A comparison of efficacy and tolerance of nateglinide and acarbose monotherapy in type 2 diabetes mellitns / 中华内科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the efficacy and tolerability of nateglinide with those of acarbose in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.Methods This multi-center,randomized,double-blind,parallel-arm study compared the efficacy and tolerability of nateglinide( 120 mg,3/d,n = 119) and those of acarbose( 100 mg,3/d,n = 118) during a 12-week treatment in T2DM patients uncontrolled by diet with glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 6.5% - 11.0% .Results Monotherapy with nateglinide (120 mg,3/d)or acarbose (100 mg,3/d)decreased HbA1c to a similar extent during 12-week treatment.The mean change from baseline to end-point in HbAlc was ( -0.90±0.98)% and ( -0.83±0.81 )% in patients receiving nateglinide and acarbose,respectively,with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).The decrease in fasting plasma glucose (FPG)was similar between nateglinide and acarbose (P > 0.05).The mean change in 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose ( PG2h ) was ( - 1.45 ± 2.74) mmol/L and ( -2.20±2.21 ) mmol/L in patients receiving nateglinide and acarbose(P =0.0017).Body weight was significantly decreased in both groups at the end-point ( P < 0.05 ),although the decrease was more with acarbese than nateglinide [( -0.66±1.79)kg vs (-2.06±2.00) kg,P=0.0000].And the proportion of patients experiencing any presumed drug related adverse events was not significantly different between the two groups.Conclusions Nateglinide ( 120 mg,3/d) is effective and well tolerated in T2DM patients uncontrolled by diet,demonstrating similar HbA1c reductions as compared with acarbose (100 mg,3/d).