ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
As
treatment agents for diabetes,
liraglutide is a long-acting
glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, and
dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors are widely used because of their
safety and tolerability. Regular
treatment with
liraglutide has been reported to significantly reduce
blood glucose levels, but the impact of low-
dose (0.3 mg)
liraglutide on
blood glucose levels immediately
after treatment switching from a
DPP4 inhibitor remains unknown.
METHODS:
We conducted a single-
arm, retrospective,
observational study in 55
inpatients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) to investigate the changes (Δ) in their
blood glucose levels at six
time points (6-point) from the day before (day -1) to the day after (day 1) by switching the
antidiabetic treatment from a
DPP4 inhibitor to
liraglutide 0.3 mg (low-
dose liraglutide) once daily. We also attempted to identify factors associated with the
blood glucose-lowering effects of
liraglutide.
RESULTS:
The median values of the changes in
fasting, preprandial, and postprandial
blood glucose levels and the fluctuations in the
blood glucose levels expressed as the standard deviation of the 6-point
blood glucose levels were significantly lower on day 1 than on day -1 (P < 0.05, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.01, respectively); there were no cases of severe
hypoglycemia. The Δ
blood glucose levels were not associated with the baseline
serum hemoglobin A1c values or with any markers of the
insulin secreting capacity. There were no
associations between the previously used
blood glucose-lowering
drug and the Δ
blood glucose levels.
CONCLUSION:
Switching from a
DPP4 inhibitor to low-
dose (0.3 mg)
liraglutide once daily significantly reduced the
blood glucose levels and excursions of the
blood glucose levels even from the very day after the
treatment switch, with no serious adverse events.