[Effectiveness of combined treatment with glibenclamide and insulin in secondary sulfonylurea failure. A controlled multicenter double-blind clinical trial]

Abstract

The effectiveness of combined insulin and glibenclamide was compared with that of insulin alone in a multicenter double-blind trial of secondary sulphonylurea failures. Protocols of 176 patients at 26 centers were available, but only 68 could ultimately be included in the analysis. Combined insulin and glibenclamide (Euglucon N) had been taken by 37 patients, combined insulin and placebo by 31. The final criterion, postprandial one-hour blood sugar level of less than or equal to 220 mg/100 ml after 24 weeks, was attained by nearly 75% of patients in both groups. Fasting blood sugar and postprandial one-hour blood sugar as well as HbA1 did not differ during the entire test period of 24 weeks. Mean daily insulin dose was 20 IU in the insulin/glibenclamide group, 35 IU in the insulin/placebo group. This increased the number of second evening insulin injections by 50% in the insulin/placebo group compared with the insulin/glibenclamide group. The frequency of mild hypoglycemia was similar in the two groups. The results indicate that combined insulin/glibenclamide, given over a period of six months to patients with secondary sulphonylurea failure, provided metabolic results as good as those with insulin alone. The required insulin dosage was thus reduced by more than a third.