Liraglutide administration in type 2 diabetic patients who either received no previous treatment or were treated with an oral hypoglycemic agent showed greater efficacy than that in patients switching from insulin.
OBJECTIVE
Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, is expected to provide a new treatment option for diabetes. However, the suitable timing of liraglutide administration in type 2 diabetic patients has not yet been clarified.


METHODS
We reviewed type 2 diabetic patients (n = 155) who visited the Osaka Red Cross Hospital for glycemic control, with administration of liraglutide at a dose of 0.6 mg (average glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] level, 8.7 ± 0.1%). The effect of liraglutide based on the pretreatment status was compared. We also analyzed the background factors of both a successful and failed group of patients who switched to liraglutide from insulin.


RESULTS
An improvement in blood glucose levels was confirmed in 122 of 155 patients. During the 4-month observation period, the improvement in HbA1c levels was significantly greater in the group of drug-naïve/previous oral hypoglycemic agent (9.1 ± 0.2 to 7.2 ± 0.2%) than that in the group switching from insulin (8.6 ± 0.2 to 7.8 ± 0.2%). In addition, C-peptide immunoreactivity levels (fasting > 2.2 ng/mL; delta >1.6 ng/mL; urine > 70 μg/day), younger age and a smaller number of insulin units used per day were considered important when deciding on switching to liraglutide from insulin.


CONCLUSIONS
Liraglutide was more effective in patients who had not been treated previously or received oral hypoglycemic agents than in patients switching from insulin. With respect to switching to liraglutide from insulin, the most important factors to be considered were C-peptide immunoreactivity levels, age, and the number of insulin units used per day.
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Takuo
T
Nambu
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Yuki
Y
Matsuda
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Koji
K
Matsuo
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Yugo
Y
Kanai
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Shin
S
Yonemitsu
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Seiji
S
Muro
Department of Diabetes Mellitus and Endocrinology Osaka Red Cross Hospital Osaka Japan.
Shogo
S
Oki
Glucagon‐like peptide‐1; Incretin; Type 2 diabetes