title: Metformin decreases glycated albumin to glycated haemoglobin ratio in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To know whether metformin improves postprandial hyperglycaemia, we examined the effect of metformin on the glycated albumin (GA) to glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ratio (GA/HbA1c ratio) in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metformin and lifestyle interventions were initiated in 18 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Metformin was titrated to 1500 mg/day or maximum-tolerated dose. HbA1c and GA were measured every four weeks up to 24 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HbA1c decreased significantly from 9.0 ± 2.1% at baseline to 6.5 ± 0.9% at week 24, and GA decreased significantly from 24.3 ± 8.2% to 16.2 ± 3.1%. The GA/HbA1c ratio decreased significantly from 2.66 ± 0.37 at baseline to 2.47 ± 0.29 at week 24 (P<0.01), despite that the GA/HbA1c ratio reached a plateau value at week 16. The change in the GA/HbA1c ratio during 24 weeks (ΔGA/HbA1c ratio) was significantly correlated with both baseline HbA1c and GA. Moreover, the ΔGA/HbA1c ratio was significantly correlated with the change in GA during 24 weeks but not with the change in HbA1c.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metformin decreased the GA/HbA1c ratio in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. This suggests that metformin improves postprandial hyperglycaemia in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Preventive Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan sa_sumitani@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumitani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Utsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Bunzo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Center for Preventive Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nissay Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Soji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kawanishi City Hospital, Kawanishi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008687:Metformin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin
keywords: Glycated haemoglobin; glycated albumin; metformin; postprandial hyperglycaemia; type 2 diabetes