RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors on adipokines remain obscure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of vildagliptin on visfatin, an adipokine that represents inflammatory biomarkers of adipose tissue, in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with prior metformin monotherapy. METHODS: In this 16-week, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study, 71 patients were randomly assigned to vildagliptin 50 mg twice a day (n = 35) or placebo (n = 36) added to ongoing metformin therapy. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), plasma lipids, and visfatin levels were measured at baseline and 16 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: After 16 weeks, significant reduction in HbA1c and FPG was observed with vildagliptin addon treatment compared to placebo (-0.54 +/- 0.52%, P = 0.001 and -14.80 +/- 19.21 mg/dL, P = 0.004, respectively). However, no other clinically meaningful changes in lipid parameters or visfatin were observed. CONCLUSION: Vildagliptin add-on to metformin significantly improved fasting blood glucose and HbA1c. However, in this study, no significant differences in lipid parameters or visfatin level were observed between the two groups.