Effect of metformin and Pioglitazone on insulin dose reduction in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: An open level comparative prospective study

Insulin therapy cause weight gain and may increase its own requirement. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with insulin resistance and affect both endogenous and exogenous insulin effect. Metformin and Pioglitazone, commonly used insulin sensitizers, have the potentiality of reducing the insulin dose, in Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. This study was held to assess and compare such potentiality. 40 T2DM patients not controlled by diet, exercise and oral antidiabetic agents were selected for this study. Study had observed that Pioglitazone and metformin both significantly had reduced the dose of insulin. But metformin reduce the dose of insulin significantly more than that of Pioglitazone. Metformin had reduced the triglyceride, LDL-c, waist hip ratio significantly but modestly increased serum lactic acid and HDL-c. It can be concluded that co-administration of metformin with insulin is more beneficial in relation to the dose of insulin, waist hip ratio, and lipid modification when compare to Pioglitazone.