Type 2 diabetes patients who struggle to control their blood sugar could achieve better HbA1c levels through taking Jardiance (empagliflozin) and metformin, research suggests.
These are the findings of a new study which compared empagliflozin and metformin as first-line therapy compared to patients who took either drug as a monotherapy.
Samy Hadjadj, MD, PhD, Poitiers University Hospital, France and colleagues conducted this study, which involved 1,364 patients with type 2 diabetes who were not taking medication beforehand.
All the participants had an HbA1c greater than 7.5% (58.5 mmol/mol), and were randomised to 24 weeks of treatment either with varying doses of empagliflozin and metfomin together, empagliflozin on its ow, or metformin on its own.
The participants were evaluated at baseline and weeks six, 12, 18 and 24, with follow-up visits conducted seven days after the last intake of the study drug.
All treatment groups experienced reductions in HbA1c, but the highest reductions occurred among patients taking empagliflozin and metformin twice daily.
Patients in the combination therapy group also experienced greater weight loss compared to those taking metformin alone, as well as more significant reductions in blood pressure.
However, the improvements in blood pressure were not greater in the combination therapy group when compared to the empagliflozin alone group.
“This was as expected given that empagliflozin has consistently been shown to reduce BP in patients with type 2 diabetes,” said the researchers.
“The mechanisms behind reductions in BP with empagliflozin have not been fully clarified but may reflect weight loss, volume contraction secondary to osmotic diuresis or arterial stiffness.”
The drug combination was well tolerated by patients and did not increase hypoglycemia, and the researchers hope the findings could encourage use of combinations including empagliflozin in type 2 diabetes patients with high cardiovascular risk.
The study appears in Diabetes Care.
