The aim of this study was to compare the effects of treatment with exenatide or Insulin Glargine on postprandial glycemia, lipid profiles and markers of oxidative stress after one year of treatment and a 5-week off-drug period. For that purpose, 69 metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized of whom 60 (exenatide n=30; Insulin Glargine n=30) completed both the pre-treatment and on-drug meal test. The results after one-year exenatide treatment revealed a significant reduction in postprandial serum glucose, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B48, calculated VLDL cholesterol and free fatty acid excursions compared to subjects taking Insulin Glargine. These beneficial effects by exenatide were also associated with reduced postprandial oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde and oxidized LDL. All postprandial measures returned to pre-treatment values in both groups after a 5-week off-drug treatment. Thus, these results suggest that exenatide has a positive impact on metabolic complications associated with type 2 diabetes, but further studies are needed to demonstrate that it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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