afternoon and evening for the glimepiride group during the Ramadan period. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of hypoglycaemia between the two groups during and after Ramadan. There was no difference in the glycaemic excursion post-Ramadan. The longer duration of action of glimepiride may offer an advantage over repaglinide during the 13.5 hours of fast in Ramadan for diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.forename: K Nor
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Azmi
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Hamidon
authors.forename: B A K
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Khalid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects*; D002219:Carbamates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002219:Carbamates; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; C072379:repaglinide; C057619:glimepiride