title: Is a switch from insulin therapy to liraglutide possible in Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the efficacy of switching from insulin to the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 231 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus being treated with liraglutide for the first time. For 161 patients, liraglutide was continued for 24 weeks (continuation group), and for 70 patients, liraglutide was discontinued before 24 weeks (discontinuation group). Fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, HbA1c, body weight, and insulin dose were evaluated before the switch to liraglutide (baseline) and at 12 and 24 weeks of administration. Trends in HbA1c and weight were compared at 12 and 24 weeks of administration. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify clinical factors predicting a successful switch to liraglutide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple regression analysis with ΔHbA1c as the dependent variable in the continuation group indicated that HbA1c at 12 weeks of administration decreased with higher baseline HbA1c and increased with higher baseline daily insulin doses. Multiple regression analysis with Δweight as the dependent variable indicated that Δweight at 24 weeks of liraglutide administration was higher with higher baseline daily insulin doses and longer duration of diabetes. Based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, cut-off values of 19 units for daily insulin dose and nine years for duration of diabetes were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Switching from insulin to liraglutide therapy is possible for carefully selected patients. Daily insulin dosage and duration of insulin therapy appear to be clinically useful indicators for the efficacy of liraglutide therapy.
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan ; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 216-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amamiya
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneshige
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Fuyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minagawa
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iemitsu
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Mizuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneshiro
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsurou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takuma
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mokubo
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Machimura
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obana
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Yokohama City University Medical Center, 4-57 Urafune-cho, Minami-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 232-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terauchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimkasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-11, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 216-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: The Study Group of the Diabetes Committee, Kanagawa Physicians Association, 3F Kanagawa-ken Sogo Iryo Kaikan, 3-1 Fujimi-cho, Naka-ward, Yokohama-city, Kanagawa 231-0037, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsuba
keywords: GLP-1 receptor agonist; HbA1c; Hypoglycemia; Liraglutide; Type 2 diabetes mellitus