Effects of exenatide on metabolic parameters/control in obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

The effects of exenatide on glycemic control, lipid metabolism, blood pressure, and gastrointestinal symptoms were investigated in obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Twenty-six outpatients were enrolled and administered 5 μg of exenatide twice daily. If there was insufficient weight loss and/or insufficient improvement in glycemic control, the dose was increased to 10 μg twice daily. Follow-up was continued until the 12th week of administration. Hemoglobin A1c, glycoalbumin, fasting plasma glucose, body weight, fasting serum C-peptide, serum lipids, blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured before and after the observation period. In the initial phase of exenatide therapy, each patient received a diary to record gastrointestinal symptoms. During treatment with exenatide, hemoglobin A1c decreased significantly and serum C-peptide increased significantly. Body weight, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly. Nausea was the most frequent gastrointestinal symptom and occurred in 16 patients. Its onset was noted at a mean of 1.7 h after injection, the mean duration was 1.1 h, and it continued for a mean of 9.3 days after the initiation of administration. Patients with nausea showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin Alc, glycoalbumin, or body weight compared with those without nausea. These findings suggest that a more marked improvement in metabolic parameters by exenatide can be partly dependent on the manifestation of gastrointestinal symptoms.