Metabolic control and vascular diseases under oral antidiabetic drug versus insulin therapy and/or diet alone during the first year of hemodialysis in type 2 diabetic patients with ESRD.

Introduction: Uremic type 2 diabetic patients on hemodialysis need various types of antidiabetic therapies. The aim of the present study was to identify differences between patients on oral antidiabetic drug therapy or insulin substitution or diet therapy alone during their first year of hemodialysis.
Patients and Methods: Sixty-four type 2 diabetic patients who had started hemodialysis (HD) at our dialysis center between 2003 and 2007 were included in the study. Kidney-transplanted patients (n = 1) and those with chronic infectious or malignant diseases (n = 4) were excluded. Patients were divided into three groups according to their antidiabetic therapy: group 1 consisted of patients on oral antidiabetic drug therapy (n = 12), group 2 of those on insulin therapy (n = 42), and group 3 of those being treated with diet alone (n = 10). At the start of HD and 12 months later, we measured fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, the incidence of hypoglycemia (n/patient/month), cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight, and insulin requirements in the insulin-treated group. C-peptide was only measured at the start of dialysis. We evaluated changes in antidiabetic therapy during the first year on dialysis, and the prevalence of vascular disease in each group at the start of HD.
Results: FPG and HbA1c values were similar in all groups at the start of HD and after 1 year. Hypoglycemia occurred more frequently in insulin-treated patients; however, the difference was not significant. Cholesterol levels were similar in all groups, whereas triglycerides were significantly lower in insulin-treated patients (138 ± 28 vs. 176 ± 46 mg/dl; P < 0.05). Body weight was similar in all groups. No significant change in body weight was observed in any group after 12 months on dialysis. At the start of HD, C-peptide levels were lower in insulin-treated patients than in the other groups (1.8 ± 0.9 ng/ml vs. 2.2 ± 1.1 and 2.4 ± 1.1 ng/ml; P < 0.05). During the first 12 months on HD, two patients from group 1 were shifted to group 3 (diet alone), while four patients could reduce their drug dosage (33%). However, two subjects became insulin-dependent. In group 2, insulin therapy could be terminated in two cases, while the insulin dose could be reduced in 20 patients (48%). In group 3, one patient was switched to oral antidiabetic therapy. The prevalence of vascular disease was slightly higher in group 3 (NS).
Conclusion: Within 1 year after the start of HD, the dose of sulfonylurea as well as insulin could be reduced in a large majority of patients. Metabolic control was similar in all groups. Only triglycerides were significantly lower in group 2. The frequency of hypoglycemia and the prevalence of vascular disease were just slightly higher in the group on insulin therapy.