Diabetes Care, Vol 21, Issue 3 409-415, Copyright © 1998 by American Diabetes Association
Long-term titrated-dose alpha-glucosidase inhibition in non-insulin-requiring Hispanic NIDDM patients
PS Johnston, PU Feig, RF Coniff, A Krol, JA Davidson and SM Haffner
Bayer Pharmaceuticals, West Haven, Connecticut, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of a titrated
dose of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol (BAY m 1099) in Hispanic
NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 1-year double-blind
randomized placebo-controlled study in which diet-treated or diet plus
sulfonylurea-treated Hispanic NIDDM patients received either placebo (n =
131) or miglitol in doses of 50, 100, 150, 200 mg t.i.d. (n = 254),
up-titrated and down-titrated based on tolerability. Efficacy parameters
included changes from baseline in HbA1c, fasting and 2-h postprandial
plasma glucose and serum insulin, fasting serum lipids, and urinary
albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Safety assessments consisted primarily
of tabulation of adverse events and intercurrent illnesses, and of periodic
laboratory determinations. RESULTS: Reductions from baseline in HbA1c
levels at the 6-month (primary efficacy) endpoint were significantly
greater by 0.83% in the miglitol group than in the placebo group. HbA1c
reductions in the miglitol treatment group significantly exceeded those in
the placebo group by 0.63, 0.73, and 0.92% at 3, 9, and 12 months of
treatment, respectively. Reductions in 120-min postprandial glucose and
insulin levels were significantly greater in the miglitol group than in the
placebo group at all postbaseline visits. There was little difference
between treatments for changes in fasting insulin or lipid levels.
Miglitol-associated reductions versus placebo in fasting plasma glucose (P
= 0.0587 at 6 months) and in ACR (P = 0.0541 at 1-year) were nearly
statistically significant. These efficacy results were not notably
different between the 6-month endpoint, at which time the mean miglitol
dose was 100 mg t.i.d., and the 1-year visit, when the mean miglitol dose
was 149 mg t.i.d. Notable adverse events seen significantly more often in
the miglitol group than in the placebo group were flatulence and diarrhea
(or soft stools). The incidence of these gastrointestinal adverse events
appeared to be dose dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Miglitol treatment of
non-insulin-requiring Hispanic NIDDM patients at doses from 50 to 200 mg
t.i.d. produced statistically and clinically significant reductions of
HbA1c, primarily associated with reduction of glucose and insulin levels in
the postprandial period, which were sustained over a year of treatment.
Adverse events related to the drug's mechanism of action were common, but
generally well tolerated. Doses above 100 mg t.i.d. were not associated
with notably enhanced efficacy in most patients.