Metformin and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention.

IN BRIEF Metformin, an established therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, has demonstrated safety and effectiveness in the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes in people at high risk. The Diabetes Prevention Program randomized clinical trial demonstrated that intensive lifestyle intervention and metformin therapy reduced progression to diabetes by 58 and 31%, respectively, compared to placebo in people at risk of type 2 diabetes. Although lifestyle intervention was beneficial in all groups, metformin had a selectively greater effect in those who were more obese, had a higher fasting glucose, had a history of gestational diabetes, or were younger. Long-term effects included an 18% diabetes reduction with metformin compared to placebo over 15 years, a reduction in microvascular complications among those who did not progress to diabetes (without difference among treatment arms), and suggestion by coronary calcium assessment of a possible impact on atherosclerosis in men. Although long-term follow-up to assess later-stage outcomes is underway, current efforts to address gaps in evidence and translation remain of significant public health interest.

Pioglitazone for diabetes prevention in impaired glucose tolerance.

BACKGROUND: Impaired glucose tolerance is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease and conversion to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Interventions that may prevent or delay such occurrences are of great clinical importance. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to examine whether pioglitazone can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults with impaired glucose tolerance. A total of 602 patients were randomly assigned to receive pioglitazone or placebo. The median follow-up period was 2.4 years. Fasting glucose was measured quarterly, and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed annually. Conversion to diabetes was confirmed on the basis of the results of repeat testing. RESULTS: Annual incidence rates for type 2 diabetes mellitus were 2.1% in the pioglitazone group and 7.6% in the placebo group, and the hazard ratio for conversion to diabetes in the pioglitazone group was 0.28 (95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.49; P<0.001). Conversion to normal glucose tolerance occurred in 48% of the patients in the pioglitazone group and 28% of those in the placebo group (P<0.001). Treatment with pioglitazone as compared with placebo was associated with significantly reduced levels of fasting glucose (a decrease of 11.7 mg per deciliter vs. 8.1 mg per deciliter [0.7 mmol per liter vs. 0.5 mmol per liter], P<0.001), 2-hour glucose (a decrease of 30.5 mg per deciliter vs. 15.6 mg per deciliter [1.6 mmol per liter vs. 0.9 mmol per liter], P<0.001), and HbA(1c) (a decrease of 0.04 percentage points vs. an increase of 0.20 percentage points, P<0.001). Pioglitazone therapy was also associated with a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (by 2.0 mm Hg vs. 0.0 mm Hg, P=0.03), a reduced rate of carotid intima-media thickening (31.5%, P=0.047), and a greater increase in the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (by 7.35 mg per deciliter vs. 4.5 mg per deciliter [0.4 mmol per liter vs. 0.3 mmol per liter], P=0.008). Weight gain was greater with pioglitazone than with placebo (3.9 kg vs. 0.77 kg, P<0.001), and edema was more frequent (12.9% vs. 6.4%, P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: As compared with placebo, pioglitazone reduced the risk of conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes mellitus by 72% but was associated with significant weight gain and edema. (Funded by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00220961.).

Diabetic kidney disease: a report from an ADA Consensus Conference.

The incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus have grown significantly throughout the world, due primarily to the increase in type 2 diabetes. This overall increase in the number of people with diabetes has had a major impact on development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), one of the most frequent complications of both types of diabetes. DKD is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), accounting for approximately 50% of cases in the developed world. Although incidence rates for ESRD attributable to DKD have recently stabilized, these rates continue to rise in high-risk groups such as middle-aged African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics. The costs of care for people with DKD are extraordinarily high. In the Medicare population alone, DKD-related expenditures among this mostly older group were nearly $25 billion in 2011. Due to the high human and societal costs, the Consensus Conference on Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes was convened by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation to appraise issues regarding patient management, highlighting current practices and new directions. Major topic areas in DKD included (1) identification and monitoring, (2) cardiovascular disease and management of dyslipidemia, (3) hypertension and use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade and mineralocorticoid receptor blockade, (4) glycemia measurement, hypoglycemia, and drug therapies, (5) nutrition and general care in advanced-stage chronic kidney disease, (6) children and adolescents, and (7) multidisciplinary approaches and medical home models for health care delivery. This current state summary and research recommendations are designed to guide advances in care and the generation of new knowledge that will meaningfully improve life for people with DKD.

Pioglitazone slows progression of atherosclerosis in prediabetes independent of changes in cardiovascular risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether changes in standard and novel risk factors during the Actos Now for Prevention of Diabetes trial explained the slower rate of carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) progression with pioglitazone treatment in persons with prediabetes. METHODS AND RESULTS: CIMT was measured in 382 participants at the beginning and up to 3 additional times during follow-up of the Actos Now for Prevention of Diabetes trial. During an average follow-up of 2.3 years, the mean unadjusted annual rate of CIMT progression was significantly (P=0.01) lower with pioglitazone treatment (4.76×10(-3) mm/year; 95% CI: 2.39×10(-3)-7.14×10(-3) mm/year) compared with placebo (9.69×10(-3) mm/year; 95% CI: 7.24×10(-3)-12.15×10(-3) mm/year). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting and 2-hour glucose, HbA(1c), fasting insulin, Matsuda insulin sensitivity index, adiponectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels improved significantly with pioglitazone treatment compared with placebo (P<0.001). However, the effect of pioglitazone on CIMT progression was not attenuated by multiple methods of adjustment for traditional, metabolic, and inflammatory risk factors and concomitant medications, and was independent of changes in risk factors during pioglitazone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Pioglitazone slowed progression of CIMT, independent of improvement in hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and systemic inflammation in prediabetes. These results suggest a possible direct vascular benefit of pioglitazone.

Gestational diabetes: implications for cardiovascular health.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication that is becoming more prevalent with recent population trends in obesity and advancing maternal age. A diagnosis of GDM not only increases risk for maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy, but also significantly increases a woman's risk of both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the postpartum. Even women with milder forms of abnormal glucose homeostasis during pregnancy, specifically gestational impaired glucose tolerance, are at increased risk, justifying the recent recommendation to tighten the diagnostic criteria for GDM, thus implicating many more women. Risk factors that increase risk for future CVD among women with a history of GDM include postpartum progression to T2DM; metabolic syndrome; obesity; hypertension; and altered levels of circulating inflammatory markers, specifically, adiponectin, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Medical therapies such as metformin that prevent progression to T2DM may prove to be our primary defense against earlier CVD among women with GDM.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Effectiveness of a Metabolic Health Telemedicine Intervention for Weight Loss: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic public health measures such as stay-at-home and mandatory work-from-home orders have been associated with obesogenic lifestyle changes, increased risk of weight gain, and their metabolic sequelae. We sought to assess the impact of this pandemic on weight loss from a telemedicine-delivered very-low-carbohydrate intervention targeting nutritional ketosis (NKI). Methods: A total of 746 patients with a BMI ≥25kg/m2, enrolled between January and March 2020 and treated for at least 1 year with the NKI, were classified as pandemic cohort (PC). A separate cohort of 699 patients who received 1 year of the NKI in the preceding years, enrolled between January and March 2018, were identified as pre-pandemic cohort (Pre-PC). Demographic and clinical data were obtained from medical records to compare the cohorts and assess the outcomes. Using propensity score matching (PSM), balanced and matched groups of 407 patients in the Pre-PC and 407 patients in the PC were generated. Longitudinal change in absolute weight and percentage weight change from baseline to 1 year were assessed. Results: Weight significantly decreased in both PC and Pre-PC at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The weight loss trajectory was similar in both PC and Pre-PC with no significant weight differences between the two cohorts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. On an average, the PC lost 7.5% body weight while the Pre-PC lost 7.9% over 1 year, and the percent weight loss did not differ between the two cohorts (p = 0.50). Conclusion: A very-low-carbohydrate telemedicine intervention delivered comparable and medically significant weight loss independent of pandemic stress and lifestyle limitations.

Effect of rosiglitazone on progression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease: the assessment on the prevention of progression by rosiglitazone on atherosclerosis in diabetes patients with cardiovascular history trial.

BACKGROUND: Rosiglitazone has several properties that may affect progression of atherosclerosis. The Assessment on the Prevention of Progression by Rosiglitazone on Atherosclerosis in Diabetes Patients With Cardiovascular History (APPROACH) study was undertaken to determine the effect of the thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone on coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by intravascular ultrasound compared with the sulfonylurea glipizide. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled 18-month study in 672 patients aged 30 to 80 years with established type 2 diabetes mellitus treated by lifestyle, 1 oral agent, or submaximal doses of 2 oral agents who had at least 1 atherosclerotic plaque with 10% to 50% luminal narrowing in a coronary artery that had not undergone intervention during a clinically indicated coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary outcome was change in percent atheroma volume in the longest and least angulated epicardial coronary artery that had not undergone intervention. Secondary outcomes included change in normalized total atheroma volume and change in total atheroma volume in the most diseased baseline 10-mm segment. Rosiglitazone did not significantly reduce the primary outcome of percent atheroma volume compared with glipizide (-0.64%; 95% confidence interval, -1.46 to 0.17; P=0.12). The secondary outcome of normalized total atheroma volume was significantly reduced by rosiglitazone compared with glipizide (-5.1 mm(3); 95% confidence interval, -10.0 to -0.3; P=0.04); however, no significant difference between groups was observed for the change in total atheroma volume within the most diseased baseline 10-mm segment (-1.7 mm(3); 95% confidence interval, -3.9 to 0.5; P=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: Rosiglitazone did not significantly decrease the primary end point of progression of coronary atherosclerosis more than glipizide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary atherosclerosis. Clinical Trial Registration- http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT00116831.

Cardiovascular safety of exenatide BID: an integrated analysis from controlled clinical trials in participants with type 2 diabetes.

UNLABELLED: It is important for patients that treatments for diabetes not increase cardiovascular (CV) risk. The objective of this analysis was to examine retrospectively the CV safety of exenatide BID, a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for treating hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes not adequately controlled with diet and exercise. Individual participant data was pooled to assess the relative risk (RR) of CV events with exenatide BID versus a pooled comparator (PC) group treated with either placebo or insulin from 12 controlled, randomized, clinical trials ranging from 12-52 weeks. Mean baseline values for HbA1c (8.33-8.38%), BMI (31.3-31.5 kg/m2), and duration of diabetes (8 y) were similar between groups. Trials included patients with histories of microvascular and/or macrovascular disease. Customized primary major adverse CV events (MACE) included stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiac mortality, acute coronary syndrome, and revascularization procedures. The Primary MACE RR (0.7; 95% CI 0.38, 1.31), calculated by the Mantel-Haenszel method (stratified by study), suggested that exenatide use (vs. PC) did not increase CV risk; this result was consistent across multiple analytic methods. Because the trials were not designed to assess CV outcomes, events were identified retrospectively from a list of preferred terms by physicians blinded to treatment. Other limitations included the low number of CV events, the short duration of trials (≤1 y), and a single active comparator (insulin). The results of these analyses are consistent with those of a recent retrospective analysis of a large insurance database that found that patients treated with exenatide twice daily were less likely to have a CV event than were patients treated with other glucose-lowering therapies. KEYWORDS: GLP-1 receptor agonist, diabetes, cardiovascular safety.

The safety and tolerability of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a review.

Although several classes of pharmacotherapy are available for type 2 diabetes, glycaemic control is often hampered by medication-related adverse effects and contraindications such as renal impairment. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists provide a new pharmacotherapeutic option based on the multiple glucose-lowering effects of the human hormone GLP-1. This mechanism of action not only provides therapeutic efficacy but also suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists have distinct safety and tolerability concerns compared with other diabetes therapies. Stimulation of pancreatic insulin secretion by GLP-1 receptor agonists is glucose dependent, conferring a lesser risk of hypoglycaemia than that seen with sulfonylureas. Individual GLP-1 receptor agonists differ in their metabolism and excretion profiles, affecting the choice of agent for patients with renal impairment. As with other protein-based therapies, GLP-1 receptor agonists may induce the formation of antibodies that may attenuate therapeutic efficacy and affect safety. Conclusions on cardiovascular safety must await outcomes studies, but at present no signal of harm has been reported, and preclinical data and effects on risk markers suggest a potential for benefit. Current data on thyroid medullary cancer in humans and pancreatic malignancy in rodents do not suggest that there is any reason to restrict the clinical use of GLP-1 analogues in most people with diabetes. It is currently difficult to ascertain the possible contributory role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in increasing the risk of pancreatitis, and vigilance for signs and symptoms is prudent. Primary tolerability issues include transient gastrointestinal symptoms, common with GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can be reduced through dose titration.

Should the metabolic syndrome patient with prediabetes be offered pharmacotherapy?

Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance reflect perturbations in glucose metabolism and define a prediabetic state in which risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increased. There is overlap between prediabetes and the metabolic syndrome, which itself increases the risk for T2DM and cardiovascular disease. The utility of medical interventions to prevent progression to diabetes in prediabetic individuals, many of whom also manifest metabolic syndrome, has been examined in several large clinical trials. Intensive lifestyle intervention consistently results in drastic reductions in the incidence of T2DM and reversal of metabolic syndrome. Additionally, pharmacotherapies-including metformin, acarbose, thiazolidinediones, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, and renin-angiotensin inhibitors-also reduce diabetes incidence with variable effects on metabolic syndrome components. Taken together, we recommend that prediabetic patients undergo intensive lifestyle intervention, with the addition of pharmacotherapy based on the presence of specific features of the metabolic syndrome, for diabetes prevention.

Liraglutide versus glimepiride monotherapy for type 2 diabetes (LEAD-3 Mono): a randomised, 52-week, phase III, double-blind, parallel-treatment trial.

BACKGROUND: New treatments for type 2 diabetes mellitus are needed to retain insulin-glucose coupling and lower the risk of weight gain and hypoglycaemia. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of liraglutide as monotherapy for this disorder. METHODS: In a double-blind, double-dummy, active-control, parallel-group study, 746 patients with early type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to once daily liraglutide (1.2 mg [n=251] or 1.8 mg [n=247]) or glimepiride 8 mg (n=248) for 52 weeks. The primary outcome was change in proportion of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)). Analysis was done by intention-to-treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NTC00294723. FINDINGS: At 52 weeks, HbA(1c) decreased by 0.51% (SD 1.20%) with glimepiride, compared with 0.84% (1.23%) with liraglutide 1.2 mg (difference -0.33%; 95% CI -0.53 to -0.13, p=0.0014) and 1.14% (1.24%) with liraglutide 1.8 mg (-0.62; -0.83 to -0.42, p<0.0001). Five patients in the liraglutide 1.2 mg, and one in 1.8 mg groups discontinued treatment because of vomiting, whereas none in the glimepiride group did so. INTERPRETATION: Liraglutide is safe and effective as initial pharmacological therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus and leads to greater reductions in HbA(1c), weight, hypoglycaemia, and blood pressure than does glimepiride.

Redefining Hypoglycemia in Clinical Trials: Validation of Definitions Recently Adopted by the American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the International Hypoglycaemia Study Group (IHSG) level 2 low glucose definition can identify clinically relevant hypoglycemia in clinical trials and offer value as an end point for future trials. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A post hoc analysis was performed of the SWITCH (SWITCH 1: n = 501, type 1 diabetes; SWITCH 2: n = 721, type 2 diabetes) and DEVOTE (n = 7,637, type 2 diabetes) trials utilizing the IHSG low glucose definitions. Patients in all trials were randomized to either insulin degludec or insulin glargine 100 units/mL. In the main analysis, the following definitions were compared: 1) American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2005 (plasma glucose [PG] confirmed ≤3.9 mmol/L with symptoms); and 2) IHSG level 2 (PG confirmed <3.0 mmol/L, independent of symptoms). RESULTS: In SWITCH 2, the estimated rate ratios of hypoglycemic events indicated increasing differences between treatments with decreasing PG levels until 3.0 mmol/L, following which no additional treatment differences were observed. Similar results were observed for the SWITCH 1 trial. In SWITCH 2, the IHSG level 2 definition produced a rate ratio that was lower than the ADA 2005 definition. CONCLUSIONS: The IHSG level 2 definition was validated in a series of clinical trials, demonstrating its ability to discriminate between basal insulins. This definition is therefore recommended to be uniformly adopted by regulatory bodies and used in future clinical trials.

Effects of therapy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus with a peptide derived from islet neogenesis associated protein (INGAP).

BACKGROUND: Islet neogenesis associated protein (INGAP) has beta cell regenerating effects in experimental models. METHODS: Subjects with T1DM (N = 63) and T2DM (N = 126) received 300 or 600 mg/day of INGAP peptide in a 90 day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. RESULTS: In T1DM, on-treatment Arginine-stimulated C-peptide (AUC(0-30)) significantly increased from baseline in the 600 mg group (p = 0.0058 versus placebo); no significant changes were seen in the 300 mg group. In T2DM, stimulated C-peptide was significantly better preserved in the 600 mg group compared to placebo at day 120, 30 days after washout (p = 0.031 versus placebo), but did not reach statistical significance during treatment or in the 300 mg group. In T2DM, A1C decreased significantly more in the 600 mg group compared to placebo at day 90 (-0.94% versus -0.47%, respectively, p = 0.009) and day 120, 30 days after washout (-0.73% versus -0.24%, respectively, p = 0.013). This was accompanied by significant reductions in mean glucose. No difference from placebo was detected in the 300 mg group or in T1DM. Injection site reactions were the most common adverse event, occurring in 8 (36%) of placebo, 19 (90%) of 300 mg, and 15 (75%) of 600 mg groups (T1DM) and 14 (33%) of placebo, 27 (64%) of 300 mg, and 29 (69%) of 600 mg groups (T2DM). CONCLUSIONS: INGAP peptide increases C-peptide secretion in T1DM and improves glycaemic control in T2DM. Longer-term exposure, more frequent dosing, better tolerated formulations or combination with other therapies may be necessary to achieve optimal clinical response.

Actos Now for the prevention of diabetes (ACT NOW) study.

BACKGROUND: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is a prediabetic state. If IGT can be prevented from progressing to overt diabetes, hyperglycemia-related complications can be avoided. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether pioglitazone (ACTOS) can prevent progression of IGT to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a prospective randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial. METHODS/DESIGN: 602 IGT subjects were identified with OGTT (2-hour plasma glucose = 140-199 mg/dl). In addition, IGT subjects were required to have FPG = 95-125 mg/dl and at least one other high risk characteristic. Prior to randomization all subjects had measurement of ankle-arm blood pressure, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, HbA1C, lipid profile and a subset had frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT), DEXA, and ultrasound determination of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Following this, subjects were randomized to receive pioglitazone (45 mg/day) or placebo, and returned every 2-3 months for FPG determination and annually for OGTT. Repeat carotid IMT measurement was performed at 18 months and study end. Recruitment took place over 24 months, and subjects were followed for an additional 24 months. At study end (48 months) or at time of diagnosis of diabetes the OGTT, FSIVGTT, DEXA, carotid IMT, and all other measurements were repeated.Primary endpoint is conversion of IGT to T2DM based upon FPG >or= 126 or 2-hour PG >or= 200 mg/dl. Secondary endpoints include whether pioglitazone can: (i) improve glycemic control (ii) enhance insulin sensitivity, (iii) augment beta cell function, (iv) improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease, (v) cause regression/slow progression of carotid IMT, (vi) revert newly diagnosed diabetes to normal glucose tolerance. CONCLUSION: ACT NOW is designed to determine if pioglitazone can prevent/delay progression to diabetes in high risk IGT subjects, and to define the mechanisms (improved insulin sensitivity and/or enhanced beta cell function) via which pioglitazone exerts its beneficial effect on glucose metabolism to prevent/delay onset of T2DM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinical trials.gov identifier: NCT00220961.

Cardiac outcomes after screening for asymptomatic coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: the DIAD study: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes. But the utility of screening patients with type 2 diabetes for asymptomatic CAD is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether routine screening for CAD identifies patients with type 2 diabetes as being at high cardiac risk and whether it affects their cardiac outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: The Detection of Ischemia in Asymptomatic Diabetics (DIAD) study is a randomized controlled trial in which 1123 participants with type 2 diabetes and no symptoms of CAD were randomly assigned to be screened with adenosine-stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) or not to be screened. Participants were recruited from diabetes clinics and practices and prospectively followed up from August 2000 to September 2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: The cumulative cardiac event rate was 2.9% over a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.8 (0.9) years for an average of 0.6% per year. Seven nonfatal MIs and 8 cardiac deaths (2.7%) occurred among the screened group and 10 nonfatal MIs and 7 cardiac deaths (3.0%) among the not-screened group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-1.88; P = .73). Of those in the screened group, 409 participants with normal results and 50 with small MPI defects had lower event rates than the 33 with moderate or large MPI defects; 0.4% per year vs 2.4% per year (HR, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.9-20.1; P = .001). Nevertheless, the positive predictive value of having moderate or large MPI defects was only 12%. The overall rate of coronary revascularization was low in both groups: 31 (5.5%) in the screened group and 44 (7.8%) in the unscreened group (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.45-1.1; P = .14). During the course of study there was a significant and equivalent increase in primary medical prevention in both groups. CONCLUSION: In this contemporary study population of patients with diabetes, the cardiac event rates were low and were not significantly reduced by MPI screening for myocardial ischemia over 4.8 years. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00769275.

Approach to the patient with prediabetes.

Prediabetes consists of impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance and is a significant risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, microvascular, and macrovascular disease. The values used to define prediabetes are arbitrary, because prediabetes represents an intermediary category along the continuum from normal glucose levels and tolerance to overt hyperglycemia. The progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes occurs over many years, strong evidence to support intervention to delay the progression from prediabetes to diabetes. Large, randomized prospective studies with lifestyle intervention and/or various modes of pharmacotherapy have demonstrated successful delay of diabetes. Several issues in the management of prediabetes remain controversial, such as the role of pharmacotherapy and when to escalate treatment. This article will review some of the issues surrounding the identification and treatment of prediabetes, with an interpretation of the available data to help guide management.

Prevention of diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes: effects of metformin and lifestyle interventions.

CONTEXT: A past history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) confers a very high risk of postpartum development of diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE: The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) sought to identify individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and intervene in an effort to prevent or delay their progression to diabetes. This analysis examined the differences between women enrolled in DPP with and without a reported history of GDM. DESIGN: The DPP was a randomized, controlled clinical trial. SETTING: The study was a multicenter, National Institutes of Health-sponsored trial carried out at 27 centers including academic and Indian Health Services sites. PATIENTS: A total of 2190 women were randomized into the DPP and provided information for past history of GDM. This analysis addressed the differences between those 350 women providing a past history of GDM and those 1416 women with a previous live birth but no history of GDM. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized to either standard lifestyle and placebo or metformin therapy or to an intensive lifestyle intervention. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the time to development of diabetes ascertained by semiannual fasting plasma glucose and annual oral glucose tolerance testing. Assessments of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity were also performed. RESULTS: Whereas entering the study with similar glucose levels, women with a history of GDM randomized to placebo had a crude incidence rate of diabetes 71% higher than that of women without such a history. Among women reporting a history of GDM, both intensive lifestyle and metformin therapy reduced the incidence of diabetes by approximately 50% compared with the placebo group, whereas this reduction was 49 and 14%, respectively in parous women without GDM. These data suggest that metformin may be more effective in women with a GDM history as compared with those without. CONCLUSIONS: Progression to diabetes is more common in women with a history of GDM compared with those without GDM history despite equivalent degrees of IGT at baseline. Both intensive lifestyle and metformin are highly effective in delaying or preventing diabetes in women with IGT and a history of GDM.

Assessment on the Prevention of Progression by Rosiglitazone on Atherosclerosis in diabetes patients with Cardiovascular History (APPROACH): study design and baseline characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione, has effects on insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk factors that may favorably impact the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: APPROACH is a double-blind randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of the insulin sensitizer rosiglitazone with the insulin secretagogue glipizide on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease undergoing clinically indicated coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention are randomized to receive rosiglitazone or glipizide for 18 months using a titration algorithm designed to provide comparable glycemic control between treatment groups. The primary end point is change in percent atheroma volume from baseline to study completion in a nonintervened coronary artery, as measured by intravascular ultrasound. Cardiovascular events are adjudicated by an end point committee. RESULTS: A total of 672 patients were randomized. The mean age was 61 years, hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) 7.2%, body mass index 29.5 kg/m(2), and median duration of diabetes 4.8 years. At baseline, approximately half of the participants were receiving oral antidiabetic monotherapy (53.9%) with 27.5% receiving dual combination therapy and 17.9% treated with diet and exercise alone. Approximately two thirds of the participants (68%) had dyslipidemia, 79.9% hypertension, and 24% prior myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: APPROACH has fully enrolled a high-risk patient population and will compare the glucose-independent effects of rosiglitazone and glipizide on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, as well as provide additional data on the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Combination pharmacotherapy with incretins: what works best and when?

The incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors fill an unaddressed therapeutic gap in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by potentiating insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells, suppressing glucagon secretion, delaying gastric emptying, and reducing appetite. The incretin therapies, alone or in combination with metformin and/or thiazolidinediones, yield improved glycemic control without risk of hypoglycemia and the potential for weight neutrality or even weight loss. New incretin-based approaches offer promising new strategies for treating T2DM by recruiting new, physiologically based mechanisms of action for glucoregulation in the context of a favorable safety profile.