Premium
Improved glycaemic control by addition of glimepiride to metformin monotherapy in Type 2 diabetic patients
Author(s) -
Charpentier G.,
Fleury F.,
Kabir M.,
Vaur L.,
Halimi S.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-5491.2001.00582.x
Subject(s) - glimepiride , metformin , medicine , type 2 diabetes , combination therapy , gastroenterology , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , pharmacology
Aim To compare the effect of glimepiride in combination with metformin with monotherapy of each drug on glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetic patients. Design and methods Randomized, double‐blind, double‐dummy, parallel‐group multicentre study conducted in France. Type 2 diabetic patients aged 35–70 years inadequately controlled by metformin monotherapy 2550 mg daily for at least 4 weeks were randomized to either metformin, glimepiride or metformin and glimepiride. Results Three hundred and seventy‐two patients aged 56 ± 8 years were treated for 5 months. Combination treatment was significantly more efficient in controlling HbA 1c (% change + 0.07 ± 1.20 for metformin, + 0.27 ± 1.10 for glimepiride, −0.74 ± 0.96 for combination treatment, P < 0.001), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (mmol/l change + 0.8 ± 0.4 for metformin, + 0.7 ± 3.1 for glimepiride and −1.8 ± 2.2 for combination treatment, P < 0.001) and post‐prandial blood glucose (PPBG) (mmol/l change + 1.1 ± 5.9 for metformin, + 0.1 ± 5.1 for glimepiride and −2.6 ± 3.9 for combination treatment, P < 0.001) than either glimepiride or metformin alone. There was no significant difference between metformin or glimepiride monotherapy with respect to the change in HbA 1c or FBG; however, glimepiride was significantly more effective than metformin in reducing PPBG. The incidence of symptomatic hypoglycaemia was higher in the combination group than in either monotherapy group ( P = 0.039). Conclusions Addition of glimepiride to metformin in Type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled by metformin alone resulted in superior glycaemic control compared with glimepiride or metformin monotherapy. Diabet. Med. 18, 828–834 (2001)