title: Clinical use of liraglutide in type 2 diabetes and its effects on cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has cardioprotective properties in addition to its glycemic effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records of 110 obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with liraglutide for at least 6 months between March 2010 and April 2011 at our tertiary care referral center. The variables analyzed were body mass index, hemoglobin A(1c) (A1C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, and serum lipids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our overall study cohort, we noted a reduction in mean weight from 120 ± 5 kg to 115 ± 3 kg and a decrease in mean A1C from 7.8% ± 0.6% to 7.2% ± 0.2%. The mean triglyceride concentration decreased from 173 ± 19 mg/dL to 151 ± 15 mg/dL, the mean SBP was reduced from 132 ± 6 mm Hg to 125 ± 4 mm Hg, and the mean CRP concentration declined from 4.7 ± 0.8 mg/L to 3.2 ± 0.4 mg/L after treatment with liraglutide for a minimal duration of 6 months and a mean duration of 7.5 months (for all the foregoing changes, P<.05). These variables decreased whether these patients were previously treated with orally administered hypoglycemic agents alone or in combination with insulin or exenatide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings in a clinical practice show that liraglutide is a potent antidiabetes drug, whether given in combination with orally administered agents or insulin or as a substitution for exenatide. It lowers body weight, A1C levels, SBP, and CRP and triglyceride concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, State University of New York and Kaleida Health, Buffalo, New York 14209, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varanasi
authors.forename: Pavan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makdissi
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhindsa
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Paresh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dandona
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D000069450:Liraglutide; D008499:Medical Records; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000819:agonists*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D000069450:Liraglutide; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; C000593833:GLP1R protein, human; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human