Sulfonylureas as second line drugs in type 2 diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular and hypoglycaemic events: population based cohort study

Patterns of initial and first-intensifying antidiabetic drug utilization among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Scotland, 2010-2020: A retrospective population-based cohort study

AIM

To evaluate the utilization and prescribing patterns of antidiabetic drugs (ADDs) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at treatment initiation and first intensification.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed using linked routinely collected data of patients with T2DM who received ADDs between January 2010 and December 2020 in Scotland. The prescribing patterns were quantified using frequency/percentages, absolute/relative change, and trend tests.

RESULTS

Overall, 145 909 new ADD users were identified, with approximately 91% (N = 132 382) of patients receiving a single ADD at first treatment initiation. Metformin was the most often prescribed monotherapy (N = 118 737, 89.69%). A total of 50 731 patients (39.40%) who were started on metformin (N = 46 730/118 737, 39.36%) or sulphonylurea (SU; N = 4001/10 029, 39.89%) monotherapy had their treatment intensified with one or more additional ADD. Most initial-metformin (45 963/46 730; 98.36%) and initial-SU users (3894/4001; 97.33%) who added further drugs were intensified with single ADDs. SUs (22 197/45 963; 48.29%) were the most common first-intensifying monotherapy after initial metformin use, but these were replaced by sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in 2019 (SGLT2 inhibitors: 2039/6065, 33.62% vs. SUs: 1924/6065, 31.72%). Metformin was the most frequently added monotherapy to initial SU use (2924/3894, 75.09%). Although the majority of patients received a single ADD, the use of combination therapy significantly increased over time. Nevertheless, there was a significant increasing trend towards prescribing the newer ADD classes (SGLT2 inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors) as monotherapy or in combination compared with the older ones (SUs, insulin, thiazolidinediones) at both drug initiation and first intensification.

CONCLUSIONS

An overall increasing trend in prescribing the newer ADD classes compared to older ADDs was observed. However, metformin remained the most commonly prescribed first-line ADD, while SGLT2 inhibitors replaced SUs as the most common add-on therapy to initial metformin use in 2019.

Adenosine 5'monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation reduces the risks of psoriasis and its comorbidities: a Mendelian randomization study in the UK Biobank

OBJECTIVE

Whether metformin and its adenosine 5'monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation protect from psoriasis risk is unconcluded. We investigated the effect of AMPK, a pharmacological target of metformin, on the risk of psoriasis and its comorbidities and mortality among participants in the UK Biobank (UKB).

METHODS

To avoid immortal time biases in pharmacoepidemiologic studies, Mendelian randomization was used to infer the AMPK pathway-dependent effects. The cut-off age for distinguishing early-onset/late-onset psoriasis (EOP/LOP) was set at 60 years, based on the incident psoriasis peak in UKB. A genetic instrument comprising 44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serving as a proxy for AMPK genetic risk score (negatively associated with AMPK activation), was employed as previously reported in the literature. Log-binomial models were used to estimate the effect size of AMPK regarding relative risk (RR) and 95% CI.

RESULTS

A total of 407 159 participants were analysed, including 9126 EOP and 3324 LOP. The AMPK genetic risk score was associated with a 12.4% increase in the risk of LOP in men (RR = 1.124, 95% CI: 1.022-1.236). This association was not significant for EOP or women. AMPK genetic risk score exhibited an elevated risk of ischemic heart disease (RR = 1.217, 95% CI 1.062-1.395) in male psoriasis patients.

CONCLUSIONS

AMPK activation may protect against LOPs and associated ischemic heart disease in men. A sex-specific, comorbidity-targeted intervention for psoriasis is needed.

Fluoroquinolones and the risk of severe hypoglycaemia among sulphonylurea users: Population-based cohort study

AIM

Fluoroquinolone-related hypoglycaemia is rare but may become clinically relevant in individuals at high baseline hypoglycaemic risk, such as patients with diabetes using sulphonylureas. Our population-based cohort study assessed whether fluoroquinolones are associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia compared with amoxicillin among patients treated with sulphonylureas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum linked to hospitalization and vital statistics data, we assembled a base cohort of patients who initiated second-generation sulphonylureas (1998-2020). The study cohort included patients initiating either fluoroquinolones or amoxicillin while on sulphonylureas. Using an intent-to-treat exposure definition, we assessed the 30-day risk of severe hypoglycaemia (hospitalization with or death because of hypoglycaemia) associated with fluoroquinolones compared with amoxicillin. Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of severe hypoglycaemia after 1:5 matching on previous sulphonylurea use and propensity scores. Secondary analyses were stratified by demographics and glycated haemoglobin.

RESULTS

Overall, 143 417 patients initiated fluoroquinolones (n = 13 123) or amoxicillin (n = 130 294) while on sulphonylureas. Compared with amoxicillin, fluoroquinolones were not associated with the risk of severe hypoglycaemia (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.91-1.50). Fluoroquinolones were associated with an increased risk in patients <65 years (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.41-5.97) but not in those ≥65 years (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.79-1.35) in stratified analyses. There was no evidence of effect modification by sex or glycated haemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients using second-generation sulphonylureas, fluoroquinolones were not associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia compared with amoxicillin. An increased risk among younger adults is possible.

Glucosamine substituted sulfonylureas: IRS-PI3K-PKC-AKT-GLUT4 insulin signalling pathway intriguing agent

Normally, skeletal muscle accounts for 70-80% of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in the postprandial hyperglycemia state. Consequently, abnormalities in glucose uptake by skeletal muscle or insulin resistance (IR) are deemed as initial metabolic defects in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Globally, T2DM is growing in exponential proportion. The majority of T2DM patients are treated with sulfonylureas in combination with other drugs to improve insulin sensitivity. Glycosylated sulfonylureas (sulfonylurea-glucosamine analogues) are modified analogues of sulfonylurea that have been previously reported to possess antidiabetic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of glycosylated sulfonylureas on the insulin signalling pathway at the molecular level using L6 skeletal muscle cell (in vitro) and extracted soleus muscle (ex vivo) models. To create an in vitro model, insulin resistance was established utilizing a high insulin-glucose approach in differentiated L6 muscle cells from Rattus norvegicus. Additionally, for the ex vivo model, extracted soleus muscles, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a solution containing 25 mmol L-1 glucose and 100 mmol L-1 insulin for 24 hours to induce insulin resistance. After insulin resistance, compounds under investigation and standard medicines (metformin and glimepiride) were tested. The differential expression of PI3K, IRS-1, PKC, AKT2, and GLUT4 genes involved in the insulin signaling pathway was evaluated using qPCR. The evaluated glycosylated sulfonylurea analogues exhibited a significant increase in the gene expression of insulin-dependent pathways both in vitro and ex vivo, confirming the rejuvenation of the impaired insulin signaling pathway genes. Altogether, glycosylated sulfonylurea analogues described in this study represent potential therapeutic anti-diabetic drugs.

Unraveling the Link between Ιnsulin Resistance and Bronchial Asthma

Evidence from large epidemiological studies has shown that obesity may predispose to increased Th2 inflammation and increase the odds of developing asthma. On the other hand, there is growing evidence suggesting that metabolic dysregulation that occurs with obesity, and more specifically hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, may modify immune cell function and in some degree systemic inflammation. Insulin resistance seldom occurs on its own, and in most cases constitutes a clinical component of metabolic syndrome, along with central obesity and dyslipidemia. Despite that, in some cases, hyperinsulinemia associated with insulin resistance has proven to be a stronger risk factor than body mass in developing asthma. This finding has been supported by recent experimental studies showing that insulin resistance may contribute to airway remodeling, promotion of airway smooth muscle (ASM) contractility and proliferation, increase of airway hyper-responsiveness and release of pro-inflammatory mediators from adipose tissue. All these effects indicate the potential impact of hyperinsulinemia on airway structure and function, suggesting the presence of a specific asthma phenotype with insulin resistance. Epidemiologic studies have found that individuals with severe and uncontrolled asthma have a higher prevalence of glycemic dysfunction, whereas longitudinal studies have linked glycemic dysfunction to an increased risk of asthma exacerbations. Since the components of metabolic syndrome interact with one another so much, it is challenging to identify each one's specific role in asthma. This is why, over the last decade, additional studies have been conducted to determine whether treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus affects comorbid asthma as shown by the incidence of asthma, asthma control and asthma-related exacerbations. The purpose of this review is to present the mechanism of action, and existing preclinical and clinical data, regarding the effect of insulin resistance in asthma.

Associations of antidiabetic drugs with diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes: an umbrella review and meta-analysis

Background

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most frequent complication of type 2 diabetes and remains the leading cause of preventable blindness. Current clinical decisions regarding the administration of antidiabetic drugs do not sufficiently incorporate the risk of DR due to the inconclusive evidence from preceding meta-analyses. This umbrella review aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of antidiabetic drugs on DR in people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A systematic literature search was undertaken in Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (from inception till 17th May 2022) without language restrictions to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials or longitudinal studies that examined the association between antidiabetic drugs and DR in people with type 2 diabetes. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies using the AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) checklist, and evidence assessment was performed using the GRADE (Grading of recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Random-effects models were applied to calculate relative risk (RR) or odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022332052).

Results

With trial evidence from 11 systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we found that the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i), or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) was not statistically associated with the risk of DR, compared to either placebo (RR: GLP-1 RA, 0.98, 0.89-1.08; SGLT-2i, 1.00, 95% CI 0.79-1.27; DPP-4i, 1.17, 0.99-1.39) or other antidiabetic drugs. Compared to other antidiabetic drugs, meglitinides (0.34, 0.01-8.25), SGLT-2i (0.73, 0.10-5.16), thiazolidinediones (0.92, 0.67-1.26), metformin (1.15, 0.81-1.63), sulphonylureas (1.24, 0.93-1.65), and acarbose (4.21, 0.44-40.43) were not statistically associated with the risk of DR. With evidence from longitudinal studies only, insulin was found to have a higher risk of DR than other antidiabetic drugs (OR: 2.47, 95% CI: 2.04-2.99).

Conclusion

Our results indicate that antidiabetic drugs are generally safe to prescribe regarding the risk of DR among people with type 2 diabetes. Further robust and large-scale trials investigating the effects of insulin, meglitinides, and acarbose on DR are warranted.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=332052, identifier CRD42022332052.

The Efficacy and Safety of Astragalus as an Adjuvant Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: This meta-analysis evaluated the beneficial and potential adverse effects of Astragalus in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The authors searched for randomized controlled trials of Astragalus treatment for patients with T2DM in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database (CQVIP), and SinoMed. Two reviewers conducted independent selection of studies, data extraction, and coding, as well as the assessment of risk of bias in the studies included. Standard meta-analysis and, if appropriate, meta-regression were performed using the STATA, v.15.1, software. Results: This meta-analysis encompasses 20 studies and a total of 953 participants. Compared to the control group (CG), the observation group (OG) decreased fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (WMD = -0.67, 95% CI: -1.13∼-0.20, P = 0.005), 2 hours postprandial plasma glucose (2hPG) (WMD = -0.67 (95% CI: -1.13∼-0.20, P=0.005), glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) (WMD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.22∼-0.64, P = 0.000), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD = -0.45, 95% CI: -0.99∼0.99, P = 0.104), insulin sensitive index (WMD = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.13-0.72, P = 0.004). The total effective ratio of the OG is more effective than CG (RR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.26-1.40, P = 0.000), the significant effective ratio (RR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.48-1.93, P = 0.000). Conclusions: Astragalus may provide specific benefits for T2DM patients as an adjuvant treatment. Nonetheless, the certainty of the evidence and risk of bias fell short of optimal performance, indicating the need for additional clinical research to ascertain potential effects. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022338491.

Prevalent new user designs: A literature review of current implementation practice

PURPOSE

Prevalent new user (PNU) designs extend the active comparator new user design by allowing for the inclusion of initiators of the study drug who were previously on a comparator treatment. We performed a literature review summarising current practice.

METHODS

PubMed was searched for studies applying the PNU design since its proposal in 2017. The review focused on three components. First, we extracted information on the overall study design, including the database used. We summarised information on implementation of the PNU design, including key decisions relating to exposure set definition and estimation of time-conditional propensity scores. Finally, we reviewed the analysis strategy of the matched cohort.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies met the criteria for inclusion. Most studies (73%) implemented the PNU design in electronic health record or registry databases, with the remaining using insurance claims databases. Of 15 studies including a class of prevalent users, 40% deviated from the original exposure set definition proposals in favour of a more complex definition. Four studies did not include prevalent new users but used other aspects of the PNU framework. Several studies lacked details on exposure set definition (n = 2), time-conditional propensity score model (n = 2) or integration of complex analytical techniques, such as the high-dimensional propensity score algorithm (n = 3).

CONCLUSION

PNU designs have been applied in a range of therapeutic and disease areas. However, to encourage more widespread use of this design and help shape best practice, there is a need for improved accessibility, specifically through the provision of analytical code alongside guidance to support implementation and transparent reporting.

Pharmacologic Heterogeneity and Risk of Severe Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Sulfonylureas and DPP-4 Inhibitors: Population-Based Cohort Study

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) interact with sulfonylureas to increase their risk of hypoglycemia. Our population-based study assessed whether intraclass pharmacologic heterogeneity among sulfonylureas (long- vs. short-acting) and DPP-4i (peptidomimetic vs. non-peptidomimetic) modifies this interaction. We conducted a cohort study using the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum linked to hospitalization and vital statistics data. We assembled a cohort of patients initiating sulfonylureas (2007-2020). Using a time-varying exposure definition, we assessed the risk of severe hypoglycemia (hospitalization with or death due to hypoglycemia) associated with (i) concomitant use of long-acting sulfonylureas (glimepiride and glibenclamide) with DPP-4i compared with concomitant use of short-acting sulfonylureas (gliclazide and glipizide) with DPP-4i; and (ii) concomitant use of sulfonylureas with peptidomimetic DPP-4i (saxagliptin and vildagliptin) compared with concomitant use of sulfonylureas with non-peptidomimetic DPP-4i (sitagliptin, linagliptin, and alogliptin). Time-dependent Cox models estimated confounder-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Our cohort included 196,138 sulfonylurea initiators. During a median follow-up of 6 years, 8,576 events of severe hypoglycemia occurred. Compared with concomitant use of short-acting sulfonylureas with DPP-4i, concomitant use of long-acting sulfonylureas with DPP-4i was not associated with the risk of severe hypoglycemia (adjusted HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.65-1.16). Compared with concomitant use of sulfonylureas with non-peptidomimetic DPP-4i, concomitant use of sulfonylureas with peptidomimetic DPP-4i was also not associated with the risk of severe hypoglycemia (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.76-1.22). Intra-class pharmacologic heterogeneity did not modify the association between concomitant use of sulfonylureas (short- vs. long-acting) and DPP-4i (peptidomimetic vs. non-peptidomimetic) and the risk of severe hypoglycemia.

Elevated plasma factor XI predicts cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes: a long-term observational study

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are at high risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. Factor XI (FXI) is associated with arterial thromboembolism, including myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and CV mortality. The role of FXI in T2DM is unknown. We investigated whether plasma FXI is associated with CV events in T2DM patients in long-term observation.

METHODS

In 133 T2DM patients (aged 66 ± 8 years, 40.6% women, median T2DM duration 5 [2-10] years) we assessed plasma FXI levels, along with fibrin clot properties, thrombin generation, and fibrinolysis proteins. A composite endpoint of MI, stroke, or CV death, as well as CV mortality alone were assessed during a median follow-up of 72 months.

RESULTS

Plasma FXI above the 120% upper normal limit was detected in 25 (18.8%) patients and showed positive association with LDL cholesterol and thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor, but not glycated hemoglobin, inflammatory markers or thrombin generation. The composite endpoint (n = 21, 15.8%) and CV death alone (n = 16, 12%) were more common in patients with elevated FXI (hazard ratio [HR] 10.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.46-26.87, p < 0.001 and HR 7.11, 95% CI 2.61-19.31, p < 0.001, respectively). On multivariable analysis, FXI remained an independent predictor of the composite endpoint and CV death, regardless of concomitant coronary artery disease.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this study is the first to show that in T2DM patients, elevated FXI could predict major CV events, including mortality, which suggest that anti-FXI agents might be a potential novel antithrombotic option in this disease.

Metformin and Cancer: Solutions to a Real-World Evidence Failure

The quest to repurpose metformin, an antidiabetes drug, as an agent for cancer prevention and treatment, which began in 2005 with an observational study that reported a reduction in cancer incidence among metformin users, generated extensive experimental, observational, and clinical research. Experimental studies revealed that metformin has anticancer effects via various pathways, potentially inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. Concurrently, multiple nonrandomized observational studies reported remarkable reductions in cancer incidence and outcomes with metformin use. However, these studies were shown, in 2012, to be affected by time-related biases, such as immortal time bias, which tend to greatly exaggerate the benefit of a drug. The observational studies that avoided these biases did not find an association. Subsequently, the randomized trials of metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and as adjuvant therapy for the treatment of various cancers, advanced or metastatic, did not find reductions in cancer incidence or outcomes. Most recently, the largest phase 3 randomized trial of metformin as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, which enrolled 3,649 women with a 5-year follow-up, found no benefit for disease-free survival or overall survival with metformin. This major failure of observational real-world evidence studies in correctly assessing the effects of metformin on cancer incidence and outcomes was caused by preventable biases which, surprisingly, are still prominent in 2022. Rigorous approaches for observational studies that emulate randomized trials, such as the incident and prevalent new-user designs along with propensity scores, avoid these biases and can provide more accurate real-world evidence for the repurposing of drugs such as metformin.

Sulfonylureas as second line therapy for type 2 diabetes among veterans: Results from a National Longitudinal Cohort Study

AIMS

To assess if switching to or adding sulfonylureas increases major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) or severe hypoglycemia versus remaining on metformin alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, longitudinal cohort utilizing United States Veterans Health Administration and Medicare data. Veterans with type 2 diabetes on metformin monotherapy between 2004 and 2006 were identified. Follow-up occurred through 2016. Those treated with either metformin plus a second-generation sulfonylurea (N = 45,305) or converted from metformin to a second-generation sulfonylurea (N = 2813) were compared to those receiving metformin monotherapy (N = 65,550). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95%CI from longitudinal competing risk Cox models were used to measure the association between sulfonylureas and outcomes.

RESULTS

Switching to or adding a sulfonylurea to metformin was associated with 3 times the risk of severe hypoglycemia versus metformin monotherapy (HR:3.44, 95% CI: 3.06,3.85 and HR: 3.08, 95% CI: 2.77,3.42, respectively). Switching to or adding a sulfonylurea to metformin was associated with a 7-19% higher risk of MACE versus metformin monotherapy (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00,1.14 and HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13,1.25, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Switching to and adding second-generation sulfonylureas was associated an increase in severe hypoglycemia and MACE versus remaining on metformin alone. In an era where guidelines recommend diabetes therapies based on compelling indications, safety outcomes should be a key consideration when selecting therapy.

Prescription patterns and therapeutic effects of second-line drugs in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Analysis of claims data for metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors as the first-line hypoglycemic agents

BACKGROUND

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) and metformin are the most frequently prescribed first-line drugs for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigated the risk of cardiovascular events by second-line treatment type in these patients.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with T2D, prescribed either metformin or DPP4i as a first-line drug, were identified in claims data from Japanese acute care hospitals. The primary and secondary outcomes were cumulative risks of MI or stroke and of death, respectively, from second-line treatment initiation.

RESULTS

Patients prescribed first-line metformin or DPP4i was 16,736 and 74,464, respectively. In patients receiving first-line DPP4i, the death incidence was lower in those receiving second-line metformin than in those receiving second-line sulfonylurea (p < 0.001), whereas the primary outcome was not significantly different. No significant differences were observed for either outcome when DPP4is and metformin were used as first- and second-line drugs or vice versa.

CONCLUSIONS

Metformin was suggested to have larger effect to reduce death than sulfonylurea in patients receiving first-line DPP4i. The order of first- and second-line for the DPP4i and metformin combination did not affect the outcomes. Given the nature of the study design, certain limitations, including potential under-adjustment for confounders, should be considered.

Time to reposition sulfonylureas in type 2 diabetes management in Indian context: A pragmatic practical approach

Sulfonylureas (SU) continue to be a vital therapeutic category of oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Physicians consider modern SU (gliclazide and glimepiride) as "safe and smart" choices for T2DM management. The presence of multiple international guidelines and scarcity of a national guideline may contribute to the challenges faced by few physicians in choosing the right therapeutic strategy. The role of SU in diabetes management is explicit, and the present consensus aims to emphasize the benefits and reposition SU in India. This pragmatic, practical approach aims to define expert recommendations for the physicians to improve caregivers' knowledge of the management of T2DM, leading to superior patient outcomes.

Denosumab and incidence of type 2 diabetes among adults with osteoporosis: population based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effect of denosumab compared with oral bisphosphonates on reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults with osteoporosis.

DESIGN

Population based study involving emulation of a randomized target trial using electronic health records.

SETTING

IQVIA Medical Research Data primary care database in the United Kingdom, 1995-2021.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults aged 45 years or older who used denosumab or an oral bisphosphonate for osteoporosis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was incident type 2 diabetes, as defined by diagnostic codes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, comparing denosumab with oral bisphosphonates using an as treated approach.

RESULTS

4301 new users of denosumab were matched on propensity score to 21 038 users of an oral bisphosphonate and followed for a mean of 2.2 years. The incidence rate of type 2 diabetes in denosumab users was 5.7 (95% confidence interval 4.3 to 7.3) per 1000 person years and in oral bisphosphonate users was 8.3 (7.4 to 9.2) per 1000 person years. Initiation of denosumab was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.52 to 0.89). Participants with prediabetes appeared to benefit more from denosumab compared with an oral bisphosphonate (hazard ratio 0.54, 0.35 to 0.82), as did those with a body mass index ≥30 (0.65, 0.40 to 1.06).

CONCLUSIONS

In this population based study, denosumab use was associated with a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with oral bisphosphonate use in adults with osteoporosis. This study provides evidence at a population level that denosumab may have added benefits for glucose metabolism compared with oral bisphosphonates.

Metformin, Empagliflozin, and Their Combination Modulate Ex-Vivo Macrophage Inflammatory Gene Expression

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus is a complex, chronic illness characterized by persistent high blood glucose levels. Patients can be prescribed anti-diabetes drugs as single agents or in combination depending on the severity of their condition. Metformin and empagliflozin are two commonly prescribed anti-diabetes drugs which reduce hyperglycemia, however their direct effects on macrophage inflammatory responses alone or in combination are unreported. Here, we show that metformin and empagliflozin elicit proinflammatory responses on mouse bone-marrow-derived macrophages with single agent challenge, which are modulated when added in combination. In silico docking experiments suggested that empagliflozin can interact with both TLR2 and DECTIN1 receptors, and we observed that both empagliflozin and metformin increase expression of Tlr2 and Clec7a. Thus, findings from this study suggest that metformin and empagliflozin as single agents or in combination can directly modulate inflammatory gene expression in macrophages and upregulate the expression of their receptors.

Concomitant Use of Sulfonylureas and β-Blockers and the Risk of Severe Hypoglycemia Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

The hypoglycemic potential of β-blockers among users of sulfonylureas, drugs that strongly increase the risk of this potentially fatal adverse effect, is not well understood. Our population-based cohort study assessed the potential association between concomitant use of sulfonylureas and β-blockers versus use of sulfonylureas alone and the risk of severe hypoglycemia.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum, we included patients initiating sulfonylureas between 1998 and 2020, excluding those with β-blocker use in the past 6 months. Time-dependent Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs of severe hypoglycemia (hospitalization with or death resulting from hypoglycemia; ICD-10 codes E16.0, E16.1, and E16.2) associated with current concomitant use of sulfonylureas and β-blockers compared with current sulfonylurea use alone, adjusted for baseline confounders. We also compared current concomitant use of sulfonylureas and non-cardioselective versus cardioselective β-blockers.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 252,869 initiators of sulfonylureas (mean age 61.3 years; 43% female). Median follow-up was 7.9 years. The crude incidence rate of severe hypoglycemia was 7.8 per 1,000 per year. Concomitant use of sulfonylureas and β-blockers was associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia compared with sulfonylurea use alone (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.42-1.65). There was no difference in the risk between concomitant use of sulfonylureas and noncardioselective β-blockers and concomitant use of sulfonylureas and cardioselective β-blockers (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.74-1.24).

CONCLUSIONS

β-blockers could further increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia when used concurrently with sulfonylureas. β-blocker cardioselectivity did not seem to play a major role in this regard.

The Role of Platelets in Hypoglycemia-Induced Cardiovascular Disease: A Review of the Literature

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally as well as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Results from large interventional studies have suggested hyperglycemia and poor glycemic control to be largely responsible for the development of CVDs. However, the association between hypoglycemia and cardiovascular events is also a key pathophysiological factor in the development of CVDs. Hypoglycemia is especially prevalent in T2D patients treated with oral sulfonylurea agents or exogenous insulin, increasing the susceptibility of this population to cardiovascular events. The adverse cardiovascular risk of hypoglycemia can persist even after the blood glucose levels have been normalized. Hypoglycemia may lead to vascular disease through mechanisms such as enhanced coagulation, oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and platelet activation. In the following review, we summarize the evidence for the role of hypoglycemia in platelet activation and the subsequent effects this may have on the development of CVD. In addition, we review current evidence for the effectiveness of therapies in reducing the risk of CVDs.

Case report: Fatal cerebral herniation caused by hypoglycemic due to mistaking glibenclamide in children

In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes in China has significantly increased, and glibenclamide is widely used as a basic hypoglycemic drug in China's primary clinical practice. There are many left-behind children in the grass-roots areas in China and various dangerous incidents of children taking drugs by mistake continue to occur. This article reports a case of cerebral edema and fatal cerebral hernia caused by hypoglycemia induced by mistakenly ingesting glibenclamide in a child. This is the first reported case in China of a child who died from brain herniation caused by accidental administration of glibenclamide. This case reminded that clinicians must comprehensively consider the cause of convulsions and coma in children with unknown causes, ask the history in detail and cannot ignore the risk of hypoglycemic convulsions and coma. When hypoglycemic is detected, high concentration of glucose should be given promptly to normalize blood glucose. When dealing with unexplained convulsions and comatose children, clinical pediatricians must be alert to the possibility of accidental medication.

Utility of Hypoglycemic Agents to Treat Asthma with Comorbid Obesity

Adults with obesity may develop asthma that is ineffectively controlled by inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonists. Mechanistic and translational studies suggest that metabolic dysregulation that occurs with obesity, particularly hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, contributes to altered immune cell function and low-grade systemic inflammation. Importantly, in these cases, the same proinflammatory cytokines believed to contribute to insulin resistance may also be responsible for airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness. In the past decade, new research has emerged assessing whether hypoglycemic therapies impact comorbid asthma as reflected by the incidence of asthma, asthma-related emergency department visits, asthma-related hospitalizations, and asthma-related exacerbations. The purpose of this review article is to discuss the mechanism of action, preclinical data, and existing clinical studies regarding the efficacy and safety of hypoglycemic therapies for adults with obesity and comorbid asthma.

Comparison of Mitochondrial Adenosine Triphosphate-Sensitive Potassium Channel High- vs Low-Affinity Sulfonylureas and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Metformin

IMPORTANCE

Sulfonylureas are frequently used as add-on to metformin in type 2 diabetes (T2D), and individual sulfonylurea agents carry different risks of cardiovascular disease. Sulfonylureas' different affinities to cardiac mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels have been speculated to account for the intraclass difference in cardiovascular risk from in vitro and ex vivo studies; however, this hypothesis has not been assessed in a general population with diabetes receiving sulfonylureas added to metformin.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke, or cardiovascular death in patients with T2D treated with mitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas and low-affinity sulfonylureas as add-on to metformin.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This is a new-user, active-comparator, and propensity score-matched cohort study with analysis of the Taiwanese Diabetes Mellitus Health Database from 2006, to 2017. Data analysis was performed from August 2020 to July 2021.

EXPOSURES

Cardiac mitoKATP channel high-affinity (glyburide and glipizide) and low-affinity (gliclazide and glimepiride) sulfonylureas combined with metformin.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for either MI or ischemic stroke. Secondary outcomes included individual MACE components, heart failure, arrhythmia, all-cause mortality, and severe hypoglycemia. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs).

RESULTS

Each sulfonylurea group comprised 53 714 patients (mean [SD] age, 54.7 [12.1] years; 31 962 men [59.5%]). MitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas vs low-affinity sulfonylureas when combined with metformin were associated with an increased risk of MACE (aHR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34), MI (aHR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04-1.73), all-cause mortality (aHR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.03-1.57), and severe hypoglycemia (aHR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.58-2.10), but not with increased risks of ischemic stroke, cardiovascular death, arrhythmia, and heart failure. The duration analyses revealed the highest MACE risk during 1 to 90 days after initiation of mitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas (aHR, 6.06; 95% CI, 4.86-7.55).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Use of mitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas vs low-affinity sulfonylureas was associated with an increased MACE risk in patients with T2D concomitantly receiving metformin, suggesting that high-affinity blockage of the mitoKATP channels could account for sulfonylurea-associated MACEs.

Treatment pattern trends of medications for type 2 diabetes in British Columbia, Canada

INTRODUCTION

Several new oral drug classes for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have been introduced in the last 20 years accompanied by developments in clinical evidence and guidelines. The uptake of new therapies and contemporary use of blood glucose-lowering drugs has not been closely examined in Canada. The objective of this project was to describe these treatment patterns and relate them to changes in provincial practice guidelines.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal drug utilization study among persons with T2DM aged ≥18 years from 2001 to 2020 in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We used dispensing data from community pharmacies with linkable physician billing and hospital admission records. Laboratory results were available from 2011 onwards. We identified incident users of blood glucose-lowering drugs, then determined sequence patterns of medications dispensed, with stratification by age group, and subgroup analysis for patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

Among a cohort of 362 391 patients (mean age 57.7 years old, 53.5% male) treated for non-insulin-dependent diabetes, the proportion who received metformin monotherapy as first-line treatment reached a maximum of 90% in 2009, decreasing to 73% in 2020. The proportion of patients starting two-drug combinations nearly doubled from 3.3% to 6.4%. Sulfonylureas were the preferred class of second-line agents over the course of the study period. In 2020, sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists accounted for 21% and 10% of second-line prescribing, respectively. For patients with baseline glycated hemoglobin (A1C) results prior to initiating diabetic treatment, 41% had a value ≤7.0% and 27% had a value over 8.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral diabetic medication patterns have changed significantly over the last 20 years in BC, primarily in terms of medications used as second-line therapy. Over 40% of patients with available laboratory results initiated T2DM treatment with an A1C value ≤7.0%, with the average A1C value trending lower over the last decade.

From an Apple to a Pear: Moving Fat around for Reversing Insulin Resistance

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition where the body is resistant to insulin, leading to an elevated blood glucose state. Obesity is a main factor leading to T2D. Many clinical studies, however, have described a proportion of obese individuals who express a metabolically healthy profile, whereas some lean individuals could develop metabolic disorders. To study obesity as a risk factor, body fat distribution needs to be considered rather than crude body weight. Different individuals' bodies favor storing fat in different depots; some tend to accumulate more fat in the visceral depot, while others tend to store it in the femoral depot. This tendency relies on different factors, including genetic background and lifestyle. Consuming some types of medications can cause a shift in this tendency, leading to fat redistribution. Fat distribution plays an important role in the progression of risk of insulin resistance (IR). Apple-shaped individuals with enhanced abdominal obesity have a higher risk of IR compared to BMI-matched pear-shaped individuals, who store their fat in the gluteal-femoral depots. This is related to the different adipose tissue physiology between these two depots. In this review, we will summarize the recent evidence highlighting the underlying protective mechanisms in gluteal-femoral subcutaneous adipose tissues compared to those associated with abdominal adipose tissue, and we will revise the recent evidence showing antidiabetic drugs that impact fat distribution as they manage the T2D condition.

Sulfonylureas and the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmias Among People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies

Previous studies have suggested an association between sulfonylureas and an increased risk of cardiovascular death among patients with type 2 diabetes. A potential mechanism involves sulfonylurea-induced ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). We conducted a systematic review of observational studies to determine whether the use of sulfonylureas, compared with the use of other antihyperglycemic drugs, is associated with the risk of VA (ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and premature ventricular complexes), cardiac arrest, and sudden cardiac death among patients with type 2 diabetes. Two independent reviewers searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to July 2021 for observational studies comparing sulfonylureas vs. other antihyperglycemic therapies or intraclass comparisons of sulfonylureas. Our systematic review included 17 studies (1,607,612 patients). Per Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS)-I, there were few high-quality studies (2 studies at moderate risk of bias; 4 at serious risk; and 11 at critical risk). All studies at a moderate or serious risk of bias reporting comparisons with other therapies were consistent with an increased risk of VA. Sulfonylureas were associated with a higher risk of arrhythmia vs. dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27-1.80) and of VA vs. metformin (aHR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.10-2.13). One moderate quality study reported inconsistent results for a composite of cardiac arrest/VA in analyses of US Medicaid claims and Optum claims data. Our systematic review suggests that, among higher-quality observational studies, sulfonylureas are associated with an increased risk of VA. However, we identified few methodologically rigorous studies, underscoring the need for additional real-world studies.

Preventing all-cause hospitalizations in type 2 diabetes with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A narrative review and proposed clinical approach

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are at increased risk for hospital admissions, and acute hospitalizations are associated with a worse prognosis. However, outcomes related to all-cause hospital admissions (ACHAs) were often overlooked in trials that demonstrated the cardiovascular and kidney benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). This review includes a contemporary literature summary of emerging data regarding the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1RAs on ACHAs. The role of SGLT2 inhibitors in preventing ACHAs was shown in exploratory investigations of several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and was further supported by real-world evidence (RWE). However, the association between GLP-1RA use and lower ACHA risk was mainly shown through RWE, with minimal available RCT data. We also discuss the advantages and challenges of studying ACHAs. Finally, we propose an easily memorized ("ABCDE" acronym) clinical approach to evaluating T2D status and treatment in admitted patients, as they transition from hospital to community care. This systematic approach may assist clinicians in recognizing possible pitfalls in T2D management, thereby preventing subsequent hospitalizations and improving patient prognoses. While acute admission can sometimes be perceived as a management failure, it should also be viewed as an opportunity to take action to prevent the next hospitalization.

Metformin versus sulphonylureas for new onset atrial fibrillation and stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-based study

AIMS

To gain insights on the cardiovascular effects of metformin and sulphonylurea, the present study compares the rates of incident atrial fibrillation, stroke, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality between metformin and sulphonylurea users in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving either sulphonylurea or metformin monotherapy between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019. The primary outcome was new-onset AF or stroke. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Propensity score matching (1:2 ratio) between sulphonylurea and metformin users was performed, based on demographics, CHA-DS-VASc score, past comorbidities and medication use. Cox regression was used to identify significant risk factors. Competing risk analysis was conducted using cause-specific and subdistribution hazard models. Sensitivity analyses using propensity score stratification, high-dimensional propensity score and inverse probability of treatment weighting were conducted. Subgroup analyses were conducted for age and gender in the matched cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 36,228 sulphonylurea users and 72,456 metformin users were included in the propensity score-matched cohort. Multivariable Cox regression showed that sulphonylurea users had higher risks of incident AF (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.75-3.77; P < 0.0001), stroke (HR: 3.23, 95% CI: 3.01-3.45; P < 0.0001), cardiovascular mortality (HR: 3.60, 95% CI: 2.62-4.81; P < 0.0001) and all-cause mortality (HR: 4.35, 95% CI: 3.16-4.75; P < 0.0001) compared to metformin users. Similarly, significant results were observed using cause-specific and subdistribution hazard models. Sensitivity analysis using techniques based on the propensity score also yielded similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Sulphonylurea use was associated with higher risks of incident AF, stroke, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality compared to metformin. Males and patients older than 65 years with sulphonylurea use were exposed to the highest risks.

Association Between Specificity of Sulfonylureas to Cardiac Mitochondrial KATP Channels and the Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have revealed an intraclass difference in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among sulfonylureas. In vitro and ex vivo studies reported several sulfonylureas to exhibit high-affinity blockage of cardiac mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels and could interfere with ischemic preconditioning, the most important mechanism of self-cardiac protection. However, no studies have examined whether these varying binding affinities of sulfonylureas could account for their intraclass difference in MACE. We compared mitoKATP channel high-affinity versus low-affinity sulfonylureas regarding the MACE risk in real-world settings.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using the Taiwan nationwide health care claims database, patients with type 2 diabetes initiating sulfonylurea monotherapy between 2007 and 2016 were included in the cohort study. A total of 33,727 new mitoKATP channel high-affinity (glyburide and glipizide) and low-affinity (gliclazide and glimepiride) sulfonylurea users, respectively, were identified after 1:1 propensity score matching. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CI.

RESULTS

MitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas were associated with a significantly increased risk of three-point MACE (aHR 1.21 [95% CI 1.03-1.44]), ischemic stroke (aHR 1.23 [95% CI 1.02-1.50]), and cardiovascular death (aHR 2.61 [95% CI 1.31-5.20]), but not with that of myocardial infarction (aHR 1.04 [95% CI 0.75-1.46]). The duration-response analyses revealed the highest MACE risk to be within 90 days of therapy (aHR 4.67 [95% CI 3.61-6.06]).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac mitoKATP channel high-affinity sulfonylureas were associated with an increased MACE risk compared with low-affinity sulfonylureas in a nationwide population with diabetes.

Three-step matching algorithm to enhance between-group comparability and minimize confounding in comparative effectiveness studies

We developed a three-step matching algorithm to enhance the between-group comparability for comparative drug effect studies involving prevalent new-users of the newer study drug versus older comparator drug(s). The three-step matching scheme is to match on: (1) index date of initiating the newer study drug to align the cohort entry time between study groups, (2) medication possession ratio measures that consider prior exposure to all older comparator drugs, and (3) propensity scores estimated from potential confounders. Our approach is illustrated with a comparative cardiovascular safety study of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1ra) versus sulfonylurea (SU) in type 2 diabetes patients using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database 2003–2015. 66% of 3195 GLP-1ra users had previously exposed to SU. The between-group comparability was well-achieved after implementing the matching algorithm (i.e., standardized mean difference < 0.2 for all baseline patient characteristics). Compared to SU, the use of GLP-1ra yielded a significantly reduced risk of the primary composite cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.71 [0.54–0.95], p = 0.022). Our matching scheme can enhance the between-group comparability in prevalent new-user cohort designs to minimize time-related bias, improve confounder adjustment, and ensure the reliability and validity of study findings.

Risk factors for COVID-19 case fatality rate in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A nationwide retrospective cohort study of 235,248 patients in the Russian Federation

THE AIM

To study the association of demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors and the use of glucose-lowering drugs and anti-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination with the COVID-19-related case fatality rate (CFR) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.

METHODS

This study is a nationwide observational cohort study based on the data from the National Diabetes Register (NDR) that is the database containing online clinical information about the population with DM. The outcomes (death or recovery) for COVID-19 were registered in 235,248 patients with DM [type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), n = 11,058; type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), n = 224,190] from March 20, 2020, until November 25, 2021. The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the risk factors for CFR. Then the ranging of significant factors was performed and the most vulnerable groups of factors for the lethal outcome were chosen.

RESULTS

The CFR due to COVID-19 was 8.1% in T1DM and 15.3% in T2DM. Increased CFR was associated with the male population [OR = 1.25 (95% CI: 1.09-1.44) in T1DM and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.15-1.21) in T2DM], age ≥65 years [OR = 4.44 (95% CI: 3.75-5.24) in T1DM and 3.18 (95% CI: 3.09-3.26) in T2DM], DM duration ≥10 years [OR = 2.46 (95% CI: 2.06-2.95) in T1DM and 2.11 (95% CI: 2.06-2.16) in T2DM], body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² [OR = 1.95 (95% CI: 1.52-2.50)] in T1DM, HbA1c ≥7% [OR = 1.35 (95% CI: 1.29-1.43)] in T2DM. The atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were associated with higher CFR in T1DM but not in T2DM. The pre-COVID-19 glucose-lowering therapy in T2DM was differently associated with CFR (OR): 0.61 (95% CI: 0.59-0.62) for metformin, 0.59 (95% CI: 0.57-0.61) for dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors), 0.46 (95% CI: 0.44-0.49) for sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, 0.38 (95% CI: 0.29-0.51) for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (arGLP-1), 1.34 (95% CI: 1.31-1.37) for sulfonylurea (SU), and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.43-1.51) for insulin. Anti-COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a lower fatality risk in both DM types: OR = 0.07 (95% CI: 0.03-0.20) in T1DM and OR = 0.19 (95% CI: 0.17-0.22) in T2DM.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study suggest that increased COVID-19-related fatality risk in both T1DM and T2DM patients associated with the male population, older age, longer DM duration, and absence of anti-COVID-19 vaccination. In T2DM, pre-COVID-19 glucose-lowering therapy with metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, and arGLP-1 had a positive effect on the risk of death. The most vulnerable combination of risk factors for lethal outcome in both DM types was vaccine absence + age ≥65 years + DM duration ≥10 years.

Post Hoc Analysis Evaluating the Impact of Antihyperglycemic Background Therapies on Attainment of A1C Targets Without Hypoglycemia in the ACHIEVE Control Pragmatic, Real-Life Study

BACKGROUND

ACHIEVE Control, a prospective, open-label, randomized, pragmatic, real-life study in insulin-naive people with type 2 diabetes (A1C 8.0-11.0%), demonstrated superiority of insulin glargine 300 units/mL (Gla-300) versus first-generation standard-of-care basal insulin (SOC-BI; glargine 100 units/mL or insulin detemir) in achieving individualized A1C targets without documented symptomatic (glucose ≤3.9 mmol/L [≤70 mg/dL] or <3.0 mmol/L [<54 mg/dL]) or severe hypoglycemia (American Diabetes Association level 3) at 6 months. Noninsulin antihyperglycemic background therapies are commonly used; however, sulfonylureas may increase hypoglycemia risk. This post hoc analysis assessed outcomes according to background therapy.

METHODS

Subgroup analyses were performed per concomitant use/nonuse of sulfonylureas, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, or sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. End points (6 and 12 months) included A1C target attainment without documented symptomatic or severe hypoglycemia, A1C target attainment, and absence of documented symptomatic or severe hypoglycemia.

RESULTS

Odds ratios (ORs) at 12 months mostly favored Gla-300 versus SOC-BI across subgroups except in analysis of SGLT2 inhibitors, in which ORs were similar. Among sulfonylurea users, ORs at 12 months strongly favored Gla-300 versus SOC-BI for all end points, particularly A1C target achievement without documented symptomatic hypoglycemia (glucose ≤3.9 mmol/L [≤70 mg/dL]; OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.53) or severe hypoglycemia and achievement of no documented symptomatic hypoglycemia (glucose <3.0 mmol/L [<54 mg/dL]; OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.52) or severe hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that, in insulin-naive people with type 2 diabetes, Gla-300 is effective with a risk of hypoglycemia that is lower than or similar to that of SOC-BI regardless of background medication. Individuals receiving concomitant sulfonylureas were more likely to remain without symptomatic or severe hypoglycemia with Gla-300.

The modifying effects of adiposity on the cardiovascular safety of sulphonylureas

AIMS

To determine whether adiposity modified the effect on the cardiovascular safety of sulphonylureas as a first-line therapy compared with metformin among patients with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we conducted a cohort study among 13 862 new sulphonylurea users matched on body mass index (BMI) and propensity score, in a 1:1 ratio, to new metformin users between April 1, 1998 and December 31, 2016. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), individual components of MACE (myocardial infarction [MI], ischaemic stroke, cardiovascular mortality), and all-cause mortality, comparing use of sulphonylureas with use of metformin, overall and within BMI categories (≤24.9 kg/m² , 25.0-29.9 kg/m² , ≥30 kg/m² ).

RESULTS

Compared with metformin, sulphonylureas were not associated with an increased risk of MACE either overall (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.94-1.23) or by BMI category. Similar findings were observed for MI and ischaemic stroke. By contrast, sulphonylureas were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.04-1.48), primarily among obese patients (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.08-2.13), and not among normal-weight patients (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.72-1.39; P-interaction 0.21). Similar results were observed for all-cause mortality (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.32-1.62), where an increased risk was observed among obese patients (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.49-2.25), but not normal-weight patients (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.99-1.42; P-interaction: 0.006).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that adiposity may have a modifying effect on the association between sulphonylureas and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality compared with metformin.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Dapagliflozin Compared to Sulfonylureas for Type 2 Diabetes as Second-Line Treatment in Indian Healthcare Payer's Perspective

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a leading health issue, causing economic burden in India. Pharmacotherapy is a major cost driver in diabetic care usually funded through out of pocket expenditure; however, there has been a very limited economic evaluation evidence to guide the choice of diabetes pharmacotherapy in India. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of dapagliflozin (sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitor) compared to commonly used sulfonylureas as second-line drugs in Indian patients with T2DM.

Methods

Cost-utility analysis was employed to estimate the costs and health outcomes using a Markov model with 1-year cycle length during a lifetime horizon based on an Indian payer’s perspective. A treatment pathway with dapagliflozin as second-line therapy was compared to sulfonylureas after failure of initial metformin therapy. Clinical and cost data were collected from literature reviews and available secondary data sources. Both costs and outcomes were discounted at a 3% annual discount rate. The results were presented as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test parameter uncertainties.

Results

Compared to sulfonylurea, dapagliflozin was estimated to incur an additional cost of ₹182,632 (US$2,446) with an expected 3.49 life years (LY) or 1.72 quality adjusted life years (QALY) gained, resulting in an ICER of ₹52,270 (US$699) per LY gained, or ₹106,133 (US$1,421) per QALY gained. Uncertainty analyses showed that the ICER values were not sensitive to changes in most parameters.

Conclusion

Dapagliflozin would be cost-effective compared to sulfonylureas as the second line added to metformin for T2DM patients based on an Indian payer’s perspective.

Adapting Medication for Type 2 Diabetes to a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Healthcare professionals in the primary care setting need to be competent to safely adapt diabetes medications when patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) alter their diet. Safe prescribing practice is supported through an understanding of the clinical evidence, basic science, and pharmacology of medications. This review article supports clinicians in the practical application of this knowledge to achieve safe practice. Traditional medical training and clinical practice for chronic disease has long revolved around the teaching of intensifying therapy and evidenced based prescribing, a crucial skill when chronic disease progresses. Now that we are witnessing remission of Type 2 Diabetes through nutritional interventions specifically low carbohydrate diets (LCD) we must apply the same effort and thought to de-prescribing as the underlying metabolic condition improves. There is minimal guidance in the literature on how to actively de-prescribe. The American Diabetes Association in their Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes–2021 acknowledges low carbohydrate nutritional therapy (LCD) as a viable option in the management of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Thus, the goal of our paper is to help close the gap between the clinical evidence, basic science, and pharmacology of T2D medications to the practical application and teamwork needed to facilitate safe medication reduction in the primary care setting when applied to a LCD. The LCD is an increasingly popular and effective option for managing T2D and can lead to an improvement in the condition, reduced medication burden, and contribute to significant weight loss. Safe initiation of a LCD in patients on medications requires significant monitoring and medication adjustments to decrease and eliminate the risk of hypoglycemia and hypotension. The health care team including clinicians in primary care, nursing, pharmacy and nutrition need to be competent in adjusting diabetes and antihypertensive medications to achieve safe and effective care. The most immediate and important adjustments are to insulin, sulfonylureas, SGLT2 inhibitors, blood pressure medications and diuretics. Interdisciplinary care teams can individualize therapy while following the guidance, which includes monitoring blood glucose and blood pressure closely, decreasing medications that can cause hypoglycaemia and hypotension, evaluating blood glucose and blood pressure data responses regularly, and open access communication with the team. The article is an international consensus document on de-prescribing that was put together by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians.

CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF NON-INSULIN GLUCOSE-LOWERING AGENTS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF TRIAL EVIDENCE AND POTENTIAL CARDIOPROTECTIVE MECHANISMS

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is highly prevalent and associated with a 2-fold increased mortality, mostly explained by cardiovascular diseases. Trial evidence on older glucose-lowering agents such as metformin and sulfonylureas is limited in terms of cardiovascular efficacy. Since 2008, after rosiglitazone was observed to increase the risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure (HF), cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOT) have been required by regulators for licensing new glucose-lowering agents. In the following CVOTs, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4i) have been shown to be safe but not to improve morbidity/mortality, except for saxagliptin which increased the risk of HF. Several glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-Ra) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. SGLT2i have shown a class effect for the reduction in risk of HF events in patients with T2DM, leading to trials testing their efficacy/safety in HF regardless of T2DM. In the DAPA-HF and the EMPEROR-Reduced trials dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, respectively, improved cardiovascular mortality/morbidity in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with and without T2DM. Therefore, these drugs are now key part of HFrEF pharmacotherapy. In the SOLOIST-WHF, sotagliflozin reduced cardiovascular mortality/morbidity in patients with T2DM and a recent acute episode of HF regardless of EF. The DELIVER and the EMPEROR-Preserved are testing dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, respectively, in patients with HF with mildly reduced and preserved EF. A strong renal protective role of SGLT2i has also emerged in trials enrolling patients with and without T2DM.

Metformin-Insulin versus Metformin-Sulfonylurea Combination Therapies in Type 2 Diabetes: A Comparative Study of Glycemic Control and Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare glycemic control and risk of cardiovascular outcomes of metformin-insulin versus metformin-sulfonylurea combination therapies in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study in five tertiary level hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We enrolled 321 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were on continuous treatment follow-up on either metformin-insulin or metformin-sulfonylurea combination therapy. We interviewed the participants and reviewed their medical records to investigate medication efficacy, safety, and adherence. The primary outcome measure was glycemic control and the secondary outcome measures were composite cardiovascular outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the total participants enrolled, 50.5% (n = 162) were those who received metformin-insulin and 49.5% (n = 159) metformin-sulfonylurea combination therapies for a median of 48 months follow-up. The reduction of Hb1Ac levels was comparable between the metformin-insulin (-1.04 ± 0.96%) and metformin-sulfonylurea (-1.02 ± 1.03%), p = 0.912. Patients who received metformin-sulfonylurea had 4.3 times more likely to have achieved target HbA1c level compared to those who received metformin-insulin, p < 0.001, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI = 4.31[1.79-10.32]. Risk of composite cardiovascular outcomes was higher in metformin-insulin group (40.5% versus 34.0%), p = 0.021. Co-morbidities, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and HbA1c had a significant association with composite cardiovascular outcomes. Reductions of bodyweight, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides levels, and microvascular complications were different between the two groups, p < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

High proportion of patients who received metformin-sulfonylurea achieved target HbA1c level and had less composite cardiovascular outcomes compared to those who received metformin-insulin. However, these findings have to be confirmed with randomized control trials to determine risks associated with insulin use, while efficacy is maintained as second-line treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Quality of Diabetes Care in the USA

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current quality of diabetes care in the USA, discuss barriers to guideline-recommended treatment adherence, and outline strategies for the improvement in care.

RECENT FINDINGS

Current treatment guidelines highlight the importance of glycemic control, use of novel medications with proven cardiovascular efficacy, and multifactorial cardiovascular risk factor intervention for the treatment of diabetes and associated complications. Albeit proven evidence for these guidelines, the vast majority of patients with diabetes remain insufficiently treated. Interventions to improve outcomes require focus on care delivery systems, physician behavior, and patient-centered approaches. De-fragmenting care systems to form collaborative, multi-specialty teams, use of standardized and comprehensive treatment algorithms, development of quality assessment tools, avoiding physician therapeutic inertia, and addressing patient barriers, including lack of perceived benefit, insufficient diabetes education and access to care, and medication costs, represent key objectives to improve diabetes care and outcomes. Clinical research in standardized trials has proven the feasibility to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes. Implementing models of care to disseminate these encouraging research findings to the wider population and to overcome barriers to achieving guideline-recommended treatment goals should be the objective to improve our current quality of diabetes care in the USA.

Cardiovascular safety of evogliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes: A nationwide cohort study

AIM

To assess whether the use of evogliptin, a novel dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i), was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events compared with glimepiride in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

We conducted a population-based cohort study using South Korea's nationwide healthcare database from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018. We identified a base cohort of patients with T2D who newly initiated metformin monotherapy, from which we identified a study cohort of patients who either added or switched to glimepiride or DPP-4is (including evogliptin). Patients were followed up from initiation of DPP-4is or glimepiride until the earliest of either outcome occurrence or 31 December 2018. Our primary outcome was hospitalization or an emergency visit for cardiovascular events, a composite endpoint comprised of cerebrovascular events, heart failure, myocardial infarction, transient ischaemic attack, angina pectoris and revascularization procedures; secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcome. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of study outcomes associated with evogliptin compared with glimepiride.

RESULTS

Our base and study cohorts had 317,307 and 128,788 patients, respectively, of which 100,038 were DPP-4i users (2946 were evogliptin users) and 28,750 were glimepiride users within the study cohort. The median follow-up was 195 days for evogliptin and 113 days for glimepiride users. Compared with glimepiride, evogliptin was associated with a reduced risk of the primary outcome (aHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.95) and cerebrovascular events (aHR 0.41, 95% CI 0.22-0.78) but showed non-significant associations for myocardial infarction (aHR 0.63, 95% CI 0.27-1.46), heart failure (aHR 0.35, 95% CI 0.09-1.47), transient ischaemic attack (aHR 0.23, 95% CI 0.03-1.72) and angina pectoris (aHR 1.35, 95% CI 0.82-2.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this population-based cohort study provide novel real-world evidence that the use of evogliptin, compared with glimepiride, did not increase the risk of cardiovascular events, including cerebrovascular events, myocardial infarction, heart failure, transient ischaemic attack and angina pectoris.

Therapeutic Potential of Peptides Derived from Animal Venoms: Current Views and Emerging Drugs for Diabetes

The therapeutic potential of venom-derived drugs is evident today. Currently, several significant drugs are FDA approved for human use that descend directly from animal venom products, with others having undergone, or progressing through, clinical trials. In addition, there is growing awareness of the important cosmeceutical application of venom-derived products. The success of venom-derived compounds is linked to their increased bioactivity, specificity and stability when compared to synthetically engineered compounds. This review highlights advancements in venom-derived compounds for the treatment of diabetes and related disorders. Exendin-4, originating from the saliva of Gila monster lizard, represents proof-of-concept for this drug discovery pathway in diabetes. More recent evidence emphasises the potential of venom-derived compounds from bees, cone snails, sea anemones, scorpions, snakes and spiders to effectively manage glycaemic control. Such compounds could represent exciting exploitable scaffolds for future drug discovery in diabetes, as well as providing tools to allow for a better understanding of cell signalling pathways linked to insulin secretion and metabolism.

Cardiovascular safety and efficacy of metformin-SGLT2i versus metformin-sulfonylureas in type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Diabetes is a serious threat to global health and among the top 10 causes of death, with nearly half a billion people living with it worldwide. Treating patients with diabetes tend to become more challenging due to the progressive nature of the disease. The role and benefits of combination therapies for the management of type 2 diabetes are well-documented, while the comparative safety and efficacy among the different combination options have not been elucidated. We aimed to systematically synthesize the evidence on the comparative cardiovascular safety and efficacy of combination therapy with metformin-sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors versus metformin-sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes. We searched MEDLINE-PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 15 August 2019 without restriction in the year of publication. We included randomized controlled trials of patients with type 2 diabetes who were on metformin-sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors or metformin-sulphonylureas combination therapy at least for a year. The primary endpoints were all-cause mortality and serious adverse events, and the secondary endpoints were cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, hypoglycemia, and changes in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body weight, fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We used a random-effects meta-analysis model to estimate mean differences for continuous outcomes and risk ratio for dichotomous outcomes. We followed PICOS description model for defining eligibility and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 guidelines for reporting results. Of 3,190 citations, we included nine trials involving 10,974 participants. The pooled analysis showed no significant difference in all-cause mortality (risk ration [RR] = 0.93, 95% CI [0.52, 1.67]), serious adverse events (RR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.79, 1.17]) and adverse events (RR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.99, 1.02]) between the two, but in hypoglycemia (RR = 0.13, 95% CI [0.10, 0.17], P < 0.001). Participants taking metformin-sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors showed a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c (mean difference [MD] = − 0.10%, 95% CI [− 0.17, − 0.03], body weight (MD = − 4.57 kg, 95% CI [− 4.74, − 4.39], systolic blood pressure (MD = − 4.77 mmHg, 95% CI [− 5.39, − 4.16]), diastolic blood pressure (MD = − 2.07 mmHg, 95% CI [− 2.74, − 1.40], and fasting plasma glucose (MD = − 0.55 mmol/L, 95% CI [− 0.69, − 0.41]), p < 0.001. Combination therapy of metformin and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors is a safe and efficacious alternative to combination therapy of metformin and sulphonylureas for patients with type 2 diabetes who are at risk of cardiovascular comorbidity. However, there remains a need for additional long-term randomized controlled trials as available studies are very limited and heterogeneous.

The impact of glycated hemoglobin on risk of hypertension: a Mendelian randomization study using UK Biobank

BACKGROUND

Observational studies suggest higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) associated with higher hypertension risk although these associations could be confounded. We examined the relation using a Mendelian randomization design in a large Biobank, the UK Biobank.

METHODS

We identified 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) strongly and independently related to HbA1c from a large genome wide association study (n = 123 665) and applied them to the UK Biobank (n = 376 644). We used inverse variance weighting (IVW) to assess the relation of HbA1c with risk of hypertension (defined using the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 guidelines), and SBP and DBP. Sensitivity analyses included Mendelian randomization-Egger, weighted median, Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier and exclusion of pleiotropic SNPs.

RESULTS

HbA1c was not clearly associated with hypertension risk using IVW (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 0.76-1.62) in the main analysis. However, Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier suggested potential horizontal pleiotropy. After excluding potentially invalid SNPs, HbA1c was associated with hypertension risk (IVW odds ratio 1.22 per %, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.46), with consistent estimates from sensitivity analyses. HbA1c was positively associated with SBP in some, but not all analyses, albeit with directionally consistent estimates. The relation with DBP was unclear.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests HbA1c may increase hypertension risk and could be one underlying mechanistic pathway between HbA1c and coronary artery disease risk.

[The pharmacogenetics of hypoglycemia and the glycemic variability at the patients ith type 2 diabetes mellitus]

AIM

To investigate the link between the hypoglycemia (registrated accurately by the professional Continuous Glucose Monitoring CGM; severe hypoglycemia at home) and the hetero-/homozygote carriage of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of cytochrome systems geneCYP2C9(rs1799853CYP2C9*2 иrs1057910CYP2C9*3) at the patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) used sulphonylurea (SU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In Study Case-Control 120 T2DM-SU-patients genotyped by SNPs of geneCYP2C9(using PCR-RT) had been done the professional CGM (System iPro2, Medtronic) recorded Time in Range of Hypoglycemia (TIR-HYPO), level of Minimal CGM-hypoglycemia (MinGl) and standard CGM-parameters of Glycemic Variability. Severe hypoglycemia at home was recorded from visit to visit. The odds ratio (OR) of metabolic disturbances had been assessed for carriage SNPs in comparison with wide alleles.

RESULTS

The Study established that carriage of SNPsrs1799853andrs1057910geneCYP2C9at T2DM-SU-patients associated with rising of Glycemic Variability and frequency of CGM-hypoglycemia (MinGl decreasing, increasing of TIR-HYPO and number of Glycemia Excursion 4 mmol/L/h), as well as increasing severe hypoglycemia at home (p0.05). Thus, OR at the carriage ofrs1799853andrs1057910respectively equaled: for CGM-hypoglycemia 7.78 (3.0220.01) and 5.80 (0.23145.87); number of Glycemia Excursion 4 mmol/L/h 5.76 (2.2914.43) and 4.44 (1.4313.76); MinGl3.9 mmol/L 4.39 (1.7910.75) and 6.26 (1.8421.30); CV40% (vs30%) 3.63 (1.0412.62) and 15.22 (0.59393.94);p0.05.

CONCLUSION

At the real clinical practice the assessment of carriage of SNPs of geneCYP2C9before inclusion of SU to glucose-lowering scheme of T2DM-therapy it necessary to carry out for the detecting patients with a higher risk of hypoglycemia and rising of Glycemic Variability.

The Burden of Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Chronic Polypharmacy

We aimed to describe the burden represented by potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in chronic polypharmacy in France. We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study using data from the French National Insurance databases. The study period was from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016. Chronic drug use was defined as uninterrupted daily use lasting ≥6 months. Chronic polypharmacy was defined as the chronic use of ≥5 medications, and chronic hyperpolypharmacy as the chronic use of ≥10 medications. For individuals aged ≥65 (older adults), PIMs were defined according to the Beers and Laroche lists, and for individuals aged 45-64 years (middle-aged) PIMs were defined according to the PROMPT (Prescribing Optimally in Middle-aged People's Treatments) list. Among individuals with chronic polypharmacy, 4009 (46.2%) middle-aged and 18,036 (64.8%) older adults had at least one chronic PIM. Among individuals with chronic hyperpolypharmacy, these figures were, respectively, 570 (75.0%) and 2544 (88.7%). The most frequent chronic PIM were proton pump inhibitors (43.4% of older adults with chronic polypharmacy), short-acting benzodiazepines (older adults: 13.7%; middle-aged: 16.1%), hypnotics (6.1%; 7.4%), and long-acting sulfonylureas (3.9%; 12.3%). The burden of chronic PIM appeared to be very high in our study, concerning almost half of middle-aged adults and two-thirds of older adults with chronic polypharmacy. Deprescribing interventions in polypharmacy should primarily target proton pump inhibitors and hypnotics.

Evaluating the impact of AMPK activation, a target of metformin, on risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer in the UK Biobank: a Mendelian randomisation study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Whether metformin reduces cardiovascular or cancer risk is unclear owing to concerns over immortal time bias and confounding in observational studies. This study evaluated the effect of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the target of metformin, on risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

METHODS

This is a Mendelian randomisation design, using AMPK, the pharmacological target of metformin, to infer the AMPK pathway-dependent effects of metformin on risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in participants of white British ancestry in the UK Biobank.

RESULTS

A total of 391,199 participants were included (mean age 56.9 years; 54.1% women), including 26,690 cases of type 2 diabetes, 38,098 cases of coronary artery disease and 80,941 cases of overall cancer. Genetically predicted reduction in HbA_1c (%) instrumented by AMPK variants was associated with a 61% reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes (OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.20, 0.78; p = 7.69 × 10^-3), a 53% decrease in the risk of coronary artery disease (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.26, 0.84; p = 0.01) and a 44% decrease in the risk of overall cancer (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.36, 0.85; p = 7.23 × 10^-3). Results were similar using median or quartiles of AMPK score, with dose-response effects (p for trend = 4.18 × 10^-3 for type 2 diabetes, 4.37 × 10^-3 for coronary artery disease and 4.04 × 10^-3 for overall cancer).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

This study provides some genetic evidence that AMPK activation by metformin may protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer, which needs to be confirmed by randomised controlled trials.

Prescription of Sulphonylureas among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Italy: Results from the Retrospective, Observational Multicentre Cross-Sectional SUSCIPE (Sulphonyl_UreaS_Correct_Internal_Prescription_Evaluation) Study

INTRODUCTION

Recent guidelines for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) provide evidence supporting limited use of sulphonylureas (SUs), especially in specific risk patient categories, yet data from national registries still suggest their widespread use. The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of patients with diabetes treated with SUs and quantify the proportion of patients that met the recommendations for use of SUs by recent guidelines and of those presenting characteristics representing an inappropriate prescription risk (IPR).

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study in patients with T2DM receiving treatment with SUs (as monotherapy or in combination with another diabetes therapy) was conducted between 2017 and 2018 in 22 outpatient diabetes clinics across Italy. Exclusion criteria were type 1 diabetes, diabetes mellitus secondary to other conditions, and presence of severe/life-threatening diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 510 patients with T2DM (306 men, 204 women; mean age ± standard deviation 69.8 ± 9.3 years) who were receiving treatment with a SU (as monotherapy or in combination therapy) were assessed in the study. Overall, 70.6% [n = 360; 95% confidence interval (CI) 66.4%, 74.5%] were assessed to have an IPR. Of these, approximately half presented one factor for risk of inappropriate prescription, and 27 and 10.6% presented two and three factors, respectively. In terms of factors contributing to the total burden of risk of inappropriate treatment with SUs, 37.5% (95% CI 33.2%, 41.8%) of all patients were obese; 33.3% (95% CI 29.3%, 37.6%)] were aged ≥ 75 years; 18.6% (95% CI 15.3%, 22.3%) had a history of cardiovascular disease; 14.1% (95% CI 11.2%, 17.4%) had chronic renal insufficiency; 1.8% (95% CI 0.8%, 3.3%) had a history of severe hypoglycemia; 1.8% (95% CI 0.8%; 3.3%) had cognitive impairment; and 2.4% (95% CI 1.2%, 4.1%) had a risky occupation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study provide evidence of a high rate of inappropriate SU prescription risk among patients with T2DM, especially among those with overweight/obesity, older age, history of cardiovascular disease, and hypoglycemia.

The Potential of Anti-Diabetic Rākau Rongoā (Māori Herbal Medicine) to Treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) Mate Huka: A Review

T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus, or Māori term “mate huka”) is a major long-term health issue in New Zealand particularly among the Māori community. Non-insulin drugs commonly used in New Zealand for the treatment of T2DM have limits to their efficacy as well as side effects, which are of concern for diabetics. As such, the potential for natural products such as traditional rākau rongoā are of interest for potentially preventing the development of T2DM or improving the treatment of the disease. In particular, anti-diabetic effects have been reported for rākau rongoā such as karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa. Natural products have been identified in karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa that have documented potential effects on glucose metabolism that could contribute to the anti-diabetic effect of these rākau rongoā. As such, this could provide scientific insight into the mātauranga (traditional knowledge) developed over generations by Māori. However, detailed laboratory based and clinical studies would be required to understand and validate these properties of karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa, and to understand how they can be used in T2DM treatment. Social determinants of indigenous health such as language, culture, traditional knowledge, and identity, are important in understanding the relationship Māori have with their land and the mātauranga they developed of the medicinal properties within their rākau rongoā, over many centuries. Interestingly, traditional Māori views towards scientific research using animal models to test rākau rongoā are varied but supportive. Furthermore, cultural issues surrounding Māori mana motuhake (self-determination) of traditional rongoā Māori healing practices and the inequity faced by many kairongoā (rongoā Māori practitioners) and tohunga (healers) compared to mainstream health are a current issue within the New Zealand health system. As such, a cultural holistic approach for T2DM care among Māori would be advantageous. This review will outline the available evidence supporting the anti-diabetic efficacy of karamu, kūmarahou, and kawakawa. Currently though there is a lack of molecular research to understand the mechanisms of this efficacy, as such this review will also outline Te Reo Tipu Research, a kaupapa Māori framework for molecular and genomic research on taonga flora.