Comparative assessment of the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
BACKGROUND
The objective of the study was to estimate the most successful way of treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
A total of 87 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected for a three-month study. The patients were divided into three groups comprising 29 patients in each group, based upon the treatment regimen. Group 1 (BMI 32.3+/-3.6 kg/m(2)) was treated with glimepiride and metformin; group 2 (BMI 27.9+/-3.9) was treated with daily doses of insulin mixture 30/70 and bed-time NPH insulin; and group 3 (BMI 30.2+/-4.8) was treated with a combination of three daily doses of lispro and metformin. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of sex and age.


RESULTS
Initially, there were significant statistical differences in HbA1c (P=0.035) between the three groups (9.21%+/-1.72%; 9.21%+/-1.54%; and 10,0%+/-1.73%, respectively). After three months, there were no statistically significant differences in HbA1c (P=0.66) between the groups (8.52%+/-1.7%; 8.03%+/-1.05%; and 8.0%+/-0.63%, respectively). Decreases in HbA(1c) were significant in all groups, but most pronounced in patients treated with lispro and metformin (17% on average).


CONCLUSIONS
The study results suggest the need for establishing guidelines on how to treat type 2 diabetics.
Kokić
Slaven
S
Clinical Hospital Split-Krizine, Soltanska, Split, Croatia.
Radman
Maja
M
Capkun
Vesna
V
Dovzak-Kokić
Djurdja
D
Tesanović
Sanda
S