Effects of Vitagliptin Combined with Metformin on Glucose Metabolism, Insulin Resistance, and Hemorheology in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Tielin Chen^1,*, Shuguang Wang¹, Jiangsu Yu²

¹Department of Emergency, the 6th Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo, PR China - ²Department of Endocrinology, the People Hospital of Shangyu, Shaoxing, PR China

Objective: To study the effects of vitagliptin combined with metformin on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and hemorheology in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We randomly selected 104 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in our hospital and divided them into a control group (52 cases) and an experimental group (52 cases) with different treatment schemes. Patients in the control group were treated orally with metformin hydrochloride tablets, with doses of 0.5 g administered three times per day. Patients in the experimental group were treated with vitagliptin on the basis of the control group with twice-daily doses of 50 mg. The T2DM patients in both groups were treated continuously for three months. The effects and adverse reactions after treatment in the two groups of patients were observed and analyzed, and we compared the glucose metabolism indicators [fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial 2 h blood glucose (2hPG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)], islet β-cell function indicators [fasting C-peptide, postprandial 2hC-peptide content and steady-state model insulin secretion index (HOMA-β), and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)] and hemorheology indicators [whole blood viscosity (high-cut), whole blood viscosity (medium-cut), whole blood viscosity (low-cut), plasma viscosity, and hematocrit] before and after treatment in the two groups.

Results: The total effective rate of the experimental group was 94.23%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (80.77%) (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of FBG, 2hPG, and HbA1c in the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment; in the experimental group, the levels of FBG, 2hPG, and HbA1c were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The fasting C-peptide and postprandial 2hC-peptide content were not significantly different from those before treatment (P>0.05). In both groups, HOMA-β was significantly higher after treatment, while HOMA-IR was significantly lower after treatment (P<0.05); HOMA-β was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in HOMA-IR between the two groups (P>0.05). The whole blood viscosity (high-cut), whole blood viscosity (medium-cut), whole blood viscosity (low-cut), and plasma viscosity and hematocrit of the two groups of patients after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment, and those in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group. No significant adverse reactions occurred in T2DM patients in both groups.

Conclusion: Vitagliptin combined with metformin is effective in treating patients with T2DM with no significant adverse reactions, and can control blood glucose levels effectively, promote islet β-cell function recovery, and improve blood viscosity and blood flow velocity in patients with T2DM.