PracticeUpdate: Diabetes

CONFERENCE COVERAGE 18

American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists Annual Meeting 16–20 MAY 2018 • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA By the PracticeUpdate Editorial Team

Type 2 Diabetes Patients Respond to Hydroxychloroquine Anti-inflammatory drug reduces HbA1c levels and other glycemic parameters T he use of the anti-inflammatory drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) reduces hemoglobin A1c levels and is well tol- As pointed out by Dr. Pareek and his colleagues, research has increasingly indicated that type 2 diabetes is an inflam- matory disease, suggesting there is a potential benefit in using anti-inflammatory treatments in diabetes.

laboratory adverse events, as well as inci- dence of hypoglycemia, were also evaluated. There were 287 individuals enrolled in the study and assessed for safety. Of those, 208 completed at least 24 weeks of ther- apy and were assessed for efficacy based on their baseline hsCRP levels (a hsCRP ≤ 3 group and a hsCRP > 3 group). The introduction of HCQ to therapy resulted in substantial reductions in glycemic param- eters, particularly in the hsCRP >3 group compared to the ≤ 3 group: HbA1c (–1.42 vs –1.19%), FBG (–22.26 vs –15.26 mg/dl) and PPG (–43.02 vs –33.41 mg/dl). Non-responders (no change or increase in HbA1c) were significantly fewer in the hsCRP > 3 group compared to the ≤ 3 group (5.7% vs 14.6, P = .037). As for inflammatory markers, significant reductions were seen only in the hsCRP > 3 group:

erated in individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a phase IV study presented at AACE 2018. Specifically, individuals who received HCQ along with metformin and sulfon- ylurea experienced a mean reduction in their hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels of 1.3%, as well as a reduction in other glycemic parameters. HCQ has been approved in India for man- agement of type 2 diabetic individuals who are uncontrolled on a combination of metformin and sulfonylurea. In this study, researchers led by Anilkumar Pareek, MD, of Ipca Laboratories Ltd., in Maharashtra, India, evaluated the safety and efficacy of the drug, as well as its effect on inflam- matory parameters in diabetes individuals.

In this open-label multi-center study, researchers recruited individuals with ≥ 7% HbA1c who had received stable doses of metformin sulfonylurea for a least 3 months. In addition to their existing therapy, these individuals received HCQ 400 mg/day for 52 weeks. The researchers evaluated efficacy parame- ters such as changes in HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and postprandial glucose (PPG), as well as changes in inflammatory markers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell counts. Safety parameters such as clinical and

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