Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus failing on oral agents and starting once daily insulin regimen; a small randomized study investigating effects of adding vildagliptin

Wendela Lucia de Ranitz-Greven, Joline Wilhelma Johanna Beulens, Lette Birgit Elisabeth Anne Hoeks, Gerdien Belle-van Meerkerk, Douwe Hedde Biesma, Harold Wessel de Valk

The addition of a DDP4-inhibitor to existing insulin therapy reduces HbA1c. However, no data exist about the addition of these agents at the beginning of insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes while this could especially be interesting because it is during this period that considerable residual beta cell function is still present. The benefit of such a strategy could be a lower insulin dose required for glycemic control. The hypothesis of our study was that adding a DPP4-inhibitor at the beginning of insulin treatment could lead to less exogenous insulin requirement, a reduction of hyperinsulinemia and side effects (hypoglycemia and weight gain), less glucose variability and improvement of insulin and glucagon dynamics during a mixed meal test.