Liraglutide improves the beta-cell function without increasing insulin secretion during a mixed meal in patients, who exhibit well-controlled type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease

Background Hyperinsulinemia aggravates insulin resistance and cardio-vascular disease. How the insulinotropic glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in a physiologic post-prandial setting may act on pancreatic alpha and beta-cell function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is less clear. Methods Insulin resistant patients with established CAD and newly diagnosed well-controlled T2DM were recruited to a placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with two treatment periods of 12 weeks and a 2 weeks wash-out period before and in-between. Treatment was liraglutide or placebo titrated from 0.6 mg q.d. to 1.8 mg q.d. within 4 weeks and metformin titrated from 500 mg b.i.d to 1000 mg b.i.d. within 4 weeks. Before and after intervention in both 12 weeks periods insulin, C-peptide, glucose, and glucagon were measured during a meal test. Beta-cell function derived from the oral glucose tolerance setting was calculated as changes in insulin secretion per unit changes in glucose concentration (Btotal) and whole-body insulin resistance using ISIcomposite. Results Liraglutide increased the disposition index [Btotal × ISIcomposite, by 40% (n = 24, p Conclusions The insulinotropic drug liraglutide may without increasing the insulin concentration reduce postprandial glucose but not glucagon excursions and improve beta-cell function in newly diagnosed and well-controlled T2DM. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT01595789