Combination therapy with mitiglinide and voglibose improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients on hemodialysis.

Mitiglinide, a rapid- and short-acting insulinotropic sulfonylurea receptor ligand, exhibits hypoglycemic action unlike other sulfonylureas. The efficacy of the combination of mitiglinide and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors for diabetic patients on hemodialysis (HD) has not been prospectively evaluated; therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of mitiglinide in these patients. We performed an open-label randomized study with 36 type 2 diabetics with poor glycemic control on HD and receiving daily doses of voglibose (0.9 mg). The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a combination-therapy group (mitiglinide group), mitiglinide initial dose 7.5 - 15 mg titrated to 30 mg daily and constant daily dose 0.9 mg of voglibose, and a monotherapy group (control group), constant daily dose 0.9 mg of voglibose alone. The efficacy of the treatment was determined by monitoring plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (Hb(A1c)), and glycated albumin (GA) levels and using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Safety and tolerance were determined by monitoring clinical and laboratory parameters. The final dose of mitiglinide was 22.9 +/- 8.9 (mean +/- s.d.) mg (0.41 mg/kg) daily. Mitiglinide reduced fasting plasma glucose and GA levels after 4 weeks and Hb(A1c) levels after 8 weeks. Triglyceride levels and HOMA-IR values also decreased significantly after mitiglinide treatment. No significant changes in blood pressure levels or serious adverse effects such as hypoglycemia or liver impairment were observed. This study suggests a combination therapy of mitiglinide and voglibose may have potential for the treatment of diabetics on HD. Due to the small sample size used, further studies should be performed, particularly to assess the safety of mitiglinide treatment.