Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist versus basal insulin in type-2 diabetic patients: An efficacy and safety analysis

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist with that of basal insulin in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: Type-2 diabetes patients who were insensitive to metformin were treated with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GP cohort, n = 115) or basal insulin (BI cohort, n = 152) with metformin. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level and body weight were determined, and adverse effects also recorded. Results: After 16 weeks of treatment, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist did not significantly reduce HbA1c levels (7.45 ± 2.11 % vs. 7.01 ± 2.01, p = 0.107). In contrast, basal insulin significantly reduced the levels of HbA1c (7.91 ± 2.98 % vs. 7.13 ± 2.22 %, p = 0.010, q = 3.852). Glucagon-likepeptide 1 receptor agonist reduced the body weight of patients (65.25 ± 7.55 kg vs. 62.16 ± 6.15 kg, p = 0.0008, q = 5.121), unlike basal insulin (63.71 ± 6.15 vs. 62.65 ± 6.76 kg, p = 0.154). Conclusion: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist and basal insulin + metformin produce identical effectiveness in the treatment of type-2 diabetic patients. Keywords: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, Glycemic control, Insulin, Metformin, Type-2 diabetes