title: Exenatide improves glycemic variability assessed by continuous glucose monitoring in subjects with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Daily glycemic fluctuation leads to development of long-term complications. The aim of our pilot study was to determine if exenatide reduces glycemic variability, assessed with a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, compared with glimepiride.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled six consecutive subjects with type 2 diabetes, for whom exenatide was suggested as second-line treatment, and six control subjects, for whom glimepiride was suggested as second-line treatment. CGM was performed at baseline and after 16 weeks of treatment. As measures of glycemic variability we calculated the total daily mean glucose (MG), SD, and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exenatide significantly reduced MG, SD, and MAGE, whereas glimepiride did not. Fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin were lowered in both groups, even if the reduction was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exenatide can reduce glycemic variability compared with glimepiride, providing additional beneficial effects in controlling glucose homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Græcia, Viale Europa, Località Germaneto, Catanzaro, Italy. irace@unicz.it
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irace
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carallo
authors.forename: Faustina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scavelli
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnasso
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077270:Exenatide; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014688:Venoms / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D000077270:Exenatide; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; D014688:Venoms; C057619:glimepiride