DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i05.054

Pages: 2150-2156

Hydroxychloroquine as an add on treatment improves glycemic profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients who were inadequately control on Metformin and Gliclazide. This 24 week multicentre observational trial compared the efficacy and safety of Hydroxychloroquine and sitagliptin in patients whose glycaemia was inadequately controlled with metformin and gliclazide. Uncontrolled adult 300 T2DM patients with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 7 - 8% on fixed dose of 500 mg Metformin and 80 mg Gliclazide. This patients were randomised 1:1 to add on Hydroxychloroquine 400 mg or Sitagliptin 100 mg for 24 week. The primary efficacy analysis was a comparison of the change from baseline HbA1c, Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) and Post Prandial Plasma Glucose (PPG) at week 24(P = 0.001). At 24 weeks, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean HbA1c reduction in hydroxychloroquine group (0.92%) as compared to sitagliptin group (0.80%) (P = 0.001). Mean reduction in Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) and Post prandial Plasma Glucose (PPG) was also statistically significant in the hydroxychloroquine group as compared to the sitagliptin group (P = 0.008). There was no significant difference in terms of change in BMI (0.07 ± 0.39 kg/m2 vs. 0.08 ± 0.31 kg/m2) in hydroxychloroquine and sitagliptin groups, respectively (P = 0.644). The incidences of hypoglycemic events were also less in both the groups. In T2DM patients on hydroxychloroquine + metformin + gliclazide combination exhibited significant reduction in glycemic parameters as compared to sitagliptin + metformin + gliclazide combination. Moreover, there was no significant difference between both the groups in terms of change in BMI and incidence of hypoglycemia. Hydroxychloroquine is a potent antidiabetic and can be safely used in uncontrolled T2DM patients in place of sitagliptin.