Comparison of the efficacy and safety of Glimepiride and Glipizide as add-on therapy with metformin in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder carrying an enormous burden of morbidity and mortality because of its characteristic complications, many of which are preventable with strict glycaemic control. Initial management of T2DM consists of non-pharmacological interventions; it those fail, an oral anti-diabetic drug, most typically metformin, is started. Combination therapy is initiated only when monotherapy fails to achieve glycaemic control. Glipizide and glimepiride, a second and a third generation sulphonylurea respectively, are the commonest drugs added to metformin when the latter fails to achieve euglycaemia on its own. Aims and Objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy and safety of glimepiride and glipizide as add-on therapy to metformin in patients of uncontrolled T2DM.Methods: This prospective, observational and analytical study was conducted by the Department of Pharmacology among patients attending the Internal Medicine OPD of a tertiary-care hospital. Fifty patients were assigned to two groups of 25 patients each: Group A - Glimepiride + Metformin and Group B - Glipizide + Metformin. Patients were followed up for three months. Data were analysed by Student's t-test.Results: There was a significant decrease in the HbA1c, FBS and 2h-PPBS in both groups. However there was no significant difference between the two groups during the three-month period of follow-up.Conclusions: The combination of glimepiride and metformin is just as effective and safe as the combination of glipizide and metformin in patients not controlled on monotherapy with metformin.