Raffaella Dell'Oro1, Alessandro Maloberti1, Francesco Nicoli1, Paolo Villa1, Pierluigi Gamba1, Michele Bombelli1, Giuseppe Mancia1, Guido Grassi2,3. 1. Clinica Medica, Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Milano-Bicocca, Via Pergolesi 33, 20090, Monza, Italy. 2. Clinica Medica, Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Milano-Bicocca, Via Pergolesi 33, 20090, Monza, Italy. guido.grassi@unimib.it. 3. IRCCS Multimedica, Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy. guido.grassi@unimib.it.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Pharmacological inhibition of dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 may represent a promising therapeutic approach for glucose control and vascular protection. No information is available on the effects of saxagliptin (S) on aortic pulse wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and flow-mediated dilation (FMD, brachial artery) in diabetes. AIM: We investigated the long-term effects of S, as add-on therapy to metformin, on the above mentioned variables. METHODS: In 16 patients with decompensated diabetes aortic pulse wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and FMD, office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure, anthropometric, biochemical and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of treatment. A group of 16 compensated diabetics served as controls. RESULTS: The two groups showed superimposable values of the different parameters, with the exception of glycated hemoglobin, blood glucose significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the S-treated patients. In the S-group glucose metabolism and FMD significantly improved during the follow-up (from 169.3 ± 8 to 157.1 ± 9 mg/dl, P < 0.05, from 7.9 ± 0.1 to 6.9 ± 0.2%, P < 0.001 and from 3.6 ± 0.3 to 7.4 ± 0.8%, respectively P < 0.05). No significant difference was detected in the other parameters, including blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Thus treatment with S added-on to metformin results in beneficial effects on endothelial function, related at least in part to the concomitant improvement in glucose metabolism. This may represent a first step in the chain of events leading to a reduction in the progression of the vascular atherogenic process.
INTRODUCTION: Pharmacological inhibition of dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 may represent a promising therapeutic approach for glucose control and vascular protection. No information is available on the effects of saxagliptin (S) on aortic pulse wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and flow-mediated dilation (FMD, brachial artery) in diabetes. AIM: We investigated the long-term effects of S, as add-on therapy to metformin, on the above mentioned variables. METHODS: In 16 patients with decompensated diabetes aortic pulse wave velocity, carotid intima-media thickness and FMD, office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure, anthropometric, biochemical and metabolic parameters were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of treatment. A group of 16 compensated diabetics served as controls. RESULTS: The two groups showed superimposable values of the different parameters, with the exception of glycated hemoglobin, blood glucose significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the S-treated patients. In the S-group glucose metabolism and FMD significantly improved during the follow-up (from 169.3 ± 8 to 157.1 ± 9 mg/dl, P < 0.05, from 7.9 ± 0.1 to 6.9 ± 0.2%, P < 0.001 and from 3.6 ± 0.3 to 7.4 ± 0.8%, respectively P < 0.05). No significant difference was detected in the other parameters, including blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Thus treatment with S added-on to metformin results in beneficial effects on endothelial function, related at least in part to the concomitant improvement in glucose metabolism. This may represent a first step in the chain of events leading to a reduction in the progression of the vascular atherogenic process.
Authors: Arno Greyling; Anke C C M van Mil; Peter L Zock; Daniel J Green; Lorenzo Ghiadoni; Dick H Thijssen Journal: Atherosclerosis Date: 2016-03-11 Impact factor: 5.162