Usage pattern, glycemic improvement, hypoglycemia, and body mass index changes with sulfonylureas in real-life clinical practice: results from OBSTACLE Hypoglycemia Study.

Background: Individual sulfonylurea agents differ in pharmacokinetic properties and clinical effects. This study aimed to describe the usage pattern, glycemic improvement, hypoglycemia, and change in body mass index (BMI) observed with commonly used sulfonylureas.

Subjects And Methods: Patients of either gender with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), between 18 and 75 years old and requiring addition of a sulfonylurea to an ongoing regimen of oral antihyperglycemic agent(s), were enrolled. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and BMI were assessed at both baseline and the end of 12 weeks of follow-up. The hypoglycemia score was assessed at the end of follow-up only.

Results: In total, 1,069 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 950 were considered evaluable. After a mean follow-up of 14.34±2.80 weeks, the HbA1c level decreased by 0.86±2.28%, BMI increased by 0.13±0.78 kg/m2, and mean hypoglycemia score was 0.98±1.42. A weak negative, statistically significant correlation (r = -0.093; P=0.0044) between hypoglycemic scores and increase in BMI was observed. No correlation was observed between change in HbA1c level and change in BMI. Glimepiride was the most commonly prescribed sulfonylurea (75.3%). For patients on glimepiride, a weak positive, statistically significant correlation (r=0.098; P=0.0082) between its dose and the hypoglycemic score was observed.

Conclusions: Various sulfonylurea agents appear to differ in their effect on glycemic control, tendency to cause hypoglycemia, and gain in BMI. Hypoglycemia caused by these agents appears not only to be dose related, but also correlates inversely with gain in BMI.