Abstract: Objective: Hypoglycemia is a major concern in type 2 diabetes (T2DM), but little is known about its likelihood compared across common therapies. We compared the likelihood of hypoglycemia among metformin-treated patients with T2DM randomized to the addition of one of 4 common therapies.
Research Design & Methods: Randomized, controlled trial of 5,047 participants with T2DM of <10 years' duration, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 6.8-8.5% (50.8-69.4 mmol/mol). Randomization to addition of glargine U100, glimepiride, liraglutide, or sitagliptin over 5.0 ± 1.3 (mean ± SD) years. HbA1c was measured quarterly; if a level >7.5% (>58.5 mmol/mol) was confirmed, rescue glargine and/or aspart insulin was added. We conducted a per-protocol analysis of 4,830, who attended at least one post-baseline visit and took at least one dose of assigned study medication. We assessed severe hypoglycemia events reported throughout the entire study. At quarterly visits, all participants were asked about hypoglycemic symptoms within the last 30 days, and those in the glargine and glimepiride groups were asked for any measured glucose <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) within this time period.
Results: While participants were taking their assigned medications, severe hypoglycemia occurred in 10 (0.8%), 16 (1.3%), 6 (0.5%), and 4 (0.3%), (p<0.05) and hypoglycemic symptoms in 659 (54.2%), 833 (68.3%), 375 (32.4%), and 361 (29.1%) of participants following randomization to glargine, glimepiride, liraglutide, and sitagliptin, respectively (p<0.001).
Conclusions: In metformin-treated patients with T2DM who add a second medication, hypoglycemia is most likely with addition of glimepiride, less with glargine, and least likely with liraglutide and sitagliptin.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01794143.
Competing Interests: Outside the submitted work, Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist reports grants or contracts from JDRF to her institution; consulting fees from Lily, NovoNordisk, Sanofi, and Zucara; honoraria from International Hypoglycemia study group; board membership with the American Diabetes Association; and receipt of sensors from Dexcom to her institution. Dr. Lawrence Phillips reports salary support from the Veterans Health Administration during the conduct of the study; grants from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, grants from Merck, Amylin, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, PhaseBio, Roche, AbbVie, Vascular Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Kowa, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; other support from DIASYST, outside the submitted work. Outside the submitted work, Dr. Richard M. Bergenstal reports consulting fees from Abbot Diabetes Care, Ascencia, Bigfoot Biomedical, Inc., DexCom, MannKind, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and United Health Care made to HealthPartners Institute; payments or honoraria from Sanofi and Vertex Pharmaceuticals made to Health Partners Institute; support for meetings or travel from Abbott Diabetes Care, Ascensia, CeQur, Eli Lilly, Embecta, MannKind, Novo Nordisk, Roche GmbH, Sanofi, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Zealand Pharma made to Health Partners Institute, and participation on a data safety monitoring or advisory board from Abbott Diabetes Care, CeQur, Eli Lilly, Embecta, Hygieia, Roche GmbH, and Zealand Pharma with payments made to HealthPartners Institute. Outside the submitted work, Dr. Jill Crandall reports non-financial support from Abbott. Outside the submitted work, Mary L Johnson reports research grants paid to Health Partners Institute from Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, and Lilly. Dr. Alokananda Ghosh, Dr. Naji Younes, Dr. John Lachin, Chelsea Baker, Dr. Robin S. Goland, Michaela R Gramzinski, Dr. Daniel S Hsia, Dr. Sophia H Hox, Dr. Philip Raskin, Dr. Willy M Valencia, and Andrea H Waltje have nothing to disclose. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.
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