Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), approved for management of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Aim: The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Liraglutide in controlling blood glucose levels over a period of 6 to 12 months in Tunisian type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective descriptive study at the endocrinology-nutrition department of the military hospital of Tunis, including 22 patients with T2D who were not treated with GLP-1 RAs. Liraglutide 1.2 mg was administered subcutaneously once daily. Fasting glycemia and glycated hemoglobin were checked before and 6 to 12 months after starting treatment. Clinical and paraclinical data were collected from medical records.

Results: Our population included 8 men and 14 women. The mean age was 53.8±9 years old. The mean duration of diabetes was 11.2±6.9 years. Our patients had a mean weight of 109±19.2 kg and a mean BMI of 39.4±7 kg/m². Hypertension, dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease were found in respectively 15, 16 and seven patients. Nineteen patients were treated with metformin, 15 patients with dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors, 16 patients with sulphonylureas and five patients with insulin. The mean HbA1c was 10±11.3% before starting Liraglutide and 8.4±1.8% after 6 to 12 months of treatment (P=0.004). The mean fasting blood glucose was 2.1±0.5 g/l before starting Liraglutide and 1.7±0.5 g/l after 6 to 12 months of treatment (P=0.049). Glycemic control remained stable in three patients, worsened in four patients, and improved in 15 patients. Ten patients achieved therapeutic targets of HbA1c. Among those treated with sulphonylureas, the dose was reduced in 10 patients. Among those treated with insulin, the dose was reduced in four patients.

Conclusion: Our study shows the effectiveness of Liraglutide, used in combination with other hypoglycemic agents, in reducing HbA1c and glycemia in patients with T2D.