Beneficial Effects of Vildagliptin on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Blood pressure and lipid profile are important determinants of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To identify the pleiotropic effects of vildagliptin other than blood glucose lowering effect, a retrospective study was conducted in 128 patients with T2DM treated with vildagliptin 50 mg twice daily. The patients were separated into two groups: patients who were initiated with vildagliptin as monotherapy or add-on therapy (add-on group, n = 66) and patients who were switched from sitagliptin 100 mg once daily to vildagliptin (switching group, n = 62). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), systolic/diastolic blood pressure, lipid profiles, and uric acid (UA) at 3, 6, and 12 months of vildagliptin therapy were compared with those at baseline in each group. At baseline, there were no significant differences in HbA1c, BMI, blood pressures, lipid profiles, and UA levels between the two groups. After vildagliptin initiation, HbA1c decreased significantly but BMI and blood pressure did not change in both groups. Only in the add-on group, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months. On the other hand, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not change in both groups. Serum UA levels decreased only in the switching group from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months. These results indicate that vildagliptin add-on treatment may have beneficial effects on lipid profiles, and switching from sitagliptin to vildagliptin reduces UA in patients with T2DM; these are important findings linked to the beneficial effects of vildagliptin on lipid and UA metabolisms in the treatment of T2DM.