Purpose: To determine the efficacy and safety of sitagliptin when used with some therapeutic drugs to treat elderly patients.
Methods: Sitagliptin (50 mg/day) was added to the pre-existing therapy for type 2 diabetes. Changes in the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level after 3 months of treatment were compared with the baseline, and exploratory analysis was performed. These analyses were conducted as subanalyses of the JAMP study, which was an open-label observational study.
Results: For patients who were ≥65 years of age, the change in HbA1c level from baseline ranged from -0.50 to -0.87% at 3 months after starting treatment. There was no significant difference in the change in HbA1c level between the patients treated with different concomitant drugs. No significant difference in HbA1c variations at 3 and 12 months from baseline was noted among the three age groups (≥75, 65-74, and <65 years). Multiple regression analysis was performed, and it revealed that patients with higher HbA1c levels at baseline were likely to show decreased HbA1c levels, while those with higher triglyceride (TG) levels were unlikely to show decreased HbA1c levels.
Conclusion: Sitagliptin has the potential to both improve glycemic control and prevent hypoglycemia, and can be considered a potent alternative drug.
Keywords: DPP-4 inhibitor; Elderly patients; JAMP subanalysis; Prospective observational study; Sitagliptin; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.