Long-term comparative trial of glibenclamide and chlorpropamide in diet-failed, maturity-onset diabetics.

The long-term clinical effectiveness of glibenclamide was compared with chlorpropamide in highly comparable groups of three hundred and twenty-one diet-failed, non-obese, maturity-onset, newly diagnosed diabetics. The overall primary failure-rate in the chlorpropamide-treated patients was significantly less (p<0.05), and more patients were on chlorpropamide at the end of two years than were on glibenclamide (p<0.01). Although there were fewer secondary failures with chlorpropamide treatment, this difference was not significant. The final blood-glucose and change in body-weight were similar in patients from both treatment groups still taking the original sulphonylurea agent 2 years later. Hypoglycaemic episodes were more common and severe in the glibenclamide-treated patients.