Age at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factor profile: A pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in younger adults, an increasingly common public health issue, is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular complications and mortality, which may be due to a more adverse cardiovascular risk profile in individuals diagnosed at a younger age. AIM: To investigate the association between age at diagnosis and the cardiovascular risk profile in adults with T2D. METHODS: A pooled dataset was used, comprised of data from five previous studies of adults with T2D, including 1409 participants of whom 196 were diagnosed with T2D under the age of 40 years. Anthropometric and blood biomarker measurements included body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat percentage, glycaemic control (HbA1c), lipid profile and blood pressure. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for diabetes duration, sex, ethnicity and smoking status, were used to investigate the association between age at diagnosis and each cardiovascular risk factor. RESULTS: A higher proportion of participants diagnosed with T2D under the age of 40 were female, current smokers and treated with glucose-lowering medications, compared to participants diagnosed later in life. Participants diagnosed with T2D under the age of 40 also had higher body weight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage, in addition to a more adverse lipid profile, compared to participants diagnosed at an older age. Modelling results showed that each one year reduction in age at diagnosis was significantly associated with 0.67 kg higher body weight [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52-0.82 kg], 0.18 kg/m2 higher BMI (95%CI: 0.10-0.25) and 0.32 cm higher waist circumference (95%CI: 0.14-0.49), after adjustment for duration of diabetes and other confounders. Younger age at diagnosis was also significantly associated with higher HbA1c, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of T2D earlier in life is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk factor profile, compared to those diagnosed later in life.

Effects of liraglutide versus sitagliptin on circulating cardiovascular biomarkers, including circulating progenitor cells, in individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity: Analyses from the LYDIA trial.

The mechanisms behind the beneficial cardiovascular effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) remain largely unknown, despite both targeting the incretin pathway to improve glycaemic control. In these prespecified secondary analyses of the LYDIA trial, we examined the impact of the GLP-1RA liraglutide (1.8 mg once-daily) and the DPP4i sitagliptin (100 mg once-daily) on circulating cardiovascular biomarkers associated with atherosclerotic risk, including circulating progenitor cells (CPCs). LYDIA was a 26-week, randomized, active-comparator trial in 61 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity (mean ± SD: age 43.8 ± 6.5 years, body mass index 35.3 ± 6.4 kg/m2 , HbA1c 7.5% ± 0.83% [58.5 ± 9.1 mmol/mol]). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell-derived factor-1-alpha (SDF-1ɑ), both of which are implicated in endothelial function, were higher at 26 weeks with liraglutide therapy compared with sitagliptin (mean between-group difference [95% CI]: 77.03 [18.29, 135.77] pg/mL, p = .010; and 996.25 [818.85, 1173.64] pg/mL, p < .001, respectively). There were no between-group differences in CPCs, nitric oxide, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha and advanced glycation end-products. These analyses suggest a favourable impact of liraglutide on VEGF and SDF-1ɑ levels compared with sitagliptin. These factors may therefore be implicated in the differential cardiovascular effects observed between these agents in large cardiovascular outcome trials. However, these are secondary analyses from a previous trial and thus hypothesis-generating. Purposive trials are required to examine these findings further.

A randomized, open-label, active comparator trial assessing the effects of 26 weeks of liraglutide or sitagliptin on cardiovascular function in young obese adults with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To compare the effects of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist and a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor on magnetic resonance imaging-derived measures of cardiovascular function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial liraglutide (1.8 mg) and sitagliptin (100 mg) were compared in asymptomatic, non-insulin treated young (aged 18-50 years) adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The primary outcome was difference in circumferential peak early diastolic strain rate change (PEDSR), a biomarker of cardiac diastolic dysfunction 26 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes included other indices of cardiac structure and function, HbA1c and body weight. RESULTS: Seventy-six participants were randomized (54% female, mean ± SD age 44 ± 6 years, diabetes duration 4.4 years, body mass index 35.3 ± 6.1 kg m-2 ), of whom 65% had ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor. Sixty-one participants had primary outcome data available. There were no statistically significant between-group differences (intention-to-treat; mean [95% confidence interval]) in PEDSR change (-0.01 [-0.07, +0.06] s-1 ), left ventricular ejection fraction (-1.98 [-4.90, +0.94]%), left ventricular mass (+1.14 [-5.23, +7.50] g) or aortic distensibility (-0.35 [-0.98, +0.28] mmHg-1 × 10-3 ) after 26 weeks. Reductions in HbA1c (-4.57 [-9.10, -0.37] mmol mol-1 ) and body weight (-3.88 [-5.74, -2.01] kg) were greater with liraglutide. CONCLUSION: There were no differences in cardiovascular structure or function after short-term use of liraglutide and sitagliptin in younger adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Longer studies in patients with more severe cardiac dysfunction may be necessary before definitive conclusions can be made about putative pleiotropic properties of incretin-based therapies.

Benefits and Harms of Once-Weekly Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Treatments: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. PURPOSE: To summarize evidence for the cardiometabolic efficacy and adverse effects of once-weekly GLP-1RAs in adults with type 2 diabetes. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, ClinicalTrials.gov) and congress abstracts from inception through 26 September 2015. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled trials (≥ 24 weeks of follow-up) studying albiglutide, dulaglutide, once-weekly exenatide, semaglutide, and taspoglutide and reporting a cardiometabolic (primary outcome, hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) or safety outcome. DATA EXTRACTION: Extraction was done in duplicate, and risk of bias was assessed. No language restriction was applied. DATA SYNTHESIS: 34 trials (21,126 participants) were included. Compared with placebo, all once-weekly GLP-1RAs reduced HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose; taspoglutide, 20 mg, once-weekly exenatide, and dulaglutide, 1.5 mg, reduced body weight. Among once-weekly GLP-1RAs, the greatest differences were found between dulaglutide, 1.5 mg, and taspoglutide, 10 mg, for HbA1c (-0.4% [95% CI, -0.7% to -0.2%]), once-weekly exenatide and albiglutide for fasting plasma glucose (-0.7 mmol/L [CI, -1.1 to -0.2 mmol/L]; -12.6 mg/dL [CI, -19.8 to -3.6 mg/dL]), and taspoglutide, 20 mg, and dulaglutide, 0.75 mg, for body weight (-1.5 kg [CI, -2.2 to -0.8]). Clinically marginal or no differences were found for blood pressure, blood lipid levels, and C-reactive protein levels. Once-weekly exenatide increased heart rate compared with albiglutide and dulaglutide (1.4 to 3.2 beats/min). Among once-weekly GLP-1RAs, the risk for hypoglycemia was similar, whereas taspoglutide, 20 mg, had the greatest risk for nausea (odds ratios, 1.9 to 5.9). LIMITATION: Data were unavailable for semaglutide, definitions of outcomes were heterogeneous, the last-observation-carried-forward imputation method was used in 73% of trials, and publication bias is possible. CONCLUSION: Compared with other once-weekly GLP-1RAs, dulaglutide, 1.5 mg; once-weekly exenatide; and taspoglutide, 20 mg, showed a greater reduction of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and body weight. Taspoglutide, 20 mg, had the highest risk for nausea; risk for hypoglycemia among once-weekly GLP-1RAs was similar. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Sanofi Aventis (grant to the University of Leicester).