Markolf Hanefeld

Rosiglitazone evaluated for cardiovascular outcomes in oral agent combination therapy for type 2 diabetes (RECORD): a multicentre, randomised, open-label trial

BACKGROUND Rosiglitazone is an insulin sensitiser used in combination with metformin, a sulfonylurea, or both, for lowering blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. We assessed cardiovascular outcomes after addition of rosiglitazone to either metformin or sulfonylurea compared with the combination of the two over 5-7 years of follow-up. We also assessed comparative safety. METHODS In a multicentre, open-label trial, 4447 patients with type 2 diabetes on metformin or sulfonylurea monotherapy with mean haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) of 7.9% were randomly assigned to addition of rosiglitazone (n=2220) or to a combination of metformin and sulfonylurea (active control group, n=2227). The primary endpoint was cardiovascular hospitalisation or cardiovascular death, with a hazard ratio (HR) non-inferiority margin of 1.20. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00379769. FINDINGS 321 people in the rosiglitazone group and 323 in the active control group experienced the primary outcome during a mean 5.5-year follow-up, meeting the criterion of non-inferiority (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.85-1.16). HR was 0.84 (0.59-1.18) for cardiovascular death, 1.14 (0.80-1.63) for myocardial infarction, and 0.72 (0.49-1.06) for stroke. Heart failure causing admission to hospital or death occurred in 61 people in the rosiglitazone group and 29 in the active control group (HR 2.10, 1.35-3.27, risk difference per 1000 person-years 2.6, 1.1-4.1). Upper and distal lower limb fracture rates were increased mainly in women randomly assigned to rosiglitazone. Mean HbA(1c) was lower in the rosiglitazone group than in the control group at 5 years. INTERPRETATION Addition of rosiglitazone to glucose-lowering therapy in people with type 2 diabetes is confirmed to increase the risk of heart failure and of some fractures, mainly in women. Although the data are inconclusive about any possible effect on myocardial infarction, rosiglitazone does not increase the risk of overall cardiovascular morbidity or mortality compared with standard glucose-lowering drugs. FUNDING GlaxoSmithKline plc, UK.

Acarbose for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the STOP-NIDDM randomised trial.

BACKGROUND The worldwide increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus is becoming a major health concern. We aimed to assess the effect of acarbose in preventing or delaying conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes. METHODS In a multicentre, placebo-controlled randomised trial, we randomly allocated patients with impaired glucose tolerance to 100 mg acarbose or placebo three times daily. The primary endpoint was development of diabetes on the basis of a yearly oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Analyses were by intention to treat. FINDINGS We randomly allocated 714 patients with impaired glucose tolerance to acarbose and 715 to placebo. We excluded 61 (4%) patients because they did not have impaired glucose tolerance or had no postrandomisation data. 211 (31%) of 682 patients in the acarbose group and 130 (19%) of 686 on placebo discontinued treatment early. 221 (32%) patients randomised to acarbose and 285 (42%) randomised to placebo developed diabetes (relative hazard 0.75 [95% CI 0.63-0.90]; p=0.0015). Furthermore, acarbose significantly increased reversion of impaired glucose tolerance to normal glucose tolerance (p<0.0001). At the end of the study, treatment with placebo for 3 months was associated with an increase in conversion of impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes. The most frequent side-effects to acarbose treatment were flatulence and diarrhoea. INTERPRETATION Acarbose could be used, either as an alternative or in addition to changes in lifestyle, to delay development of type 2 diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.

Effect of rosiglitazone on the frequency of diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Rosiglitazone is a thiazolidinedione that reduces insulin resistance and might preserve insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to assess prospectively the drugs ability to prevent type 2 diabetes in individuals at high risk of developing the condition. METHODS 5269 adults aged 30 years or more with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, or both, and no previous cardiovascular disease were recruited from 191 sites in 21 countries and randomly assigned to receive rosiglitazone (8 mg daily; n=2365) or placebo (2634) and followed for a median of 3 years. The primary outcome was a composite of incident diabetes or death. Analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00095654. FINDINGS At the end of study, 59 individuals had dropped out from the rosiglitazone group and 46 from the placebo group. 306 (11.6%) individuals given rosiglitazone and 686 (26.0%) given placebo developed the composite primary outcome (hazard ratio 0.40, 95% CI 0.35-0.46; p<0.0001); 1330 (50.5%) individuals in the rosiglitazone group and 798 (30.3%) in the placebo group became normoglycaemic (1.71, 1.57-1.87; p<0.0001). Cardiovascular event rates were much the same in both groups, although 14 (0.5%) participants in the rosiglitazone group and two (0.1%) in the placebo group developed heart failure (p=0.01). INTERPRETATION Rosiglitazone at 8 mg daily for 3 years substantially reduces incident type 2 diabetes and increases the likelihood of regression to normoglycaemia in adults with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, or both.

Risk factors for myocardial infarction and death in newly detected NIDDM: the Diabetes Intervention Study, 11-year follow-up

Summary The Diabetes Intervention Study (DIS) is a prospective population-based multicentre trial of newly detected cases of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This report analyses the risk factors for subsequent coronary heart disease and all-cause death during the 11-year follow-up. The prognostic significance of the categories of the NIDDM Policy Group was validated with respect to the incidence of coronary heart disease and mortality. At baseline 1139 subjects, aged 30–55 years at the time of diabetes detection and classified as diet controlled after a 6-week screening phase, were included. Of the patients 112 (15.2 %) suffered from myocardial infarction, 197 (19.82 %) of 994 had died. The odds ratio for all-cause mortality compared to the general population for males at the age of 36–45 years was 5.1 and for females 7.0. In multivariate analysis age, blood pressure and smoking were independent risk factors for myocardial infarction and male sex, age, blood pressure, triglycerides, postprandial blood glucose and smoking for death, respectively. The categories of the NIDDM Policy Group target parameters for blood glucose, triglycerides and blood pressure were significant predictors of both CHD and death. Thus, it appears that in NIDDM good control of blood glucose, blood pressure and triglycerides is associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and death rate respectively. [Diabetologia (1996) 39: 1577–1583]

Efficacy and Safety of Exenatide Once Weekly Versus Metformin, Pioglitazone, and Sitagliptin Used as Monotherapy in Drug-Naive Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (DURATION-4) A 26-week double-blind study

OBJECTIVE To test the safety and efficacy of exenatide once weekly (EQW) compared with metformin (MET), pioglitazone (PIO), and sitagliptin (SITA) over 26 weeks, in suboptimally treated (diet and exercise) drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients were randomized to subcutaneous (SC) EQW 2.0 mg + oral placebo (n = 248), MET 2,000 mg/day + SC placebo (n = 246), PIO 45 mg/day + SC placebo (n = 163), or SITA 100 mg/day + SC placebo (n = 163) for 26 weeks. MET and PIO therapies were increased to maximum-tolerated dosages. Injections with EQW or placebo were administered weekly, while oral medication or placebo was administered daily. RESULTS Baseline characteristics were as follows: 59% men, 67% Caucasian, mean age 54 years, HbA1c 8.5%, fasting serum glucose 9.9 mmol/L, body weight 87.0 kg, and diabetes duration 2.7 years. HbA1c reductions (%) at 26 weeks (least-squares means) with EQW versus MET, PIO, and SITA were −1.53 vs. −1.48 (P = 0.620), −1.63 (P = 0.328), and −1.15 (P < 0.001), respectively. Weight changes (kg) were −2.0 vs. −2.0 (P = 0.892), +1.5 (P < 0.001), and −0.8 (P < 0.001), respectively. Common adverse events were as follows: EQW, nausea (11.3%) and diarrhea (10.9%); MET, diarrhea (12.6%) and headache (12.2%); PIO, nasopharyngitis (8.6%) and headache (8.0%); and SIT, nasopharyngitis (9.8%) and headache (9.2%). Minor (confirmed) hypoglycemia was rarely reported. No major hypoglycemia occurred. CONCLUSIONS EQW was noninferior to MET but not PIO and superior to SITA with regard to HbA1c reduction at 26 weeks. Of the agents studied, EQW and MET provided similar improvements in glycemic control along with the benefit of weight reduction and no increased risk of hypoglycemia.

Acarbose Slows Progression of Intima-Media Thickness of the Carotid Arteries in Subjects With Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Background and Purpose— Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)–a prediabetic state–is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis. Acarbose, an &agr;-glucosidase inhibitor, was shown in the placebo-controlled prospective study to prevent noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (STOP-NIDDM) trial to reduce the risk of diabetes by 36% in IGT subjects. This article reports on a placebo-controlled subgroup analysis of the STOP-NIDDM study to examine the efficacy of acarbose to slow progression of intima-media thickness (IMT) in subjects with IGT. Methods— One hundred thirty-two IGT subjects were randomized to placebo (n=66) or acarbose (n=66) 100 mg 3 times daily; the study duration was at least 3 years, mean follow-up time 3.9 (SD 0.6) years. Carotid IMT was determined at study entry and the end of the trial. The intent-to-treat analysis included 56 subjects in the acarbose and 59 in the control group who had a baseline and endpoint measurement. Results— A significant reduction of the progression of IMTmean was observed in the acarbose group versus placebo. After an average time of 3.9 years, IMTmean increased by 0.02 (0.07) mm in the acarbose group versus 0.05 (0.06) mm in the placebo group (P =0.027). The annual increase of IMTmean was reduced by ≈50% in the acarbose group versus placebo. Multiple linear regression revealed IMT progression as significantly related to acarbose intake. Conclusions— Acarbose slows progression of IMT in IGT subjects, a high-risk population for diabetes and atherosclerosis. This is the first placebo-controlled prospective subgroup analysis, demonstrating that counterbalancing of postprandial hyperglycemia may be vasoprotective.

Postprandial plasma glucose is an independent risk factor for increased carotid intima-media thickness in non-diabetic individuals

Postprandial (pp) hyperglycemia--frequently associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk factors--may be damaging for the endothelium. So far, little information exists how glucose, insulin and lipids may affect atherosclerosis in the pp state. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship of pp hyperglycemia, insulin secretion and coronary risk factors to intima-media thickness (IMT) in a non-diabetic risk population. In 403 subjects (147 males, 256 females), aged 40-70 years, in the majority relatives of index cases with type 2 diabetes--a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed together with measurement of insulin fractions, various risk factors and IMT of the common carotid artery. We found a continuous rise of 2h pp insulin fractions along the quintiles of 2h pp plasma glucose. A significant increase of body mass index, waist to hip ratio, triglycerides and decrease of HDL-cholesterol was observed in the top quintile of 2h pp plasma glucose (8.24 > or = pp plasma glucose < 11.1 mmol/l). Albuminuria was significantly enhanced in the 5th quintile. In parallel, IMT was significantly increased in the 5th quintile versus the bottom quintile of 2 h and maximal glucose (range 11.7-15.3 mmol/l) postprandially. After age and sex adjustment pp glucose and C-peptide, total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol but not fasting plasma glucose were significantly correlated to IMT. In multivariate analysis age, male sex, pp plasma glucose, total and HDL-cholesterol were found to be independent risk factors for increased IMT. In conclusion, our data in a non-diabetic European risk population show that the two top quintiles of pp plasma glucose are associated with a clustering of standard risk factors. Corresponding to this clustering of risk factors IMT was significantly increased in the top quintile of 2 h and maximal pp plasma glucose. These data show that pp hyperglycemia may exert a noxious impact on the arterial wall together with a cluster of anomalies typical for the metabolic syndrome.

The effect of darapladib on plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and cardiovascular biomarkers in patients with stable coronary heart disease or coronary heart disease risk equivalent: the results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES This study examined the effects of darapladib, a selective lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) inhibitor, on biomarkers of cardiovascular (CV) risk. BACKGROUND Elevated Lp-PLA(2) levels are associated with an increased risk of CV events. METHODS Coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-risk equivalent patients (n = 959) receiving atorvastatin (20 or 80 mg) were randomized to oral darapladib 40 mg, 80 mg, 160 mg, or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. Blood samples were analyzed for Lp-PLA(2) activity and other biomarkers. RESULTS Baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was 67 +/- 22 mg/dl. Plasma Lp-PLA(2) was higher in older patients (>or=75 years), in men, in those taking atorvastatin 20 mg, at LDL-C >or=70 mg/dl or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) <40 mg/dl, or in those with documented vascular disease (multivariate regression; p < 0.01). Darapladib 40, 80, and 160 mg inhibited Lp-PLA(2) activity by approximately 43%, 55%, and 66% compared with placebo (p < 0.001 weeks 4 and 12). Sustained dose-dependent inhibition was noted overall in both atorvastatin groups and at different baseline LDL-C (>or=70 vs. <70 mg/dl) and HDL-C (<40 vs. >or=40 mg/dl). At 12 weeks, darapladib 160 mg decreased interleukin (IL)-6 by 12.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] -22% to -1%; p = 0.028) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by 13.0% (95% CI -28% to +5%; p = 0.15) compared with placebo. The Lp-PLA(2) inhibition produced no detrimental effects on platelet biomarkers (P-selectin, CD40 ligand, urinary 11-dehydrothromboxane B(2)). No major safety concerns were noted. CONCLUSIONS Darapladib produced sustained inhibition of plasma Lp-PLA(2) activity in patients receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy. Changes in IL-6 and hs-CRP after 12 weeks of darapladib 160 mg suggest a possible reduction in inflammatory burden. Further studies will determine whether Lp-PLA(2) inhibition is associated with favorable effects on CV events.

Diabetes Intervention Study Multi-Intervention Trial in Newly Diagnosed NIDDM

Objective In a randomized 5-yr multi-intervention trial, we tested the efficacy of intensified health education (IHE) in improving metabolic control and reducing the level of coronary risk factors and incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Research Design and Methods Within the intervention group, the benefit of clofibric acid was evaluated in a double-blind study. One thousand one hundred thirty-nine newly diagnosed middle-aged (30- to 55-yr-old) patients with non-insulindependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) entered the study. They were classified as diet controlled after a 6- wk screening phase with conventional dietary treatment. During the follow-up, the control group (n = 378) was cared for at different diabetes outpatient clinics with a standardized surveillance. The intervention group (n = 761) had a structured IHE that included dietary advice, antismoking and antialcohol education, and ways to enhance physical activity. Results Randomly, 379 of the IHE patients received 1.6 g clofibric acid/day, and the others received placebo. IHE resulted in improved glucose control (adjusted fasting blood glucose) levels after 5 yr (control subjects 9.27 mM, IHE group 8.71 mM, and IHE plus clofibric acid group 8.60 mM, P < 0.01). The better glycemic control was achieved with fewer antidiabetic drugs. After 5 yr, antidiabetic drugs were prescribed to 47% of the control subjects, 28% of the IHE group, and 34% of the IHE plus clofibric acid group (cutoff limit for drug application was postprandial blood glucose of ≥13.87 mM). The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (0.26 vs. 0.40, P < 0.01) and physical activity (174 vs. 327 scores, P < 0.01) were increased, and blood pressure, tobacco, and alcohol consumption were significantly reduced by IHE. However, IHE had no effect on calorie intake, percentage of fat in the diet (45%), and body weight. The most important finding was the significant increase of blood cholesterol in all three groups (+ 0.47, +0.36, and +0.34 mM, respectively). Clofibric acid only prevented the increase of triglyceride levels (+ 0.56, +0.24, and +0.05 mM, respectively). The incidence rate per 1000 for myocardial infarction was 30.3 for control subjects, 53.6 for the IHE group, and 55.6 for the IHE plus clofibric acid group. The corresponding rates for IHD incidence were 90.9, 97.8, and 98.8, respectively. Men suffered more frequently from myocardial infarction, whereas women developed ECG criteria for IHD more frequently. Among the 35 cases of death, besides cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis and neoplasia were the predominant causes. The death rate per 1000 in control subjects was 46.2, 30.6 in the IHE group, and 27 among patients with IHE plus clofibric acid. Conclusions IHE was of substantial benefit for the control of glycemia, significantly diminished the need for antidiabetic drugs, and reduced a cluster of risk factors but had no effect on the control of blood lipids. This could be one major reason for the failure of IHE, effective lowering of blood pressure, and clofibric acid to prevent cardiovascular complications. Clofibric acid was only effective in reducing triglycerides.

Long-term therapy with addition of pioglitazone to metformin compared with the addition of gliclazide to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, comparative study.

This 52‐week, randomized, double‐blind study compared the efficacy and safety of metformin plus pioglitazone with the established combination of metformin plus gliclazide in type 2 diabetes mellitus.