Efficacy and tolerability of sitagliptin monotherapy in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Type 2 diabetes in the elderly is an important and insufficiently studied public health problem. This study evaluated sitagliptin monotherapy in patients with type 2 diabetes aged epsilon a parts per thousand yen65 years. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study conducted at 52 sites in the United States. Patients were treated with once-daily sitagliptin (100 or 50 mg, depending on renal function) or placebo for 24 weeks. Key endpoints included change from baseline in glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), 2-hour post-meal glucose (2-h PMG) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at week 24, and average blood glucose on treatment days 3 and 7. Clinical trial registration: NCT00305604. Among randomized patients (N == 206), mean age was 72 years and mean baseline HbA(1c) was 7.8%%. At week 24, HbA(1c) decreased by 0.7%%, 2-h PMG by 61 mg/dL, and FPG by 27 mg/dL in sitagliptin-treated patients compared with placebo (all p < 0.001). On day 3 of treatment, mean average blood glucose was decreased from baseline by 20.4 mg/dL in sitagliptin-treated patients compared with placebo (p < 0.001). In subgroups defined by baseline HbA(1c) < 8.0%% (n == 132), epsilon a parts per thousand yen8.0%% to < 9.0%% (n == 42), and epsilon a parts per thousand yen9.0%% (n == 18), the placebo-adjusted reductions in HbA(1c) with sitagliptin treatment were 0.5%%, 0.9%%, and 1.6%%, respectively. Patients in the sitagliptin and placebo groups had similar rates of adverse events overall (46.1%% and 52.9%%, respectively); serious adverse events were reported in 6.9%% and 13.5%%, respectively. No adverse events of hypoglycemia were reported. Potential study limitations include a relatively small number of patients with more severe hyperglycemia (HbA(1c) epsilon a parts per thousand yen9.0%%) and the exclusion of patients with severe renal insufficiency. In this study, sitagliptin treatment significantly and rapidly improved glycemic measures and was well tolerated in patients aged epsilon a parts per thousand yen65 years with type 2 diabetes.