Beyond Insulin

University at Buffalo researchers have found that adding liraglutide to insulin treatment for patients with Type 1 diabetes results not only in better blood sugar control but simultaneous improvements in blood pressure, body weight and the amount of insulin patients need to take.

The 52-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial involved 26 men and women who received a daily injection of liraglutide and 20 who received placebo for 26 weeks. After that, the trial was unblinded and those who had taken the placebo were switched to the drug, while those on liraglutide continued to receive it. Ages ranged from 30 to 75 years.

Patients taking liraglutide saw a 0.57 percent reduction in their hemoglobin A1c, a measure of sugar in the blood, compared to placebo. Patients taking the drug also needed a significantly lower dose of insulin. There was also a reduction in systolic blood pressure and weight loss averaging about 8 pounds over the duration of the study with liraglutide.

Moreover, there was no significant increase in hypoglycemic episodes, says Paresh Dandona, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. In other words, liraglutide induced an improvement in diabetic control, along with a reduction in blood pressure and body weight, without causing hypoglycemia.

Says Dandona, “Adding liraglutide to the insulin regimen significantly benefits the Type 1 diabetic patient.”