Less frequent body weight gain in elderly type 2 diabetic patients treated with glimepiride

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the present paper was to study the effect of a new sulfonylurea, glimepiride, which has an extra‐pancreatic action that improves insulin resistance, on glycemic control and body weight gain in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).Methods: Thirty‐seven type 2 diabetic patients being treated with either gliclazide or glibenclamide were switched to glimepiride for 6 months and clinical parameters were compared between elderly (≥ 65 years old, n = 9) and non‐elderly (< 65 years old, n = 28) patients.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in baseline characteristics, or in changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c. For body weight change, however, none of the elderly patients (0/9) exhibited an increase, but 9 of 28 (32%) non‐elderly subjects showed body weight gain (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Body weight gain with glimepiride treatment is less frequent in elderly patients with type 2 DM than in non‐elderly patients with the disease. These data together with the recent increase in obese elderly patients with diabetes suggest that glimepiride is recommended for treatment of type 2 diabetes in this age group.