The effects of salsalate on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial.

Description

Many studies have shown that inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Consequently, a clinical study was conducted to test an anti-inflammatory drug called salsalate, a nonacetylated prodrug of salicylate that has been shown to decrease blood glucose concentration. The TINSAL-T2D (Targeting Inflammation Using Salsalate in Type 2 Diabetes) trial was designed to evaluate whether this generic and inexpensive drug was safe, tolerated, and efficacious in patients with type 2 diabetes. Results of the study showed that salsalate lowered HbA1c and other measures of glycemic control. In addition, it lowered circulating triglyceride levels and raised adiponectin concentrations. Thus, these results suggest that salsalate has beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis by improving measures of glycemic control over the 3-month trial. Considering the anti-inflammatory nature of this drug, these results support the fact that inflammation is associated with type 2 diabetes. More clinical studies must be conducted to confirm these findings.