Adults with type 2 diabetes treated with Novo Nordisk’s Victoza®, in combination with metformin, experienced similar improvements in blood glucose control while fasting during the four weeks of Ramadan compared with sulfonylurea (SU) plus metformin, according to a recent study.
People treated with Victoza® also demonstrated greater weight loss and fewer confirmed hypoglycemic episodes compared with those treated with sulfonylurea during Ramadan. Findings from the LIRA-Ramadan™ study were presented at the 75th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Boston, MA.
The 33-week, open-label, randomized study showed that Victoza® sustained blood glucose control during four weeks of Ramadan, with similar reductions in fructosamine levels compared with sulfonylurea. Testing fructosamine allows the effectiveness of diabetes treatment to be reliably evaluated after a couple of weeks.
“Fasting during Ramadan presents unique medical challenges for people living with type 2 diabetes and their healthcare providers,” said Dr Sami Azar, Professor of Medicine at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon and principal investigator of the LIRA-Ramadan™ trial. “Prolonged fasting, often followed by large nighttime meals, can affect blood glucose levels and result in severe hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. To help minimize these risks, physicians and people with type 2 diabetes should consider evaluating and discussing diabetes management plans in advance of Ramadan.”
Source: Novo Nordisk
