Treatment Discontinuation and Clinical Events in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Treated with Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors or NPH Insulin as Third-Line Therapy

Objective. To compare dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors with neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin, in terms of effectiveness and safety for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) not controlled on metformin and sulfonylureas. Methods. A retrospective cohort study of individuals with DM2 newly dispensed with either DPP-4 inhibitors or NPH as third-line therapy, after metformin and sulfonylurea. Treatment discontinuation, macrovascular outcomes, and hypoglycemia were compared using multivariable Cox regression models, adjusted for sex, age, year of cohort entry, place of residence, hypertension, past history of hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, comorbidities, and number of visits to emergency departments, outpatient physician, and hospitalizations. Results. Treatment discontinuation and hypoglycemia occurred more frequently with NPH than with DPP-4 inhibitor users. In the adjusted Cox model, the use of NPH compared to that of DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with a higher risk of discontinuation (HR: 1.33; 95% CI 1.27–1.40) and hypoglycemia (HR: 2.98; 95% CI 2.72–3.28). Risk of cardiovascular events was similar across groups. Conclusions. This real-world analysis suggests that DM2 patients initiating third-line therapy with NPH have poorer control of diabetes when compared to DPP-4 inhibitor initiators.